The Seasons followed Haydn’s popular oratorio The Creation (1798). Instead of Biblical tone painting and philosophical study, it contains imaginative descriptions of the annual cycle, with wine flowing in the pastoral scenes.

The librettist was once again Gottfried van Swieten. He was a patron of music, diplomat and imperial librarian, as well as the leader of Gesellschaft der Associierten, which arranged large-scale concerts. Haydn’s own career had taken a turn, leading him to work as the court conductor at Esterházy mainly in the summer. He was able to travel and to compose for the lively musical scene in Vienna.

Van Swieten’s libretto, based on the Scotsman James Thomson’s popular pastoral poem, did not inspire Haydn very much. Despite this, the result is a musical tour de force, in which warm Singspiel choirs, delightful arias and fugues of the high oratorio style meet. Grasshoppers, frogs, the divine sunrise and the freezing winter all get their poignant musical descriptions.

In FiBO’s “Top European Choirs” series, the orchestra collaborates with world-renowned international choirs from 2022 to 2025. The Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation support the series from 2023 to 2025. The first concert in this series took place in February 2022 with Det Norske Solistkor, the second one in February 2023 with Arcangelo, the third one in October 2023 with RIAS Chamber Choir and the fourth one in February 2024 Vox Luminis.

Duration: 2 h 45 min (incl. intermission)

The pre-event will take place from 3 to 3.30 pm in the main foyer of the Musiikkitalo, at the café end.