Search - Franz Joseph Haydn, Laszlo Heltay, Antal Dorati :: Haydn: The Creation; Salve Regina

The Greatest Oratario. Dorati Triumphs As Conductor

Hohenzolern@aol.com | 08/02/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Antal Dorati conducts a terrific "Creation". The music of Franz Joseph Haydn is masterfully captured by the excellence in the performance by the Royal Philharmonic. The Brighton Festival Chorus with singing sensation Lucia Popp (soprano) and baritone Kurt Moll are magnificent. Popp's coloratura passages are unrivaled (she is a well-known opera star and besides performing lyrcal sopranos in Italian reportaire, she has sung the role of the Queen of the Night in Mozart's Die Zauberflote. Kurt Moll, also a renowned bass/baritone, has performed the great roles of the bel canto (Alfredo's father in La Traviata, Sarastro in Zauberflote). The chorus are sensational. One feels as if lifted into the heavens. Next to Handel's Messiah, the Creation is the finest of the reportaire. Loosely based on the Milton epic Paradise Lost, Haydn attended a performance of the Messiah and was inspired to compose an oratorio. The Creation resulted in a glorious work for chorus, with recitatives and harpsichord continuo (performed here by Dorati himself) and a vast number of arias and trios and full chorus. The Creation tells the story of the very beginning of time, when God created the universe and the earth, giving life to Adam and Eve. One quickly thinks of Michaelagelo's Birth of Man. The Hallelujah chorus here is superb and the final chorus, in praise of the glory of God's creation, is sung to perfection from the opening lines to the final Amen."

"Creation" Best Before Arrival of Man

Joan Rogers | Portland, OR United States | 01/29/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I found this "Creation" to be a combination of fantastic delight and terrible disappointment. The reviewer who erroneously listed Czech soprano Lucia Popp as "German-born" also somehow failed to realize that the role of Eve is sung by Helena Dose, not by Popp, and it is in fact Dose's performance that drags the whole third part down. She is unremittingly terrible; the voice is consistently under pitch, and lacks much of the flexibility needed for the part. Benjamin Luxon is an adequate Adam, but his very rapid vibrato muddies the texture of the music. That being said, Kurt Moll was born to sing Rapahael; the effortless majesty of his huge and yet sensitively-coloured voice is amazing to hear. Werner Hollweg is fine as Uriel, and Lucia Popp is a splendid Gabriel, her slightly astringent, evenly-produced voice working wonders with Gabriel's three challenging soli. Her trills in the bird aria have to be heard to be believed. Unfortunately, the choral work often seems bland, compared to other recordings."

A Sublime Creation

Rudy Avila | Lennox, Ca United States | 07/02/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is a superb recording of Haydn's oratorio The Creation conducted by Antal Dorati and featuring the incredible voices of bass Kurt Moll and soprano Lucia Popp. There is another recording I like, an obscure recording with Roland Bader conducting the Cracow National Philharmonic and the voices of soprano Teresa Seidl, tenor Christian Elsner and baritone Michael Volle. This recording is the best and the singers are divine and it's too bad it's not really well known or circulated. But this recording is dynamic and powerful and beautiful. It would be my second choice of favorite. Haydn, who together with Mozart lead the Classical movement (1750-1820)was inspired to compose the massive oratorio after listening to a performance of Handel's Messiah. Of course, the Messiah is far superior in many ways and is the most spiritual work of music ever made but Haydn gave it his best and produced a marvelous miracle of music. The Creation features arias, recitatives, ensembles and chorus much like Handel's Messiah and the lyrics are taken from Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost. The Creation tells of the creation of the universe and the earth by God and the creation of Man- Adam and his wife Eve. The second part, rather than describing the Fall in the Garden of Eden, instead praises God and his creation in glowing terms.To effectively perform The Creation, a fine cast of singers and a sophisticated and well-trained chorus is necessary. I feel this album does that perfectly. Soprano Lucia Popp, a German-born singer, sang numerous roles in opera for lyric and coloratura voice and she was comfortable in Mozart operas, Lieder, and the oratario like Carmina Burana by Carl Orff. Her voice is heavenly and full of spiritual fire as the angel Gabriel and as Eve. Bass baritone Kurt Moll, more a bass than a baritone, has a resonant, deep voice that often reminds one of the voice of God. He is perfect for the voice of the angel Raphael and he doubles as Adam. He is an exceptionally gifted artist and his voices are among the greatest in bass singers. This is a great album and is sure to cast a powerful spell over you. The Creation and The Messiah are the most inspiring works of music written about God for God."