Haydn: Die Schopfung (The Creation)

Gundula Janowitz (Artist), Franz Joseph Haydn (Composer), Herbert von Karajan (Conductor), Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra), Josef Nebois (Performer), Fritz Wunderlich (Performer), Werner Krenn (Performer), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Josef Nebois, Fritz Wunderlich, Werner Krenn, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
• Orchestra: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
• Composer: Franz Joseph Haydn
• Audio CD (January 27, 1998)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• ASIN: B000001GXN
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #55,058 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #8 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Voices > Tenors

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: HAYDN,J.
Title: CREATION
Street Release Date: 01/27/1998
Domestic
Genre: CLASSICAL COMPOSERS

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Upbeat Choral Music, September 25, 2000

By 

Ed Luhrs (Long Island, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Haydn: Die Schopfung (The Creation) (Audio CD)

I must admit an affinity toward Herbert von Karajan as a conductor, for despite the various iniquities attributed to his uncompromising personality, the guy was good. The brilliance of this recording probably has a little less to do with Karajan and a whole lot to do with the brilliance of the soloists. I've never heard Gundula Janowitz or Fritz Wunderlich before, so this recording is a revelation. The solo singing is absolutely brimming with youthful ardor. Every syllable is shaped with love. Add the BPO, a fine chorus, and Karajan, and you have a classic. I'm eager to hear some of the English language versions of this work. Haydn originally wanted to work with an English text derived from Milton & the Bible, but reverted to German because he was more comfortable with his own language. In English or German, I think "The Creation" certainly rivals Handel's "Messiah" in inspiration. I'm not one to go out of my way to listen to oratorios, but this music is exceptionally great. Haydn said he brimmed with joy every time he thought about God. Well, he sounds pretty happy here.

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Let There Be Light, September 28, 2004

By 

Florestan "Florestan" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Haydn: Die Schopfung (The Creation) (Audio CD)

Though one might think his voluminous output would preserve Haydn at the fore of the Classical era, it has proven to be something of a liability. Some find it difficult to distinguish one piece from the next among his 100+ symphonies, and double-digit contributions to the string quartet, piano trio, and piano sonata repertory. It is unfortunate, as he made outstanding contributions to each of these genres.

Happily, one form in which his reputation remains unsurpassed is the oratorio. The Creation demonstrates that Haydn was no slave to form. If it were otherwise, how could he go about composing a musical "representation of chaos?" Apart from being uniformly lovely, all the arias, ensembles, and choruses demonstrate Haydn's ability to wed music to text. Listeners non-versant in German would find no shortage of musical clues as to plot, whether it be the creation of light or the birds and the bees. Die Schöpfung can be a dramatically and musically gripping experience.

Herbert von Karajan overachieves in this recording against considerable odds. It took several years to record all the tracks, and required managing the death and limited availability of several of the principal singers. The Berlin Philharmonic plays to perfection, displaying the individual talents of its members (most notably woodwinds) in sections where the orchestration is lighter.

That said, the singers deserve the most credit for launching this record into immortality. Gundula Janowitz is, in my opinion, one of the most unjustly underrated sopranos of all time. Her voice is a marvelous instrument, and she uses it brilliantly on this recording. Her arias and recitatives are nothing short of arresting, but are delivered with such fluidity as to seem effortless. Fritz Wunderlich, whose untimely death occasioned most of the logistical challenges facing Karajan on this recording, managed to record the most significant of Uriel's arias and ensemble pieces. His majesterial contributions are consistent show-stoppers. While I find his replacement in the minor recitatives, Werner Krenn, merely adequate, there is no appreciable continuity problem. The other soloists, the alto-par-excellence Christa Ludwig, the venerable Walter Berry, and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau round out this extraordinary cast.

This recording was remastered as part of DG's "The Originals" series, and admits of few limitations that might merit its rejection in favor of more recent entries.

This is a finely recorded, finely played, and finely sung account of a finely written masterpiece. It belongs on the shelf of any afficionado of classical music, no matter how modest his record collection. Buy it.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful music and a fine performance, August 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Haydn: Die Schopfung (The Creation) (Audio CD)

I must admit that I am not a Haydn fan. I've studied many of Haydn's symphonies with my music tutors for the British A level music scheme. I'm afraid I dislike them intensely. However, I certainly recognise the genius involved in their writing. Having taken part in a performance of excerpts of this work I've grown to like this work greatly. It is wonderful to hear so many first class artists. Gundula Janowitz shines as ever, especially as she is not pushed to the extremes of her voice. Wunderlich is particularly good, given that this was his last recording ( a fact I didn't not before reading the editorial comment). All in all this is a great buy, especially if, like me, you prefer such works in the original language.