The Seven Last Words of Christ (Haydn) were not the original Latin but pietist poetry, written in German. Haydn was impressed with the new work and decided to improve on it, preparing his own choral version. He had the assistance of Baron Gottfried van Swieten, who revised the lyrics used by Friebert. This was the first work in a serial collaboration with van Swieten as librettist that continued with the later oratorios "The Creation" and "The Seasons". The choral version was privately premiered in Vienna on 26 March 1796 before an audience of the nobility, under the sponsorship of the Gesellschaft der Associierten. The public premiere was
The American Seasons The American Seasons The American Seasons is an album by Mark O'Connor, recorded with the Metamorphosen Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Scott Yoo. It is composed of three original orchestral works by O'Connor. First is his piece for violin and orchestra, "The American Seasons" loosely structurally based upon Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons", and is conceptually a piece on American life, grounded in American folk music. "Strings & Threads Suite" follows, which traces O'Connor's "version of how folk music on the violin evolved in America" (liner notes) through thirteen pieces in progressively more modern styles. The album concludes with an arrangement of