oratorio which at once took its place by the side of Handel's
master-pieces, and rose to a popularity second only to that of
"The Messiah" itself.

"The Creation" suggested

The connection thus established between the names of Handel and
Haydn is interesting, for there can be little question that Haydn
was led to think of writing a large choral work chiefly as the
result of frequently hearing Handel's oratorios during his visits
to the metropolis. The credit of suggesting "The Creation" to
Haydn is indeed assigned to Salomon, but it is more than probable
that the matter had already been occupying his thoughts. It has
been explicitly stated [See note by C.H. Purday in
Leisure Hour for 1880, p. 528.] that, being greatly impressed
with the effect produced by "The Messiah," Haydn intimated to his
friend Barthelemon his desire to compose a work of the same kind.
He asked Barthelemon what subject he would advise for such a
purpose, and Barthelemon, pointing to a copy of the Bible,
replied: "There! take that, and begin at the beginning." This
story is told on apparently good authority. But it hardly fits in
with the statements of biographers. According to the biographers,
Salomon handed the composer a libretto originally selected for
Handel from Genesis and Paradise Lost by Mr Lidley or Liddell.
That this was the libretto used by Haydn is certain, and we may
therefore accept it as a fact that Haydn's most notable
achievement in choral music was due in great measure to the man
who had brought him to London, and had drawn from him the finest
of his instrumental works.