What are The Heavens Telling?

 

The Glory of God, of course!

Anyone who has sung in a choral society must have come across the chorus The Heavens Are Telling from Haydn's The Creation. It is a grand-old chestnut, if ever there was one.

As I have mentioned in other places on this blog, I am no lover of period instruments, nor their accompanying musical movement. While, I rarely search out such recordings, I have still enjoyed many, such as this one from Christopher Hogwood.

Despite my devout allegiances to this particular recording, containing a trio of fine British soloists, and boy choristers in the choir, I have moved on to the one on Archiv with Paul McCreesh as my go-to recording. Both performances feature the English language version of The Creation, a must for me, and both employ large numbers of performers. In addition, both employ period instruments, although McCreesh casts five vocal soloists to Hogwood's three.

Either way, Hogwood's remains an excellent recording, although he and his team keep the listener at arms length emotionally, despite the magnificent, grand musical setting.

A review from 2022

FJ Haydn’s The Creation is given an early HIP treatment from Christopher Hogwood and The Academy of Ancient Music, but in mighty numbers. The numerous performers, both sung and played, raise the occasion of this music and could hardly be called scrawny. Haydn authorized The Creation to be sung in English or German, and Hogwood directs this performance from 1990 in English, a preference of mine.

Of Haydn’s two monumental oratorios, The Creation and The Seasons, I prefer the latter for its earthy, Salt-of-the-Earth robustness, but there is much to enjoy out of the 90-minute Creation. The choruses are memorable, and while the first two parts deal grandly with the Days of Creation, the final portion is a love story between Adam and Eve, finishing off a large work with unusual lyricism and ardor.

Christopher Hogwood doesn’t lead a passionate account of this music, he is usually at arm’s length emotionally, but it is a grand and majestic reading. Ordinarily, I am no lover of period orchestras (nor Hogwood for that matter), and I do wish the AoAM had fuller, warmer strings, but the large number of instruments and chorus members are greatly appreciated. Hogwood allows unbuttoned orchestral character in Part 2 with the animals, his Overture is plenty built up for the Light showcase, and he generally moves things along pretty swiftly, yet with a hearty swing. The basso continuo is mercifully subtle, not clanging along akin to other recordings.

Soprano Emma Kirkby has a lovely fluting tone that is precise and agile, and she adds ornaments tastefully throughout. She is not the most heartfelt or dramatic of singers, but her clear, piping quality is great for this music. Bass Michael George is a bit too burly for these roles, and while he admirably bleats and takes the low D with the animals in Act 2, a crisper bass would have been preferable. Tenor Rolfe Johnson is by far the best of the lot, although I wish Decca had brought the soloists further in front of the orchestra for clearer understanding of the texts. I could imagine greater vocal dramatic range and expression from all, though.

The chorus is made up of mostly mixed adults from the AoAM chorus, but supplements the adult women with boy choristers from New College Oxford. It makes for a fuller, more confident tone, but still retains that English quality. I like that the chorus is large, for it lands this music with needed import, yet Hogwood keeps things moving with clarity.

Really a wonderful performance. Deficits for me are the period strings, which are bettered in greater numbers here, and Michael George’s bass. The production overall is very good though. Paul McCreesh on Archiv offers another Creation in English in large numbers, along with five soloists, that has probably superseded Hogwood’s winning account. My only objection is that McCreesh tinkers with the English text, which when heard, messes with my mind. Otherwise, it is highly recommendable alongside Hogwood. Hengelbrock has a robust German-language version on Harmonia Mundi too.

Decca’s recording at Walthamstow under Hogwood, is also found on L'Oiseau-Lyre, but this Decca Double remains a fine product with full texts provided in the liner notes.

Works
The Creation, Hob. XXI:2

Soloists
Emma Kirkby, soprano
Anthony Rolfe Johnson, tenor
Michael George, bass

Performers
Choir of New College, Oxford
Academy of Ancient Music Orchestra
Christopher Hogwood, conductor

Label: Decca
Year: 1990; 2012
Total Timing: 1.38.57

This recording of Haydn's The Creation was once a five-star job, but I have since moved on.

Still, this remains an excellent version, in English, with a period orchestra, and boy choristers in the choir.

Two of those three aspects are not really to my tastes, so it should come as no surprise I have since tarried elsewhere.

Find more Haydn recordings HERE!