, to an
accompaniment which is closely imitative in character. The work of the
second day forms the theme of "The Marvellous Work," for soprano obligato
with chorus,--a number characterized by great joyousness and spirit. This
leads to the number, "Rolling in foaming Billows," in which the music is
employed to represent the effect of water, from the roaring billows of
the "boisterous seas," and the rivers flowing in "serpent error," to "the
limpid brook," whose murmuring ripple is set to one of the sweetest and
most delicious of melodies. This leads the way to the well-known aria,
"With Verdure clad," of which Haydn himself was very fond, and which he
recast three times before he was satisfied with it. It is followed by a
fugued chorus ("Awake the Harp"), in which the Angels praise the Creator.
We next pass to the creation of the planets. The instrumental prelude is
a wonderful bit of constantly developing color, which increases "in
splendor bright," until the sun appears. It is followed by the rising of
the moon, to an accompaniment as tender as its own radiance; and as the
stars appear, "the Sons of God" announce the fourth day, and the first
part closes with the great chorus, "The Heavens are telling," in which
the entire force of band and singers is employed in full, broad harmony
and sonorous chords, leading to a cadence of magnificent power.

The second part opens with the aria, "On mighty Pens," describing in a
majestic manner the flight of the eagle, and then blithely passes to the
gayety of the lark, the tenderness of the cooing doves, and the
plaintiveness of the nightingale, in which the singing of the birds is
imitated as closely as the resources of music will allow. A beautiful
terzetto describes with inimitable grace the gently sloping hills covered
with their verdure, the leaping of the fountain into the light, and the
flights of birds, and a bass solo in sonorous manner takes up the
swimming fish, closing with "the upheaval of Leviathan from the deep,"
who disports himself among the double-basses. This leads to a powerful
chorus, "The Lord is great." The next number describes the creation of
various animals; and perhaps nothing that art contains can vie with it in
varied and vivid description. It begins with the lion, whose deep roar is
heard among the wind-instruments. The alertness of the "flexible tiger"
is shown in rapid flights by the strings. A presto ingeniously represents
the quick movements of th