The second part is devoted to the creation, and is composed principally of choruses introduced by a few bars of recitative, invariably for the tenor, who acts the part of narrator. The first seven of these describe the creation of the earth. After a characteristic introduction, the tenor declares "Chaos, be ended!" whereupon the Angels sing a glowing tribute to light ("Upspringing, the darkened Air broke forth into radiant Brightness"). Again the tenor and chorus in a brief number describe the firmament. The third chorus ("Fierce raged the Billows") pictures the division of land and water with great vigor, accompanied by imitative instrumentation which indicates Rubinstein's skill as a water-painter quite as clearly as his great Ocean Symphony. In the fourth and fifth choruses the music vividly tells the story of the creation of the trees and plants and the appearance of the stars in the firmament. The sixth ("Gently beaming, softly streaming"), in which the Angels rejoice in the soft radiance of the moon, is short, but exceedingly tender and beautiful. In the seventh ("All around rose the Sound of the Strife of Life"), we have a description of the awakening of life characterized by extraordinary descriptive power. This group of choruses, each one thoroughly fresh, original, and picturesque in its description, brings us up to the creation of man, which is the finest portion of the whole work. It begins with a long tenor recitative, "In all her Majesty shines on high the Heaven," reaching a fine crescendo at the close ("And lo! it was Man"). The Angels reply with their heavenly greeting, "Hail to Thee, O Man." A short dialogue follows between Adam and the Narrator, and the Angels renew their greeting, this time to Eve. This leads up to a lovely duet between Adam and Eve ("Teach us then to come before Thee"), which is very gracefully constructed, and tenderly melodious in character. The final number is a chorus of the Angels ("Clear resounded the Trumpets of Heaven"), beginning in broad, flowing, jubilant harmony, then developing into a fugue on the words "Praise the Almighty One," built up on a subject full of exultation and grandeur, and closing with a Hallelujah delivered with mighty outbursts of power. The third part is devoted to the fall of Adam and Eve and their banishment from Eden, closing with the announcement of the ultimate salvation of mankind. Both the Almighty and Satan appear in this part, the former's music being sung by the tenor voice; though, curiously enough, the latter's music is much the more attractive. SAINT-SAENS.