The Creation (Haydn)
Oratorio by Joseph Haydn depicting the biblical creation.
Joseph Haydn composed the oratorio *The Creation* (known in German as *Die Schöpfung*) during 1797 and 1798. Catalogued as Hob. XXI:2, it is widely regarded as his finest work. The piece recounts and honors the biblical story of the world’s formation as told in the Book of Genesis. Gottfried van Swieten prepared the libretto. The composition has three parts and calls for soprano, tenor, and bass soloists, a chorus, and a full symphony orchestra.
Haydn’s inspiration for a large-scale oratorio came from his time in England in the early 1790s. There, alongside his friend Charles Burney, he heard George Frideric Handel’s oratorios performed by massive ensembles. Haydn likely aimed to create a work of similar grandeur using the mature classical style. One Handel piece he heard, *Israel in Egypt*, features vivid tone painting—a technique Haydn used extensively in *The Creation*.
The libretto’s origins stretch back to 1795. While Haydn was leaving England, impresario Johann Peter Salomon gave him a poem titled *The Creation of the World*. This text had previously been offered to Handel, who declined it because its length would have resulted in a four-hour musical setting. The poem likely reached Salomon through Thomas Linley Sr., a Drury Lane oratorio director. Though Linley may have written it, scholars Edward Olleson, A. Peter Brown, and H. C. Robbins Landon conclude the original author is unknown.
Back in Vienna, Haydn gave the poem to Baron Gottfried van Swieten, a diplomat, Imperial Library director, and music patron who had worked with Mozart and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. Van Swieten had previously edited the libretto for Haydn’s oratorio version of *The Seven Last Words of Christ*. He translated the English poem into German as *Die Schöpfung* so Haydn could compose, and he offered suggestions for individual numbers. The work was published in both languages in 1800 and remains performed in each.
For biblical quotations, van Swieten closely followed the King James Version. Musicologist Nicholas Temperley notes that the German text does not match any known German Bible translation; instead, its word order, syllabification, and stress patterns mirror the English. Haydn and van Swieten understood that English audiences would resist changes to their Bible’s hallowed text, especially given the precedents of Handel’s *Messiah* and *Israel in Egypt*. The final l
- field
- Classical music
- known_for
- Oratorio The Creation
- composer
- Joseph Haydn
- year_composed
- 1797–1798
- librettist
- Gottfried van Swieten
- premiere_date
- 19 March 1799
- premiere_venue
- old Burgtheater, Vienna
Lore & Background
Haydn was inspired to write a large oratorio during his visits to England in 1791–1792 and 1794–1795 when, alongside his close friend English music historian Charles Burney, he heard oratorios of George Frideric Handel performed by large forces. It is likely that Haydn wanted to try to achieve results of comparable weight, using the musical language of the mature classical style. Among the Handel works Haydn heard was Israel in Egypt, which includes various episodes of tone painting, perhaps an inspiration to Haydn's own pervasive use of this device in The Creation.
The text of The Creation has a long history. The three sources are Genesis, the Biblical book of Psalms, and John Milton's Paradise Lost. In 1795, when Haydn was leaving England, the impresario Johann Peter Salomon handed him a new poem entitled The Creation of the World. This original had been offered to Handel, but the old master had not worked on it, as its wordiness meant that it would have been four hours in length when set to music. The libretto was probably passed on to Salomon by Thomas Linley Sr. (1733–1795), a Drury Lane oratorio concert director. Linley himself could have written this original English libretto, but scholarship by Edward Olleson, A. Peter Brown and H. C. Robbins Landon tells us that the original writer remains anonymous.
When Haydn returned to Vienna, he turned this libretto over to Baron Gottfried van Swieten, who led a multifaceted career as diplomat, director of the Imperial Library, amateur musician, and patron of musicians including Mozart and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. He had already collaborated with Haydn as librettist, editing the text for the oratorio version of The Seven Last Words of Christ, premiered in Vienna in 1786. Swieten recast the English libretto of The Creation in a German translation (Die Schöpfung) that Haydn could use to compose. He also made suggestions to Haydn regarding the setting of individual numbers. The work was published bilingually (1800) and is still performed in both languages.
Reader's Guide
The Creation is considered by many to be Haydn's masterpiece. Its first public performance at Vienna's old Burgtheater on 19 March 1799 was sold out far in advance, and the oratorio was performed nearly forty more times in the city during Haydn's life. The work became a favourite of the Tonkünstler-Societät, a charitable organization for the support of widows and orphans of musicians, for which Haydn frequently conducted the work, often with very large ensembles, throughout the remainder of his career. The Creation had its London premiere in 1800, using its English text, at Covent Garden. Napoleon, then the First Consul, was an avid admirer of the composer. He attended its Paris premiere on 24 December 1800; on the way there, he narrowly escaped a bomb intended to assassinate him. The last performance Haydn attended was on March 27, 1808, just a year before he died: the aged and ill Haydn was carried in with great honour on an armchair. The work never left the repertoire during the 19th and early 20th centuries, and today it is frequently performed by both professional and amateur ensembles. There are many recordings.
Did You Know?
- The oratorio was published with the text in German and English in 1800.
- The first public performance was held in Vienna at the old Burgtheater on 19 March 1799.
- Napoleon attended its Paris premiere on 24 December 1800 and narrowly escaped a bomb intended to assassinate him.
- The libretto sources include Genesis, the Biblical book of Psalms, and John Milton's Paradise Lost.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Creation (Haydn)?
It is a three-part oratorio composed by Joseph Haydn between 1797 and 1798, catalogued as Hob. XXI:2. The work sets the biblical account of the world's formation from the Book of Genesis to music.
Who wrote the libretto for The Creation (Haydn)?
Gottfried van Swieten prepared the text that Haydn then set to music. The libretto frames the Genesis creation story for dramatic vocal and choral treatment.
When did The Creation (Haydn) receive its premiere?
The oratorio was first performed on 19 March 1799, roughly a year after Haydn finished composing it. He had worked on the piece continuously from 1797 through 1798.
What vocal and instrumental forces does The Creation (Haydn) require?
The score calls for a soprano, a tenor, and a bass as soloists, supported by a full chorus and a complete symphony orchestra. The entire work is divided into three parts.
Why is The Creation (Haydn) considered so important?
It is widely regarded as Haydn's finest composition. His desire to write a large-scale oratorio was inspired by the performances he attended in England during the early 1790s alongside his friend Charles Burney.
More in Genesis creation narrative 1-24
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