A good performance
of "The Creation" can
be a uniquely exhilarating experience.
Haydn was clearly inspired by the
subject, and depicts the newly created
world with wonder, affection and
joy. We also sense that Haydn was
aware that not all in the world
is perfect but must nonetheless
be accepted. This is a very good
performance indeed that gets right
to the heart of Haydn’s inspiration
whilst avoiding any hint of the
kind of self-consciousness or portentousness
that, for me at least, has ruined
performances by starrier conductors
and singers.
The opening Representation
of Chaos is often played very
slowly and mysteriously which can
be effective but perhaps misses
the point. Chaos is depicted not
in the individual notes or bars
but in the lack of any direction
to the music or coherent context
for those notes or bars; paradoxically
the faster it goes the more obvious
it becomes that we are literally
going nowhere. I was gripped throughout
this movement in this performance.
Everything, even the strange wind
and string chords that nearly but
do not quite coincide, for once
made perfect sense in context. The
playing of the Chamber Orchestra
of Europe here and throughout is
superb - well phrased and balanced.
Fortunately the soloists and choir
are on a similar level, even if
at times I would welcome more individuality
from the former.
It would be unfair
to underestimate the contributions
of any of the performers, but I
suspect that it is the influence
of Sir Roger Norrington which raises
what would have been likely to be
a good performance anyway to one
which constantly brings home to
the listener the sheer breadth and
humanity of Haydn’s conception.
Although this is not a "period"
performance, the lessons of such
performances are apparent in the
transparency of the textures, the
dancing rhythms and the sparing
vibrato. Immense care has clearly
gone into the detail of the performance
– nothing is generalized, everything
is specific. It was recorded live,
although the audience only make
themselves known in the applause
at the end, and there are no obvious
lapses which might become irritating
on repetition. The performance can
best be described as being in every
way lively – a celebration of life
in the widest sense, wholly at one
with the enormity of the subject
of the oratorio. The recording is
clear and believable and the presentation
worthy of it, although personally
I prefer the text and translation
on the same pages.
John Sheppard
RIAS Kammerchor; Chamber Orchestra of Europe/Sir
Roger Norrington 
