Cantata Singers: The Creation
Cantata Singers’ 55th season continues with F.J. Haydn’s resplendent oratorio, The Creation on Friday, March 22nd at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall.
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) was inspired to write The Creation after two visits to England, the first in 1791-1792 and the second in 1794-1795. While visiting England, Haydn attended performances of oratorios by George Frideric Handel, including his monumental Israel in Egypt, and Haydn became inspired to write his own oratorio with his patron, librettist, and artistic adviser Baron Gottfried van Swieten.
Considered one of Haydn’s greatest works, Music Director David Hoose and Cantata Singers return to The Creation for the first time since 2002. Scored for soloists, four-part chorus, and orchestra, the gloriously rich orchestral passages in The Creation showcase Haydn’s mastery of text painting, while the monumental choruses punctuate the triumphant nature of the work. Cantata Singers will perform the German version of The Creation.
The Creation tells, in three parts, the biblical story of how the world was created, formed, and shaped by God in six days. Three angels, represented by three soloists, narrate the story, including the angel Gabriel, performed by soprano Amanda Forsythe in her Cantata Singers’ debut, the angel Uriel, performed by
tenor William Hite, and the angel Raphael, performed by bass Mark Andrew Cleveland. The first part focuses on the creation of life in heaven and on earth, the second part describes the creation of animals, and the third part shows the creation of man and woman, featuring soloists soprano Alexandra Whitfield as Eve and bass Brian Church as Adam.
WHEN:
Friday, March 22, 2019, 8:00 pm
WHERE:
New England Conservatory, Jordan Hall
More information and buy tickets for The Creation here. View Cantata Singers’ 2018 – 2019 seasons here.
Image Credit: Cantatas by Bach and Ruehr, November 8, 2014, James Luo