In 1800, France was passionate about Haydn's music. The Paris Opera decided to stage a French version of his oratorio La Création du Monde (The Creation of the World) in Paris, which had been completed two years earlier and premiered in Vienna.

The first French performance of the work took place on December 24, 1800, a date that became historic because Bonaparte, First Consul and future Napoleon, decided to attend and narrowly escaped an explosion that killed 40 people and destroyed 15 houses... This French version has now been revived thanks to Julien Chauvin, who almost by chance came across the first edition (piano-vocal) of the French version of The Creation and who, with Le Concert de la Loge, the Choeur de Chambre de Namur, and leading vocal soloists (Julie Roset, Stanislas de Barbeyrac, and Nahuel Di Pierro), now presents the very first recording of it: “Haydn succeeds in developing an incredible palette; the orchestra is really there to personify and colour the verses,” says the conductor.