THE CREATION Part 3 (score & parts)

The music of almost every opera and ballet to appear in the principal Viennese theatres at the turn of the nineteenth century became prey to those employed in providing repertoire for Vienna’s numerous court and military harmonien, but very few oratorios were treated in this way. Principal among such rarities were Haydn’s two towering masterpieces The Creation and The Seasons - works which the Viennese had taken immediately to their hearts. If the number of performances given in the city is any yardstick, they never tired of hearing them. Both were transcribed for harmonie by Georg Druschetzky. His name is little known today but in fact he was the most prolific of all composers of harmoniemusik and the transcriber of some two dozen opera scores. That he should have been responsible for the transcription of these oratorios by Haydn is particularly appropriate since, like Haydn, he had been Kapellmeister to a Hungarian nobleman, and the two men were probably well known to each other in the musical circles of Bratislava and Vienna.
Three copies of Druschetzky’s transcription of The Creation are known, of which two have been used in preparing this edition. Where necessary reference has also been made to Haydn’s oratorio score. I would here like to express my gratitude to the librarians of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Vienna and the Fürstlich Fürsenbergische Hofbibliothek, Donaueschingen, for permission to use their original materials in the preparation of this edition.

Sources:
I. A set of eight parts for two oboes, two clarinets, two horns and two bassoons in the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Vienna (VIII 40509). The title page refers to a contrabassoon ad lib., though there is now no part, and accredits the transcription to Georg Druschetzky. The copyist is unknown.
II. A set of nine parts scored as for Source I plus contrabassoon in the Fürstlich Fürstenbergische Hofbibliothek, Donaueschingen (Mus Ms 727). Although anonymous, it is the same transcription as Source I. The copyist is unknown, but probably Viennese.
III. (Unused). A set of eight parts scored as for Source I in the Conservatorio Statale di Musica ‘Luigi Cherubini’, Florence (FPS 351). The transcription is accredited to Druschetzky. The copyist is unknown.
IV. The authentic first edition of the oratorio full score, printed for Haydn himself. The copy is in the Bodleian Library, Oxford.

Editor's Commentary: Source I was the principal source, and its key sequence has been adopted. There was more variety of key in Source II but, on the other hand, clarinets in C would have become necessary. Two things in particular have, however, been integrated from Source II: the contrabassoon part lacking in Source I, and some bottom notes in the oboe parts. The low B flat was of course unavailable on the early nineteenth century oboe, but in those movements pitched a tone higher in Source II, many oboe lines going quite naturally there to the low C have been retained in this edition when in Source I they were transposed up an octave. Where the low B flats are felt to be impractical, they were altered.
This is intended as a performing edition, and most of the detail variants between the two sources are not noted. Where they differ, the Source more closely related to Haydn’s original has generally been adopted. However, notes have not necessarily been changed because they are at variance with Haydn’s: Druschetzky had other criteria, such as the technical limitations of the instruments. Notes that are wrong in both Sources are corrected according to Haydn’s original. Many solo lines have no dynamic marks but are marked by Druschetzky ‘dolce’ or ‘solo’. This practice has been retained.
Irregularities in phrasing and note lengths were particularly editorial problems because this is a transcription of both vocal and instrumental lines which often followed different paths in Haydn’s original, which Druschetzky did not attempt to reconcile. The editor made some attempt to achieve a degree of uniformity: the performer may legitimately decide that his policy should have gone further, or perhaps not so far – he may of course act accordingly.
Phrase marks were often added only sketchily by the copyists, and almost always the two readings differed. In general, rational solutions have been attempted without comment. So too with staccato marks, though here it is worth mentioning that Druschetzky seems sometimes to have made specific use of them following a legato passage to confirm the change to ‘detached’, rather than to imply anything especially short, and then discontinued them. In consequence, staccato marks often appear in one part and not others, but this does not mean that the notes should be played at differing lengths.
Editorial changes are marked as such in the score, but not in the parts. Editorial ties, slurs and phrase marks are crossed, staccatos and dynamics are in brackets, notes and accidentals are printed small. Cautionary accidentals have been added without comment, and unnecessarily duplication of accidentals and dynamics similarly removed. Appoggiaturas have been printed at performance length. Pauses have been standardised without comment in accordance, where necessary, with Haydn’s original score.
- Roger Hellyer, September 1989

Delivery Details

We endeavour to dispatch all orders which are in stock on the day the order has been placed. If you need delivery by a certain time please state this clearly on your order and we will do our best to oblige.

For Royal Mail Special Delivery, Airmail (Signed For) and Courier shipments, a signature may be required upon delivery to your address. You are responsible for your order once the package arrives at the supplied delivery address. We cannot be held responsible if the package(s) goes missing once delivered. If any goods are received faulty or damaged on receipt, you must notify us within 7 days of receiving them (via email or telephone) quoting your order reference. We cannot be held responsible for goods that do not arrive with the customer due to errors made by the customer when entering their address details. Please ensure that you check all your details before confirming your order. For more information on deliveries, please click here.