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After the great success of The Creation, Haydn composed a new oratorio, The Seasons Hob XXXI:3. As for the Creation, Baron Gottfried van Swieten wrote the libretto. The German text is based on the English epic of the same name by James Thomson. Composed between 1799 and 1801, The Seasons is Haydn’s last major vocal work. Divided into four cantatas, the work depicts the passage of the seasons. Van Swieten’s libretto inspired Haydn to create an idyllic depiction of nature throughout the year, from the awakening of nature in the spring to a summer day with thunderstorms, the harvest in the fall and the somber mood of winter. At the end of the secular oratorio, soloists and choir sing of the hope of redemption in eternal spring. The Seasons was premiered to great acclaim at the Palais Schwarzenberg in Vienna on April 24, 1801. In addition to the full score and parts, the Breitkopf performance material offers a trilingual piano vocal score in English, French and German, prepared by Paul Klengel. It is optionally available as a clothbound edition.
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