After the great success of The Creation, Haydn composed a new oratorio, The Seasons Hob XXXI:3. As for the Creation, Baron Gottfried van Swieten wrote the libretto. The German text is based on the English epic of the same name by James Thomson. Composed between 1799 and 1801, The Seasons is Haydn’s last major vocal work.

Divided into four cantatas, the work depicts the passage of the seasons. Van Swieten’s libretto inspired Haydn to create an idyllic depiction of nature throughout the year, f...