Die Schöpfung
The creation
La création

"Recommended: Small forces are used: the choir numbers just twenty singers - five voices per part - and there are 36 players in the orchestra. You won't be surprised to learn, then, that the textures are consistently clear and light ... I haven't encountered any of the soloists before. I was impressed; their singing gives considerable pleasure and all three voices are well suited to Haydn's music and to Jordi Savall's conception of it ... The orchestra delivers Haydn's wondrous tone-painting superbly ... Jordi Savall's direction of the oratorio is compelling ... I enjoyed this performance from start to finish and in this work, you can't pay a conductor - or his fellow musicians - a higher compliment. Collectively and individually, they bring this masterpiece vividly to life in a stylish performance of great freshness".

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"I kritikserien 'Rundt om en klassiker' er vi nået til Joseph Haydns oratorium om verdens skabelse. Blandt de syv valgte album ... er det nyeste album (2021) med den spanske dirigent Jordi Savall og Le Concert des Nations, som spiller på historiske instrumenter ... Savalls kaosvision lider desværre under et relativt mådeligt orkesterspil med usikre indsatser og svagt vaklende intonation, ligesom han forfalder til overstyrede effekter eller ligefrem affekter".

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"Haydns Skabelsen, nok hans største værk, får en pragtfuld gengivelse af Paul McCreesh og hans Gabrieli Consort & Players på autentiske instrumenter. De er mine yndlinge i den genre ... McCreesh dirigerer med en stærk dramatisk puls og meget drama. Hans melodiske fraseringer er frydefulde. Han nærmest sprudler. Solisterne lever musikdramatisk med".

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"Nu har Paul McCreesh taget tyren ved hornene og sat sig for at skabe den optimale engelske udgave ... Det kan lyde som helligbrøde, men der er kommet en fortrinlig udgave ud af det, velsagtens en af de bedste, der nogensinde er indspillet, komplet med fem fremragende solister, godt og vel 100 sangere og 113 musikere på originalinstrumenter. Alle disse mennesker har skabt en virkelig levende, billedrig, fortællende fortolkning ... Når solisterne ydermere er så gode, som de er, og koret kender sin plads, ja, så står man i sandhed med en fornem udgave af Skabelsen".

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"This new recordinghas much to offer, above alle Haitink's noble and exhilarating direction. But for an often similarly conceived performance in German, my vote would go to Colin Davis on LSO Live".

"There are undeniably beautiful moments in this recording: the singing of the two sopranos, some brilliant violin and cornett palying and an exceptionally attractive continuo contribution. But overall, this is a desperately disappointing recording of Monteverdi's masterpiece".

"Vurdering: G (Gramophone recommends)" - "This is a vivid realisation og Haydn's sublime prelapsarian vision ... Christie's direction throughout is fleet and unaffected, with a natural rhythmic exuberance ... and an unerring ear for Haydn's miraculous orchestral detail".

"The choral and instrumental forces of the London Symphony make a joyful noise, the voices strong and flexible enoght for Haydn's jubilant outpourings".

"I shall certainly return to this new recording: for much of the solo work, for the glorious playing of the LSO and, above all, for Davis's wise, joyous direction".

"Savall draws alert, colourful playing from his slender forces, though the acoustic tends to muffle the impact of brass and timpani in the big choruses ... Savall's soloists are decent, no more ... There are orchestral felicities to savour here. Yet the joy and mystery of Creation - and the sheer physical impact of Haydn's choruses - are more vividly realised in a raft of other recordings".

"Philippe Herreweghe brings his trademark refinement and subtlety ... with a twinkle in the eye, crucial in this of all sacred works. Rarely can a chorus have hailed the 'new created world' with such chirpy eagerness ... nimble and youthful-sounding ... Of the soloists, Christina Landshamer and Maxmilian Schmitt are persuasive as archangels ... Herreweghe's superbly sung and played Creation, finely recorded, easily holds its own".

"Vurdering: G (Gramophone recommends)" - "Dramatic, joyful Creation ... This inspiring new Creation deserves a place alongside Harnoncourt ..., Gardiner ... and Spering ... Choice may well be clinched by the soloists. For my money Bolton's trio are the best of all recent versions".

"Vurdering: Editor's choice" - "René Jacobs conducts an exuberant, colourful, sometimes controversial Creation".

"There is some simply dazzling continuo playing here ... There are also some glorious effects from the members of the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, individually and collectively on absolutely cracking form".

"Vurdering: G (Gramophone recommends)" - "Exciting, moving and wonderfully sung, this big band Creation is a triumph".

"Denne nye engelske indspilning er ret excentrisk. Dirigenten Paul McCreesh har åbenbart fået nok af sit sædvanlige lille orkester og ottemands kor. Nu skal det være lige så stort som ved uropførelsen i 1799 ... Det giver et enormt lydtryk i de kraftige passager ... Miah Persson og Peter Harvey er et virkelig sødt par i Edens have, og sopranen Sandrine Piau helt fremragende som ærkeenglen Gabriel ... Noget førstevalg kan det dog ikke blive, til det er McCreesh for meget Rasmus Modsat".

"Specialisten Paul McCreesh har fat i den helt rigtige ende, tempi, frasering, dynamik, alt er på plads, og de 114 musikere spiller som en drøm. Ikke alle solister er topstjerner ... Men helheden tæller, og den er storslået. Kan man vænne sig til det engelske sprog i et værk, som oftest høres på tysk, kan man trygt holde sig til her".