October 9th, Winnipeg's Centenial Concert Hall was host to a rare performance of Haydn's masterpiece 'The Creation'.

Put on by a group of Winnipeg businessmen with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the University of Manitoba and the Desautels School of Music, the concert featured soprano Monica Huisman, baritone Stephen Hegedus, tenor Christopher Enns and the voices of the U of M singers and alumni choir led by Dr. Elroy Friesen.

Sara Krahn is a freelance writer and reviewer for Classic 107. She was at the concert and shared with us, her thoughts on the night and the music.

 

A touch of eternity?

 

There is a specific quality to Haydn’s music that distinguishes it from the works of other classical composers of his time. The character of his music is consistently light and humorous - the work of an even-keeled guy whose personality today would probably be perfect in sitcom comedy. His music likes to put on a show – dazzling audiences so that we’re often left reveling in the star qualities without realizing the actual depth. There is, indeed, something enigmatic about Haydn’s work and this aspect is too often swallowed up in its shimmery surface.

 

Last night’s performance of ‘The Creation’ – Haydn’s spiritual epic – revealed this certain musical depth, allowing the audience to experience Haydn beyond the confines of mere cleverness.

 

‘The Creation’ is Haydn’s big-band oratorio, scored for a full orchestra and chorus, along with soprano, tenor, and bass soloists representing the archangels Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel. The original English libretto is woven from excerpts of Genesis and the Psalms, as well as Milton’s Paradise Lost. Under the direction of Elroy Friesen, the WSO collaborated with the University of Manitoba Singers, and guest soloists Monica Huisman, Christopher Enns, and Stephen Hegedus, to pull off a convincing performance of Haydn’s sacred tour de force. Elroy Friesen notably succeeded in capturing the familiar grand gesture of Haydn’s work while still allowing the orchestra and singers to explore the rich tone colour of the music. Despite this being his first time ever conducting Haydn, Elroy Friesen describes Haydn as a “musical genius…the orchestration is brilliant and the characters of the instruments really come alive.”

 

The sweeps of passionate solo lines, swirling orchestral sounds, and zealous choral parts made it impossible to walk away from this performance without the impression that every musical moment seemed to be infused with an inexplicable joy.

 

Considering the glamour of this work, with its immense musical proportions and epic spiritual texts, it’s easy to assume that ‘The Creation’ can ultimately speak for itself. But there is a distinct richness added when ensembles of a certain caliber perform together. The University of Manitoba Singers & Alumni Chorus projected a rousing full-bodied sound, pulling off electrifying choral sections. One noteworthy example was at the end of the opening overture when, alongside the orchestra, they miraculously broke into a sustained C-major chord. This moment was a perfect example of Haydn’s “musical genius”, revealing the awe and mystery hidden below the glitzy surface.

 

The music is all about the sum of its parts. Soprano soloist Monica Huisman made the appropriate comment that “when the parts all come together they form this intricate, beautiful painting.”

 

After the concert I had the chance to ask the tenor soloist, Christopher Enns, about the character of his part and the process behind getting into that character. He professed that the work is not meant to be experienced through the lens of a specific personality:

“It’s not so much about making a character out of the music but about putting yourself into the work as a whole and participating as an observer. It’s a big story – you put yourself in that picture so that you can allow yourself to really be amazed. For instance, when you’re experiencing nature, and suddenly you can’t help but wonder how it is all possible.”

 

Haydn’s music amplifies that moment of unexplainable wonder and joy. Perhaps, there’s a touch of eternity in his music? That might be embellishing it a bit for the sake of intrigue, but performances like last night do seem to give it that lasting effect.

 

 

Sara Krahn is a music student at Canadian Mennonite University here in Winnipeg.