Yesterday, I recorded the next episode of Reconquest: The Beauty of Revelation in Haydn’s Creation Oratorio. My guest is a young lady named Hannah Houston, whom two of our Sisters met at a Kolbe Center event this summer, where she gave a presentation called, “Haydn’s Creation Oratorio: A Witness to the Constant Teaching of the Church on Creation.”
Sister Marie Gabrielle told me that I simply had to interview Hannah as her subject would be right up my proverbial alley, so I was intrigued. I’m very glad I took her advice. Hannah is a bright young lady with solid Catholic convictions and a deep enthusiasm for her art.
The Creation Oratorio is a musical masterpiece of the famous Catholic Austrian composer lovingly called, “Papa Haydn,” by musicians who worked under him as Kappelmeister for the noble Eszterházy family. Known to musicologists as the “Father of the Symphony” and “Father of the String quartet,” Haydn also contributed to the development of the sonata form and is one of the leading composers of the Classical era. The Creation Oratorio is one of his most celebrated pieces.
During this time of year, it is common for that most famous of all oratorios, Handel’s Messiah, to be performed. Why exactly, I’m not completely sure, as its libretto spans Our Lord’s whole earthly life, not simply Christmas. Be that as it may, I think people — especially Catholics — should broaden their oratorio horizons by learning to love this piece by a great Catholic composer.
The term, “classical music” is often used sloppily to refer to all “art music,” or serious music, as distinguished from popular or folk music. But the word is properly confined to a specific era, which happens to he Haydn’s. Bach, for instance, was not a Classical composer, but a Baroque one; nor was Tchaikovsky a Classical composer, but a Romantic one.
Below are a few of YouTube videos with performances of the Creation Oratorio. Beneath those is a brief description of the Classical era for your edification.
The first video I wanted to embed is a live performance by the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic under the baton of John Nelson. The Oratorio is sung in German using modern instruments. The channel owner at YouTube will not allow it to be embedded, so you have to go to YouTube to experience it.
Here is a live performance in German using period instruments (instruments of Haydn’s day, as opposed to modern instruments). The performance is by the Netherlands Chamber Choir (Nederlands Kamerkoor) and the Concerto D’Amsterdam under the baton of Klaas Stok:
Here is a live performance in English using period instruments. The group is MUSICA SAECULORUM and they are conducted by PHILIPP VON STEINAECKER:
Lastly, here is a rather famous 1969 recording of Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker, sung in German and using modern instruments (this one is done as a “playlist” on YouTube, so each movement is its own video):
The Classical Era (roughly 1730–1820)
Historically, the Classical era coincides with the so-called “Enlightenment” or “Age of Reason.”
In art and architecture, this era is known as “Neo-Classical,” as it was an attempt to get away from the highly ornate characteristics of the Baroque era — where buildings could look like wedding cakes! — to a more geometrical style inspired by Greek Classical architecture. Many of our American state capital buildings — as well as national monuments in Washington DC — are in this style.
The music of the era was similarly altered. It was “cleaner,” and less ornate (or “frilly”), with melody lines supported by clearly audible harmony structures. At the same time, the size of instrumental ensembles grew to the size closer to a modern symphony orchestras, and the musical instruments themselves continued to improve. Dynamic ranges (soft and loud) came into greater use. Sonatas came to be highly developed at this time, and other forms came into use: the trio, string quartet, symphony, concerto, serenade and divertimento. According to Wikipedia, “The best-known composers from this period are Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Franz Schubert.” All these men were either born in (Schubert) or else worked in the city of Vienna, Austria. Beethoven was a transitional figure, whose later music is considered Romantic.
Both Mozart and Beethoven studied under Haydn at one time.
