Haydn: The Creation

In 1800, France was enthusiastic about Haydn's music. The Paris Opera decided to perform a French version of his oratorio "The Creation," which had been completed two years earlier and premiered in Vienna. The first French performance of the work took place on December 24, 1800, a date that became historic because Bonaparte, First Consul and future Napoleon, decided to attend and narrowly escaped an explosion that killed 40 people and destroyed 15 houses... This French version has now been revived thanks to Julien Chauvin, who stumbled almost by chance upon the first edition (piano-vocal score) of the French version, "La Création du Monde," and now presents the very first recording of it with the Concert de la Loge, the Choeur de Chambre de Namur, and leading vocal soloists (Julie Roset, Stanislas de Barbeyrac, and Nahuel Di Pierro): "Haydn succeeds in developing an incredible palette of sound; the orchestra is truly there to personify and color the verses," says the conductor.