ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
PHILIPPE HERREWEGHE
Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1849)
*Das Paradies und die Peri op.50*
Julia Kleiter _soprano – Peri_
Christina Landshamer _soprano – Jungfrau_
Gerhild Romberger _alto – Engel_
Maximilian Schmitt _tenor – Erzähler_
Krešimir Stražanac _bass – Gazna_
*Collegium Vocale Gent*
hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt
Philippe Herreweghe
Until recently, Robert Schumann’s large-scale vocal works were still unjustly overshadowed by a few instrumental masterpieces. His lyric oratorio _Das Paradis und die Peri_ from 1843, crossing over several genres and non-dogmatic in form (like the later _Szenen aus Goethes Faust_ and the opera _Genoveva_), had the same fate. Yet this work was hailed as a triumph at its première in Leipzig, and it was repeated over 50 times. Clara Wieck was also convinced that the music for this spiritual search for salvation from the fairy of the east (Die Peri) was the best thing her husband had written so far!