had left his home a few months before. He
had become a great master, known all over the world, without himself
knowing it. If any man ever woke up and found himself famous, Haydn
was that man, although he had been in the way of having his
compositions played and sung before most of the important personages
in Europe for years, Prince Esterhazy being a royal entertainer. It
was for Madrid that Haydn composed his first Passion oratorio, "The
Last Seven Words." This work, by a curious chance, he made over into
an instrumental piece for his London concerts, the prejudice against
"popery" preventing its being given there in its original form. In
1794 he was again in London. Upon the first visit to London he took
the journey down the Rhine, and at Bonn, in going or coming, the young
Beethoven showed him a new cantata. In 1794 he was again in London,
where the same success attended him as before. He produced many new
works, and was royally entertained. Again he went home richer by many
thousands of dollars than when he set out. With his savings he
purchased a house in the suburbs of Vienna, where he lived the
remainder of his life, dying in 1809. It was during these last years
that he wrote his two oratorios already mentioned. That by which he is
best known is the "Creation," which is a master work indeed, if only
we do not look in it for too much of the distinctly religious or
sublime. It belongs to the pleasing in art, and certain of its numbers
are worthy of Italian opera, so sweetly melodious are they, yet ever
refined and beautiful. Of this kind are the solo arias, "On Mighty
Pens," the famous "With Verdure Clad," the lovely trio, "Most
Beautiful Appear." Several choruses in this work are really splendid.
At the head of the list I would place the two choruses, "Achieved Is
the Glorious Work," with the beautiful trio between, "On Thee Each
Living Soul Awaits." The development of the fugue in the second chorus
is masterly and effective indeed. Everybody knows "The Heavens are
Telling," which, however, has rather more reputation than it deserves.
The English have made much of Haydn's descriptive music in the
accompanied recitatives. This part of his work, however, was but
clever when first written, and now, through the enormous development
which this part of musical composition has since reached, is little
more than childish. Withal, the "Creation" is not difficult. It can be
rendered effectively with moderate resources. This