Album: Haydn, The Creation – McCreesh/Gabrieli Consort and Players (Deutsche Grammophon)

The Gabrieli Consort has long been associated with the intimate and the obscure, using large forces only for scholarly reconstructions.

With period instruments tripled in number here and professional singers augmented by Chetham's Chamber Choir, Paul McCreesh's reading of 'The Creation' adumbrates tenderness, innovation (the libretto has been tweaked), and spectacle. Haydn's mannerist "Chaos" is alluringly dark, the fortepiano continuo (Timothy Roberts) supple and expressive. Strong singing from the chorus and soloists make this a highly persuasive performance.