Haydn's second great oratorio, known in English as "The Seasons," was composed 1799-1800 in the wake of the great success and popularity of its predecessor. As with "The Creation," the German libretto provided to Haydn was the work of Baron Gottfried van Swieten, who adapted and translated excepts from the lengthy English poem of James Thompson also entiled "The Seasons." The premiere, given on April 24, 1801 in Vienna, was successful - but not as wildly popular as the previous work. The score reproduced here is an authoritative vocal and piano score in German, English and French issued by...
Haydn's second great oratorio, known in English as "The Seasons," was composed 1799-1800 in the wake of the great success and popularity of its predec...
Having been inspired by performances of Handel oratorios while visiting London in 1791-92 and 1794-95, Joseph Haydn determined to write one of his own and was given an English libretto entitled "The Creation," which had originally been offered to Handel years before. This libretto, whose author is still not known, was loosely based upon Biblical sources (Genesis, Pslams) and John Milton's epic "Paradise Lost." Haydn presented it to Baron Gottfried van Swieten, who adapted and translated the work into the German libretto used for the composition of the new oratorio. "Die Schopfung" occupied...
Having been inspired by performances of Handel oratorios while visiting London in 1791-92 and 1794-95, Joseph Haydn determined to write one of his own...
