During his visits to London between 1791 and 1795, Haydn found himself greatly inspired by the numerous performances of Handel’s works he attended. He was particularly moved by the grandeur of Messiah and Israel in Egypt which sparked his desire to create an oratorio of his own. Before Haydn returned to Vienna, violinist Johann Peter Salomon presented him with an anonymous English libretto which had supposedly been intended for Handel half a century earlier. The text – which draws from the Book of Genesis, John Milton’s epic Poem Paradise Lost (1667), and the Book of Psalms – resonated deeply with Haydn’s devout Catholic faith.

The Creation

Southbank Centre

In the beginning, God created heaven and earth ... and Haydn did the rest. With Die Schöpfung, his magnum opus, Haydn immortalised the creation story in music. The London-based Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment – renowned specialists in 18th-century masterpieces – revives this epic tale under the inspired baton of Václav Luks, a leading figure in historical performance practice. After their triumphant Beethoven programme at the Queen Elisabeth Hall in February 2025, they return to guide us from darkness to light, chaos to order. Haydn’s music evokes flowing waters, rustling leaves, and a vibrant menagerie, culminating in the splendour of the Garden of Eden. A profound human longing for clarity and hope resonates through this timeless masterpiece – a breathtaking musical journey of new beginnings.

Die Schöpfung by the Orchestra of The Age of Enlightenment

Queen Elisabeth Hall

Playful, humorous, and educational—CAMERATA's "Concerts for Young and Old" are an experience for the whole family. In these concerts, we embark on a journey of discovery with the musicians and experience firsthand the excitement that classical music inspires.

Concerts for young and old: Angel Choir and Heavenly Sounds

DomQuartier Salzburg

A few days before the beginning of spring, the CAMERATA, under the direction of Czech conductor Václav Luks, embarks on a journey back in time to Prague, to the flourishing music scene there in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Mozart, constantly striving for recognition in Vienna, experienced his happiest days as a musician during his three stays in the Bohemian capital. In the Prague orchestra, he found an excellent ensemble with which he successfully performed his highly complex, three-movement Symphony in D major, K. 504, which, according to music chronicler FX Niemetschek, has "such a fiery flow." Bohemia also boasted outstanding composers of its own, such as J.V. Voříšek, born in the year of Mozart's death and, like him, already in his mid-thirties. Voříšek's only symphony, with its no less "fiery" energy and colorful instrumentation, evokes a "Bohemian Beethoven." CAMERATA audience favorite François Leleux will also play the romantic, charming oboe concertino by Prague's JW Kalliwoda, with its horn-sounding introduction.

Season Concert Three: Spring in Prague

Mozarteum Foundation

Introductory talks (in German) in the Holzfoyer 30 minutes before curtain up, available here shortly after opening night and everywhere where podcasts are to be found.

EPSG:4326

Amor vien dal destino

Oper Frankfurt

“In the fury of most righteous wrath!” These are the words you’ll hear set by Vivaldi in this concert of Italian baroque fervor and passion from both the Venetian and Neapolitan styles. Vibrant soprano Maya Kherani returns to Philharmonia as a muse, singing two stories of abandonment and heartbreak through the zealous music of Handel and Marcello, accompanied by both furious and tender music for strings.

Fury and Heartbreak

First Congregational Church of Berkeley

Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts

War Memorial and Performing Arts Center

Celebrate the coming festivities with one of music’s most uplifting seasonal creations. Originally conceived for Leipzig’s Christmas celebrations in 1734, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio retains all its joy and colour nearly three centuries later, in vivid musical depictions of the Nativity and the Shepherds’ adoration. The Oratorio’s resplendent choruses and intimate solo arias continue to inspire and delight today, whatever your personal beliefs.

Bach's Christmas Oratorio

The Queen's Hall

Buchanan Galleries

Celebrate the coming festivities with one of music’s most uplifting seasonal creations.

Originally conceived for Leipzig’s Christmas celebrations in 1734, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio retains all its joy and colour nearly three centuries later, in vivid musical depictions of the Nativity and the Shepherds’ adoration. The Oratorio’s resplendent choruses and intimate solo arias continue to inspire and delight today, whatever your personal beliefs.  

Václav Luks

Events

Past events

May 27, 2026

The Creation · Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

May 22, 2026

Die Schöpfung by the Orchestra of The Age of Enlightenment · Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Future and recently performed repertoire

Conductor in Symphony No. 38 (Prague) by Mozart

Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum

Conductor in The Creation (Die Schöpfung) by Haydn

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Conductor in The Creation by Haydn

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Conductor in In furore iustissimae irae by Vivaldi

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale

Conductor in Armida Abbandonata by Handel

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale

Conductor in Concerto a Quattro No. 4 in c minor by Galuppi

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale

Conductor in Arianna abbandonata by Marcello

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale

Conductor in Concerto No. 2 in G minor by Durante

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale

Conductor in Amor vien dal destino by Steffani

Oper Frankfurt

Conductor in Symphony in D by Voříšek

Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum

Conductor in Oboe Concertino by Kalivoda

Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum

About

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