Classical Music and the Jews: Franz Yosef Haydn as test caseHaydn tagged to his musical scores "a praise of love for G-d," Laus Deo, a phrase penned at the end of his scores, as well as incorporated in his song, "Aus dem Danklied zu Gott" (From the song of Thanks to God). In the "Abenlied zu Gott (Evening song to God) Haydn adopted the poetry and spirit of genuine humility of the devout Protestant Christian Fuerchtegot Gellert, "Her der du mir das Leben/ Bis diesen Tag gegeben/ Dich bet ich kindlich an/ Ibn bin viel zu geringe/ Der Treue, die ich singe/ Und die du heut an mir getan [L-rd you who have given me life up to this very day, to you I pray like a child/ I am much too unworthy/ of the faithfulness of which I sing, / and which you show to me today].
While Handel's oratorios clearly reveal a religious biblical consciousness as in: Esther, Samson, the resurrection, Deborah, Joseph and his brothers, Judas Macabaeus, Joshua, Solomon, Belshazzar, Jeptha, etc. Haydn's oratorios such as the Creation (Die Schopfung) sings of the omnipotence, majesty, and infinite wisdom of G-d. It opens, "Im Angange schuf Gott Himmel und Erde (in the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth). Haydn's work continues: Mit Staunen sieht das Wunderwerk (The marv'lous work beholds amazed) with the crescendo of the creation account whereby the chorus sings, "Stimmt an die Saiten (awake the harp) whereupon the tenor Uriel, sings in recitative, "Und Gott Sprach: Es sei'n Lichter an der Feste des Himmels" (Let there by lights in the firmament of the heaven)- whereby in Haydn's symphony drawing on a verse from Psalms: Die Himmel erzaehlen die Ehre Gottes (The heavens declare the glory of G-d, Hashamayim misaprim ha-kavod Kail).
This rif shows that this religious sentiment emblematic of a deep faith is problematized by the reception history of Haydn's work: The Apothecary
