A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Seasons, The

by George Grove

SEASONS, THE—Die Jahreszeiten—Haydn's last oratorio. The book was compiled in German from Thomson's Seasons by Van Swieten, who induced Haydn to undertake its composition immediately after the success of the 'Creation'; and the music was written between April 1798 and April 24, 1801, on which day the first performance took place at the Schwarzenberg palace, Vienna. Haydn always averred that the strain of writing it had hastened his death. [See vol. i. 714b.]

It is in four parts. The score was published in 1802–3 (without date) at Vienna; a barbarous English version accompanied the German text. In 1813 Clementi published a vocal score with a better version. The Rev. John Webb followed with a further improvement, and more recently, in 1840 or 41, Professor E. Taylor made a fourth. A selection from 'Spring' was given at Birmingham Festival 1817; Spring and Summer at the same place in 1820. It was on the repertoire of the Cecilian Society; and the Sacred Harmonic Society performed it on Dec 5, 1851, and four times more down to 1877.

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