Conducted by Hartmut Haenchen, the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest and Groot Omroepkoor perform Robert Schumann’s Das Paradies und die Peri (Paradise and the Peri), Op. 50, an oratorio for soloists, chorus, and orchestra. This performance was recorded during the AVROTROS Friday Concert on June 9, 2023, at the TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Performers
- Radio Filharmonisch Orkest
- Groot Omroepkoor
- Hartmut Haenchen, conductor
- Siobhan Stagg, soprano (Peri)
- Lauren Urquhart, soprano (Jungfrau)
- Sophie Rennert, mezzo-soprano (Der Engel)
- Sebastian Kohlhepp, tenor (narrator)
- Kieran Carrel, tenor (Jüngling)
- Rafael Fingerlos, bariton (Der Mann)
- Ludovic Provost, bariton (Gazna)
Robert Schumann’s Das Paradies und die Peri (Paradise and the Peri)
“Paradise and the Peri,” or “Das Paradies und die Peri” in German, is a secular oratorio composed by Robert Schumann for soloists, choir, and orchestra, completed in 1843 and published as his Op. 50. This work is based on a German translation by Schumann and his friend Emil Flechsig of a tale from “Lalla-Rookh” by the Irish poet Thomas Moore, known for his oriental and exotic themes. The story focuses on a Peri, a mythical creature from Persian lore, who, having been expelled from Paradise, seeks reentry by presenting heaven’s most cherished gift. She finally succeeds with the tear of a repentant sinner moved by a child’s prayer.
The oratorio debuted under Schumann’s direction on December 4, 1843, in Leipzig and was warmly received, with further performances in Dresden and Berlin. Its first English performance faced challenges at the Hanover Square Rooms in London, conducted by William Sterndale Bennett, a British composer and conductor, with the famed soprano Jenny Lind, known as the “Swedish Nightingale,” in the lead soprano role.
![hr-Sinfonieorchester performs Robert Schumann's Paradise and the Peri [Das Paradies und die Peri]](https://cdn-0.andantemoderato.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/hr-Sinfonieorchester-performs-Schumann-Paradise-and-Peri-1024x553.jpg)
“Paradise and the Peri” played a significant role in the early career of Gabrielle Krauss, a noted Austrian soprano, marking her first important appearance in Vienna in 1858 when she was just under 16 years old. Despite its initial success, the oratorio’s appeal has fluctuated, partly due to its florid, Eastern-inspired libretto mirroring the 19th-century fascination with orientalism, a trend less prevalent today.
Peter Ostwald, in his biography “Schumann: The Inner Voices of a Musical Genius,” mentions that Schumann was occasionally reassured by a mysterious voice during composition, hinting at the work’s significance-praise even echoed by the formidable composer Richard Wagner. Today, the oratorio is recognized as a substantial achievement by Schumann, though its reception among modern audiences varies due to the ornate style of the libretto.
Sources
- Paradise and the Peri on Wikipedia
- Das Paradies und die Peri, Op.50 (Schumann, Robert) on the International Music Score Library Project website
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