La Creation du Monde

In 1800, France was enthusiastic about the music of Haydn. The Opera of Paris decided to perform a French version of his oratorio La Création du Monde in Paris, which had been completed two years earlier and had premiered in Vienna. The first French performance of the work took place on 24 December 1800, a date that became historical because Bonaparte, First Consul and later Napoleon, decided to attend and narrowly escaped an explosion that killed 40 people and destroyed 15 houses ... This French version has now been given new life thanks to Julien Chauvin, who almost by chance came across the first edition (piano-vocal) of the French version of "The Creation" and now presents the very first recording of it with Le Concert de la Loge, the Chœur de Chambre de Namur and leading vocal soloists (Julie Roset, Stanislas de Barbeyrac and Nahuel Di Pierro): "Haydn manages to develop an incredible palette of sounds; the orchestra is really there to personify and colour the verses," according to the conductor.