Marek Janowski, the Dresdner Philharmonie and the MDR Leipzig Radio Choir present Haydn’s oratorio Die Schöpfung (1798), together with soprano Christiane Karg, tenor Benjamin Bruns and bass Tareq Nazmi. During his London sojourns, the aging Haydn was astounded by the audience engagement at performances of Handel’s oratorios, and he aimed to realise something similar in his own work. From the legendary breakthrough of light in the orchestral introduction all the way to the hymn to the almighty creator in the finale, Haydn offers a sweeping, colourful tableau of God’s creation of the world. As such, the work offers the apotheosis of the eighteenth-century oratorio while also serving as an inspiring example to nineteenth-century Romantic composers. Janowski and his forces realise both the Classical transparency and Romantic drive of this epoch-making piece.

Marek Janowski is one of the most celebrated conductors of our time and has a vast Pentatone discography, chiefly consisting of German operas and symphonic works. From 2019 to 2023 he was Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Dresdner Philharmonie. Die Schöpfung is his sixth Pentatone recording with this orchestra, with whom he recently released Schubert’s ‘Unfinished’ and ‘Great’ Symphonies (2023), as well as Schumann’s complete symphonies (2024). The MDR Leipzig Radio Choir has frequently featured on Pentatone recordings and starred on Bruckner & Haydn Motets (2021) and Mendelssohn Choral Works (2023). Christiane Karg, Benjamin Bruns and Tareq Nazmi all make their Pentatone debut.