Number two of the first part entitled “In the Beginning” introduces the narrators of the oratorio as Raphael and Uriel in the tenor voices. Both of them are part of the four head archangels (Singer). Raphael is not mentioned directly in the Bible but rather he is found in the “Book of Tobia”. He is also referred to as and St. Raphael (Discoll). Uriel is the archangel of earthquakes and thunder and is also referred to as the “Glory of God” or the “Light of God”. Ultimately he is the divine messenger that warns the end of the world (Singer).

This is also another landmark in the piece for it is the first time that the chorus is presented. They exclaim “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of water: and God said, :et there be light, and there was,” and as they all approach the next word the orchestra and chorus presents, “light,” in fortissimo.

Numbers three and four of part one explains what god did on the first day of creation. “And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven” (The Holy Bible, Genesis 1.6-1.8). During this number Haydn creates vivid images of how the earth was before there was dry land. Through rhythmic and melodic devices he depicts that of winds, clouds, rain, thunder, lightning, hail and snow. To include the elements being depicted through motifs was rather risqué during Haydn’s days. Many music critics believed this to be our of taste and “unmusical” especially after how often Handel had used such devices in his oratorios.

The next important piece is of number five entitled “The Marv’lous Work” where Gabriel is introduced through a soprano soloist in a praise of God’s handiwork alongside the chorus. Gabriel is mentioned first in the “Book of Daniels” and announces that Mary is about to have a son by the name of “Jesus”. He is also known as the Messenger of God and is a representation of fire (Schechter). Gabriel praises god with the song words, “The marvelous work behold amazed. The glorious hierarchy of heaven; And to th’ ethereal vaults resound. The praise of God…” The chorus proceeds repeating the last two lines emphasizing Gabriel’s statement. The part is roughly one minute long and comes at the crucial intersection between the end of the first day of creation and the beginning of the second day of creation.

Raphael begins the narration of the second day in number six of part one that extends to number nine. On this day God created the seas and the earth. He also created grass on the dry land, earth, and fruit trees “And God saw that it was good” (The Holy Bible, Genesis 1:12). Between each command there is an aria to depict how the earth took shape. Gabriel and Raphael take turns between the sections to describe these events. Haydn excelled at his orchestration during this aria. It almost seems effortless in the way the orchestra brings out the ocean, the hills and the land through their melodies. The picture that the orchestra paints for this section of the oratorio is quite impressive. It sounds almost as if chariots are pulling the sun across the sky in a blaze of glory. This particular sound can be heard clearly in the middle of number seven when Raphael begins to sing “Softly purling, glides on…” The upper voices are going up and down a scale of slurred sixteenth notes greatly depicting ocean waves.

The end of the first part depicts the creation of day and night. “And God said… divide the day from the night… give light upon the earth… to rule over the day and over the night” (The Holy Bible, Genesis 1:14 – 1:18). During number thirteen entitled “In Splendor Bright” a great contrast can be heard between the sun and the moon. In the first half of this number the entire orchestra is playing the same rhythm consisting of a quarter note on the first beat followed by a dotted eighth and sixteenth on the second and two more quarters on beats three and four. Haydn uses planning (another composition technique not yet established in his time) going down the scale painting a beautiful picture of the sun setting. The second half of this number has the moon coming out in the night. This melody is rather slow and full of suspensions and moves upward slowly but surely.