Joseph Haydn's The Seasons

This May marks the 210th anniversary of the passing of Joseph Haydn. ORF Enterprise presents a highlight from the concert hall at Schloss Esterházy.

Joseph Haydn’s "The Seasons" from the beautiful Haydnsaal concert hall at Schloss Esterházy. In contrast with normal practice for oratorios, Haydn did not draw on biblical texts. He focused neither on Christian figures nor on the heroes of antiquity, but instead allowed farmers and maids to sing. In "The Seasons", Haydn succeeded in creating an exciting and lovingly crafted piece of music. Above all, the work was forward looking: Haydn’s theme of closeness to nature gestured towards the forthcoming Romantic Age and led composers such as Schubert and Weber to take inspiration from folklore.

Genre Concert
Duration 135 minutes
Recording date 2018
Recording location Schloss Esterházy
Choir Vienna Chamber Choir
Orchestra / Band Haydn Philharmonie
Soloist Christina Landshamer (Soprano), Mark Padmore (Tenor), Florian Boesch (Bass)
Conductor Nicolas Altstaedt
Producer ORF III