A Celestial Collaboration: Haydn’s “The Creation” Premieres in India

The Indian premier of F J Haydn’s The Creation in Chennai brought together musicians from India, Sri Lanka and the UK last month. The concert by the 34 member choir and 40 member Orchestra gave a treat for music aficionados.

It’s a monumental oratorio, Haydn had composed between 1797 and 1798, inspired by the Biblical Genesis and Milton’s The Paradise Lost showcasing Haydn’s orchestration and choral writing. Even today it remains one of the pinnacles of the classic choral repertoire reflecting Haydn’s profound faith and artistic mastery.

It all began amid the pandemic around four years ago with two young music conductors 27 year old Atul Jacob Isaac from  the Madras Guild of Performing Arts (MGPA) and 25 year old Srimal Weerasinghe from Sri Lanka’s The Gustav Mahler Society of Colombo (GMSC) wanting an India premier of this.

For close to a year, the teams worked hard remotely. The 34 member choir in Chennai, the 40 member Orchestra in Colombo, 3 soloists in London and one in Chennai worked in isolation till they landed in Chennai for a three day in person full rehearsal. 

“To do something as lofty as Haydn is a feather in both our caps, both for the orchestra and for us, to do this in a traditional way,  respectful of the culture when it was composed and rendering it to the best of our capabilities honouring the many many traditions that go with classical music” said Atul Jacob Isaac, the Music Director of MGPA.

“This is the first ever international tour by a Sri Lankan orchestra for an Indian premier. We are happy to have come to India to perform with MGPA” added Srimal Weerasinghe, The Chief Conductor of GMSC.