Inspired by hearing Handel in London – and with the parting gift of a libretto intended for that composer – Haydn was inspired to write his most ambitious work to date. From ‘chaos’, where classical harmonic logic is repeatedly contradicted, it moves on to the most famous C major chord in music on “Let There Be Light”.

The biblical days of creation are then depicted in a sequence of solos, each ‘day’ ending with a powerful chorus, culminating in the arrival in Eden of a pre-lapsarian Adam and Eve.

Being Haydn, there is humour as well as grandeur, not least in the depictions of the various animals. The vivid nature painting, enchanting themes, and monumental choruses continue to uplift us as they did the first audience and explain why this remains one of Haydn’s most admired and popular pieces.