Haydn: Die Schöpfung, Hob. XXI:2 (Live)

When asked to name what would be on the stand at his last concert, Simon Rattle declared that it would have to be Haydn’s great oratorio, The Creation. Rattle chose to launch his tenure as chief conductor of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in September 2023 with that very work. This live recording captures the deep affection and joy invested in every note by Rattle, his new band, the superb Chorus of Bavarian Radio and a trio of soloists that rivals, and often surpasses, any on record. The eloquence of baritone Christian Gerhaher’s “Rollend in schäumenden Wellen” and seductive spontaneity of soprano Lucy Crowe’s “Nun beut die Flur das frische Grün” set benchmark standards which never flag; in fact, they soar heavenwards as the work later recounts Adam and Eve’s initial bliss in the Garden of Eden. “I’m thrilled to be releasing a new recording of Haydn’s Creation,” Simon Rattle tells Apple Music Classical. “It’s absolutely one of my favourite works! I’ve kept this masterpiece close to my heart for many years, performing it over the years with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.” The conductor’s long experience of performing with the period instruments of the OAE leaves its mark on countless details in his Munich Creation. Listen, for instance, to the instrumental articulation and shading in “Mit Würd’ und Hoheit angetan”, matched to perfection by tenor Benjamin Bruns, or to the delicious woodwind and horn playing in Crowe’s spellbinding “Nun beut die Flur das frische Grün”. “Now, as I approach my 70th birthday,” notes Rattle, “I hope that you’ll enjoy this new recording with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, which we enjoyed performing so much together—a celebration of our world’s creation, life and nature!”