2026-27 Season > Haydn’s The Seasons (Die Jahreszeiten)
Join us in welcoming Marc Minkowski as Boston Baroque's newly appointed Music Director in this inaugural concert, a one-night-only celebration of an exciting new chapter, made possible by the extraordinary 52-year legacy of our founder, Martin Pearlman.
Following the great success of The Creation, Haydn poured his compositional powers into tracing the annual cycle of rural toils and rustic delights, from the tentative thaw of spring through summer's heat and autumn's harvest, to the cold inevitability of winter. The Seasons, composed between 1799 and 1801, brims with exceptional verve, energy, and warmth. From thunderstorms and bird calls to hunting scenes and harvest dances, its vivid musical storytelling sweeps through the turning year with humor, tenderness, and moments of breathtaking beauty. The final return to winter carries a deeper resonance, a human birth-to-old-age reflection that gives this seemingly pastoral work an emotional depth.
The libretto, adapted by Baron Gottfried van Swieten from James Thomson's celebrated English poem, was fashioned so the work could be performed in either German or English. Boston Baroque’s performance will take place in German.
Boston Baroque brings this joyful and reflective work to life with a stellar trio of soloists: soprano Lauren Snouffer, tenor Andrew Turner, and bass-baritone Brandon Cedel, who portray the three farmers, Hanne, Lukas, and Simon.
Estimated Run Time
2 HRS | One 20-Minute Intermission
Sung In | Supertitles
GERMAN | ENGLISH
Location
New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall | 30 Gainsborough St, Boston, MA 02115
PROGRAM
I. Spring (Der Frühling
II. Summer (Der Sommer)
- Intermission -
III. Autumn (Der Herbst)
IV. Winter (Der Winter)
ARTISTS
bass-baritone
Brandon Cedel
Learn More >
COMPOSER
Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809)
Among the most celebrated composers of the Classical era, Joseph Haydn helped shape the very foundations of symphonic and choral music. Revered throughout Europe for his creativity, wit, and mastery of musical form, Haydn spent much of his career in service to the Esterházy court before achieving international fame. By the end of his life, he was recognized as one of the most influential composers of his generation, inspiring contemporaries and successors alike, including Mozart and Beethoven.
Composed between 1799 and 1801, The Seasons (Die Jahreszeiten) was one of Haydn’s final major masterpieces. Written in the years following the tremendous success of The Creation, the oratorio was commissioned by Haydn’s longtime patron Baron Gottfried van Swieten and premiered in Vienna in 1801. Drawing inspiration from James Thomson’s poem The Seasons, the work celebrates the rhythms of rural life through vivid musical depictions of nature, labor, festivity, and the changing landscape across spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
At once joyful, reflective, and richly imaginative, The Seasons showcases Haydn at the height of his powers. From birdsong and thunderstorms to hunting calls and harvest celebrations, the score reveals a composer delighting in the natural world while exploring humanity’s connection to it. As one of the crowning achievements of Haydn’s late career, The Seasons stands as a testament to his enduring ability to transform everyday experiences into music of profound beauty and vitality.
EXPLORE JAMES THOMSON’S POEMS
These poems inspired Haydn’s The Seasons.
