THE WORLD CREATION PROJECT
WORLD CREATION Haydns The Creation worldwide on 31 May 2009
Sunday 31 May 2009 was the 200th anniversary of Joseph Haydns death. When Haydn died peacefully in his house in the Gumpendorf district of Vienna in 1809, the world around him was at war. Napoleons troops had reached Vienna; the city was in a state of siege. The commemorative mass in Viennas Schottenkirche celebrated two weeks after Haydns death was a triumph and example of how art can unify beyond the nations: Austrian and French officers formed an honour guard shoulder to shoulder in honour of Joseph Haydn, the most significant composer of his time.
WORLD CREATION The Creation worldwide.
More than 200 years later the anniversary of Haydns death was cause for celebration. The Haydn Festival in Eisenstadt initiated the WORLD CREATION project for this occasion: all around the world on 31 May 2009 Haydns most famous oratorio The Creation was played. Orchestras and choirs all over the world were invited to take part in this global performance project. No other composition is better suited for this form of presentation than Haydns The Creation, a key work in the worlds musical repertoire. When the birth of our world is celebrated in various countries and continents with the first choral entrance and Let there be light is then sung in fortissimo, it will be a symbolic apotheosis of his genius as well as a celebration of the power of music.
The global presentation of The Creation transcended the local setting of a commemorative celebration temporally as well. In overcoming spatial and temporal borders through the all-unifying music of Joseph Haydn, his universal significance is translated into the globally integrated present. My language is understood throughout the world, Haydn himself pointed out. Of this we can be certain: Haydn would have been very pleased about WORLD CREATION.
Dr. Walter Reicher, Intendant, Haydn Festival / Haydn 2009.
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