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Haydn 'Creation' a crowd-pleaser at Shelburne

SHELBURNE - If all the music of Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) were as great as "The Creation," he likely wouldn't have been eclipsed by Mozart (1756-1791). That was made clear in a substantial and most satisfying performance at the Vermont Mozart Festival Saturday at Shelburne Farms.

William Metcalfe, co-founder of the festival, conducted the five vocal soloists, Oriana Singers and VMF Orchestra in Haydn's masterpiece against a sublime sunset over Lake Champlain. It is a tribute to the performance that, despite its nearly two hours, it received the most attentiveness ever seen by this reviewer at a Shelburne Farms outdoor concert.

The libretto for "The Creation" combines the stories of the six days of creation and that of Adam and Eve. With text from both the Old Testament of the Bible and Milton's "Paradise Lost," it was originally intended for composer George Frederic Handel, who never got around to it. Interestingly, it was originally intended for performances in both German and English.

With the dramatic power of overture, "Representation of Chaos," it is made clear that Haydn was Beethoven's teacher. There are even parts that were clearly inspired by the more refined Mozart. The stories are told by the archangels (vocal soloists) and chorus for the first two parts, joined by Adam and Eve (vocal soloists) in the third, all with some of Haydn's most sophisticated orchestration.

Metcalfe, a history professor by profession but also an excellent musician, led a performance that was not only satisfying, it felt inspired. Although there could have been a little more elasticity in his lines, Metcalfe made the music sing. Oratorios aren't ideal for outdoor performances, and there were certainly limitations, but the musical power largely came through. (The audio systems have improved greatly over the years.)

Soprano Shyla Nelson, Archangel Gabriel, sang with a rich brilliance and lyricism in an affecting manner. John Tiranno, Archangel Uriel, performed strongly and effectively with his light tenor. The deep lyricism of bass Gary Moreau, Archangel Raphael, provided the backbone of the trio. Soprano Jane Snyder and baritone David Neiweem delivered particularly warm performances and were very lyrical as well.

The Oriana Singers were spirited and sounded great (though they were the greatest victims of the outdoor acoustics). The VMF Orchestra, despite a few rough passages, sounded great and there were some excellent solos among the winds.

Saturday's most attentive audience responded to this fine performance with equally enthusiastic applause.

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