Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House
May 11, 2016

First performed in London (and in English translation), Haydn’s Creation crowned the great man’s career in 1798. The return visit by the 66-year-old composer was the season’s celebrity drawcard, and knowing the British obsession with Handel (and Messiah in particular), Haydn was aware of what he was up against. History suggest that he didn’t disappoint, and Die Schöpfung (in its German version soon) was soon fêted for its bold dramatics and novel effects back home in Vienna as well before going on to conquer Europe.

To get it right, a conductor needs to marry the novelty with the choral and orchestral fireworks in a cohesive narrative arc, and that is precisely what Masaaki Suzuki did in a richly detailed, dynamic reading with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and as perfect a trio of soloists as you could hope for. The Japanese maestro is a period specialist and his taut, low vibrato approach to strings (a perfectly formed 38 of them) allowed the delicate niceties of Haydn’s pictorial woodwind to shine through in luminous detail. Valveless trumpets and impactful period timpani helped the crisp, rhythmic drive.

Suzuki’s sprightly reading was never rushed and...