The Creation
Arrangement for chamber orchestra (arr. J. Hickman) Hob. XXI:2, 1798/2018
Smaller forces can now perform Die Schöpfung with this arrangement. Characteristic of Haydn's orchestral writing is the vivid colors of his tone painting, so this arrangement re-creates these same orchestral colors in both the obbligato melody parts and the instrumental colla-parte passages. It also closely follows the musical text of the critical Carus edition of Haydn's original version (Carus 51.990, ed. W. Gersthofer), so that any existing choral scores, piano reductions and string parts can still be used. By reducing the number of wind players, the string section can be smaller and fewer singers are required. This edition makes this beautiful work accessible to smaller groups, and those with more confined performance spaces and lower budgets.
Original version | Arrangement for chamber orchestra |
Soli STB, Coro SATB, 3 Fl, 2 Ob, 2 Clt, 2 Fg, Cfg, 2 Cor, 3 Trb, Timp, 2 Vl, Va, Vc, Cb, Cemb | Soli STB, Coro SATB, 2 Fl, Ob, Clt, Fg, 2 Cor, Tr, Timp, 2 Vl, Va, Vc, Cb (chromatic brass instruments are required) |
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Composer
Joseph Haydn
| 1732-1809As Kapellmeister to Prince Esterházy, Haydn composed numerous instrumental works and various operas, as well as making important contributions to the genre of church music, including fourteen Latin masses, of which only twelve are authentic or complete; these are complemented by motets and offertories, two important Te Deum settings, two Salve Reginas, a Stabat Mater, and the different versions of the Sieben Worte des Erlösers am Kreuze. The masses were composed continually between 1749 and 1802, except for the years 1783–1795, and therefore constitute the genre with which Haydn was occupied over the longest period of time. The six (authentic or complete) masses composed before 1782 are stylistically very different, and as well as short Missae breves there are more extended masses with rich orchestral scoring; by contrast the six so-called late masses, written from 1796 onwards, form a comparatively homogeneous group of more extensive works scored for large forces. With his two great oratorios Die Schöpfung (The Creation) (1798) and Die Jahreszeiten (The Seasons) (1801) Haydn established the tradition of the German oratorio for middle-class music making. Personal details
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Songwriter / Librettist
Gottfried van Swieten
| 1733-1803
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Arranger
Joe Hickman