Nothing good comes from an unwilling subject. What kind of work would we get if someone has no wish to set a certain libretto to music, but is nagged until he finally gets to the task? One might think that these circumstances would yield only an uninteresting work. In the case of amateurs, perhaps yes, but Haydn's genius produced a masterpiece, even if he didn't feel like composing it. (It is no coincidence that while in the service of the Esterházy family he was accustomed to being compelled to write music rain or shine.) After the enormous success of The Creation, his noble lyricist Gottfried van Swieten wanted "Papa” to set another libretto to music, this one which the baron based on the Scotsman James Thomson's narrative poem The Seasons. Haydn felt no inclination to take on the work, but the persuasion was so persistent that he ended up getting on with it, albeit grumblingly. We already know the result: another highly successful opus magnum of the oeuvre, which shows the relationship between man and nature in the light of the seasons. This time, Ádám Fischer is bringing the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra, which he leads. Serving as the choir is the Hungarian Radio Choir, while the solo parts will be sung by the refined voices of various globally respected artists.

Presented by: Müpa Budapest