Robert Peters wrote:

>I just listened to Haydns Creation for the first time (and certainly not
>for the last time!).  The oratorio begins with the representation of the
>chaos.  The CD booklet says this beginning is extremely dissonant music.
>I didnt hear that, in the contrary: it sounded harmonious to me.  What is
>the reason? My amateur ear (I would be the first to admit this)? Being used
>to dissonant music as a man of the present time? Is the booklet wrong? (Or
>am I an addict to harmony?)

The representation was very dissonant for its day.  The opening oboe solo
which begins as a chromatic scale would have sounded very strange indeed to
early nineteenth century ears.  We are accustomed to that sort of thing now
so it doesn't sound strange, but it did at the premier!

Kevin