ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Dudamel teams with iconic director Peter Sellars and innovative video artist Refik Anadol for the poignant and rarely performed oratorio Das Paradies und die Peri.
About this Performance:
Although his life was difficult, to say the least, ending prematurely in madness, Robert Schumann nonetheless composed music that elevates us through its pure spirit and unique personal character. Over three weekends, Gustavo Dudamel delves deeply into Schumann’s four symphonies, two greatest concertos, and a rarely heard oratorio, offering us a portrait of the man through his finest creations.
The oratorio Das Paradies und die Peri (Paradise and the Peri) is seen as one of Schumann’s major achievements; even Wagner had positive words for it. The story, which originated with 19th-century Irish poet/singer Thomas Moore, was translated by Schumann and a friend. It tells of a peri – a fairy-like spirit from Persian mythology, somewhere between an angel and a devil – who has been cast out of heaven. Its only way back is by finding the gift that God will like best, which – spoiler alert! – turns out to be a tear from a repentant old sinner who has observed a child praying.
For our production, incomparable operatic mastermind Peter Sellars teams with media artist Refik Anadol to create a never-before-seen staging, bringing the season to a moving conclusion.
Program:
SCHUMANN: Das Paradies und die Peri, Op. 50 (Part One, Part Two)
These concerts, the conclusion of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Schumann Focus, celebrate a number of firsts. Of course, these will be the first performances of what promises to be another provocative staging by director Peter Sellars, this time in collaboration with media artist Refik Anadol. Notably, too, these will be the Philharmonic’s first-ever performances of Robert Schumann’s Das Paradies und die Peri. And, most importantly, for almost everyone in the audience, this will be the first time they have ever experienced this masterpiece in person. Make no mistake, it is a masterpiece, and if you are one of the fortunate few who have attended a performance of Das Paradies und die Peri, take a moment to assure your nearby seatmates that they are in for a rare treat.
Consider this statistic: during Schumann’s lifetime, Das Paradies was second only to his “Spring” Symphony as the composer’s most frequently performed large- scale work. In fact, his mature reputation throughout the musical world was largely built on the acclaim and popularity that Das Paradies accrued. It was greeted so enthusiastically upon its premiere in Leipzig in December of 1843 that an encore performance was held the following week. And within just a few years it would be heard well beyond the borders of Germany; from Amsterdam to Prague, from Zürich to Riga, Das Paradies was a hit. By 1847, it was scheduled to be performed under the aus- pices of the American Musical Institute in New Yo
