Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra

He enjoyed respect and fame throughout Europe: in his own lifetime, Joseph Haydn was much admired for his inexhaustible creativity. In his music people saw a spirit of the time that, social turmoil and wars notwithstanding, still painted a positive picture of the world and promised better times ahead.

In 1799, on the threshold of the 19th century, Haydn set about composing his second major oratorio after »The Creation«. This time the idea was to depict the seasons of the year in music – an extremely popular subject at the time, when man felt secure in a world of benevolent nature forged by God’s hand.