From the first blush of spring to impending
winter, this masterwork covers a full year
of living.
Winter storms and whistling ploughmen, hymns of
praise and boisterous drinking songs, The Seasons is
a celebration of Haydn’s natural world, of sunrises and
sunsets, vivid musical depictions and sounds of rustic
fauna: cattle, buzzing bees, quail, a cricket and a frog!
Joseph Haydn was born in an era when nature touched
every part of life, and he died in an age of revolution.
Haydn’s sequel to The Creation, The Seasons is an
irresistibly tuneful panorama of 18th-century life and love
in all its bustling, earthy exuberance.
Inspired by his time in London and written specially to
appeal to British audiences, The Seasons was Haydn’s
last major work and he lavished great care on the piece,
combining choral forces and soloists with masterful
orchestration and ingenious word-setting.
And it doesn’t come around all that often – so this
performance will be a real occasion.
Emma Pearson soprano
Christopher Bowen tenor
James Harrison baritone
Uwe Grodd conductor
Pipers Sinfonia
Saturday 9 May
Holy Trinity Cathedral
7.30pm
ticketmaster.co.nz
09 970 9700