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The Plough Music Series is a regular selection of music intended to lift the heart to God. It is not a playlist of background music: each installment focuses on a single piece worth pausing to enjoy.
February brings us the nastiest weather of the year. On the other hand, it also brings us Valentine’s Day, and an opportunity to reflect on the wonder and joy of human love, which – as Genesis tells us – was created at the dawn of the world:
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God created he him;
male and female created he them.
And God blessed them. (Genesis 1:27-28 RSV)
In this magnificent duet from Haydn’s Creation, Adam and Eve express their delight in each other and enumerate the splendors of the newly created world around them.
Reflecting on his work in composing The Creation, Haydn once wrote, “Often, when I was struggling with all kinds of obstacles … a secret voice whispered to me: ‘There are so few happy and contented people in this world; sorrow and grief follow them everywhere; perhaps your labor will become a source from which the careworn will for a while derive peace and refreshment.’” Those of us feeling exhausted by the prospect of more snow should draw refreshment from this joyful ode to love and life.
The libretto of The Creation is the work of a number of poets, and includes sections based on Genesis, Psalms, and Milton’s Paradise Lost. Originally written in English, Haydn worked from a German translation when composing, and it is most often (as here) sung in that language.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7wU_mfKo0g
This recording – the Freiburger Barockorchester conducted by René Jacobs, with Julia Kleiter and Johannes Weisser as Adam and Eve – was released by Harmonia Mundi in March 2014.
Adam
Holde Gattin! Dir zur Seite
fliessen sanft die Stunden hin.
Jeder Augenblick ist Wonne,
keine Sorge trübet sie.
Eve
Teurer Gatte! Dir zur Seite
schwimmt in Freuden mir das Herz.
Dir gewidmet ist mein Leben;
deine Liebe sei mein Lohn.
Adam
Der tauende Morgen,
o wie ermuntert er!
Eve
Die Kühle des Abends,
o wie erquicket sie!
Adam
Wie labend ist
der runden Früchte Saft!
Eve
Wie reizend ist
der Blumen süsser Duft!
Adam, Eve
Doch ohne dich, was wäre mir
der Morgentau,
der Abendhauch,
der Früchte Saft,
der Blumen Duft!
Mit dir erhöht sich jede Freude,
mit dir geniess ich doppelt sie,
mit dir ist Seligkeit das Leben,
dir sei es ganz geweiht.
Adam
Graceful consort! At thy side
softly fly the golden hours.
Ev’ry moment brings new rapture,
ev’ry care is put to rest.
Eve
Spouse adored! At thy side
purest joys o’erflow the heart.
Life and all I am is thine;
my reward thy love shall be.
Adam
The dew dropping morn,
O how she quickens all!
Eve
The coolness of ev’n,
O how she all restores!
Adam
How grateful is
of fruit the savour sweet!
Eve
How pleasing is
of fragrant bloom the smell!
Adam, Eve
But without thee, what is to me
the morning dew,
the breath of ev’n,
the sav’ry fruit,
the fragrant bloom?
With thee, with thee is ev’ry joy enhanced,
with thee delight is ever new;
with thee is life incessant bliss;
thine it whole shall be.
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Mark Anderson
Excellent. Thank you. Did you know that even with all the faults of the Van Swieten "re-translation" that Haydn actually preferred the English? Or that the first US performance (1811) was in the sanctuary of the central Moravian Church in Bethlehem, PA? A later performance in Philadelphia (1822) required the Philadelphians to hire Moravian trombonists since the local orchestra had none.
Douglas Thain
This is beautiful. I did not know Haydn felt that he was bringing the joy of God to people by his music.