A listener interested in hearing
Haydn
's oratorio
Die Schöpfung, Hob. 21/2
, has an embarrassment of choices, from big traditional readings with swelling choruses to dramatic, quasi-operatic renderings to, increasingly often, historically informed versions. This live recording by the
MDR Leipzig Radio Choir
and conductor
Marek Janowski
, made from performances at the Kulturpalast in Dresden in 2022, may not seem to stand out, but it has a satisfying quality resulting from the long German tradition into which it falls, enhanced by the spontaneity of the live performances even if there is a fluffed note or two. The
PentaTone Classics
engineering team delivers a transparent sound from the Kulturpalast, probably a sound environment not too far from the Vienna Old Burgtheater, where the work had its public premiere in 1799. The roughly 50 singers of the
(slimmed down from its usual 75) and the players of the
Dresden Philharmonic
sound smaller in number than they actually are, and both groups bring agility and clarity to the music under the leadership of
Janowski
. Best of all are the soloists, veterans all, led by soprano
Christiane Karg
, who offer restrained performances that really shine when all three combine. This is not a flashy performance of
Die Schöpfung
in the least, but it is one that respects the work and puts it across successfully. ~ James Manheim