Sweelinck Barokorkest - Die Schöpfung

The Creation

As a child of his time, Joseph Haydn saw the universe as a harmoniously ordered whole in which a divine origin was reflected. His meeting with the astronomer William Herschel and seeing the stars and planets through a telescope must have made a great impression on him: shortly afterwards he began writing his masterpiece Die Schöpfung for choir, orchestra and soloists .

In Die Schöpfung Haydn not only gives shape to the harmonious beauty of the cosmos, but also to the biblical story of creation. He considers the creation of light on the first day and the planets on the fourth as the most miraculous moments. Through his use of dissonances and the dramatic contrasts between choir, orchestra and soloists he allows the listener to experience the sublime, something that actually transcends human comprehension.