Review: BBC PROM 49: SCHUMANN'S DAS PARADIES UND DIE PERI, Royal Albert Hall

The Royal Albert Hall was the venue for a treat last night with the first complete performance at the Proms of Robert Schumann's Das Paradies und die Peri, written in 1843. 

It is a rather sentimental tale in which a Peri (a mischevious female spirit born of a fallen angel and a human) strives to be admitted through the gates of heaven. To do so, she must present an offering of something most holy, and through the tale she attempts this three times before her eventual admittance to Paradise.

Schumann and his friend Emil Flechsig based their libretto on Irish poet Thomas Moore's romance Lalla-Rookh, and if the words now seem rather flowery in translation to modern ears, their delivery remains enchanting.

First considered as a full opera, Das Paradies und die Peri quickly evolved into something between opera and oratorio, suitable for the concert stage, and during the latter half of the 19th century the piece found favour with amateur choral societies.

Here at the Proms the work of the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle, their current Music Director, shows their gift for interpreting this style of music. They give the piece a committed colour and life with violins and cellos augmented by occasional bursts of brass and percussion. 

Two of the six soloists (bass-baritone Florian Boesch, and tenor Linard Vrielink) made their Proms debuts with this 99-minute piece, and both proved useful actors as well as accomplished singers, with Boesch adding a touch of terror as the Indian tyrant, and Virelink touching as Egypt's young lover dying from plague.

Lucy Crowe's engaging light soprano did sterling work as the Peri, whose endearing innocence mixed with a frustration at being barred from the delights of Eden displayed a deep contemplation of the text. As the Angel who sends her away with regret, mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená provides a sense of grace and vocal power, and tenor Andrew Staples proves a constant and sympathetic narrator.

This is a piece of folk storytelling at its best, whether dealing with the religious ramifications of being welcomed into the eternal garden, or in providing musical links and hints to the countries the Peri must pass through to find the holiest gift - which turns out to be an old sinner's tear of repentance at the call to prayer in Syria.

Das Paradies und die Peri is an exciting piece of music which was second only to Schumann's Spring symphony as his most performed large-scale work in his lifetime. It has everything you might want in an evening: moments of battle evoked by complex orchestrations; true love brought to life by the emotional power of song; and eventual redemption.

The BBC Proms continue until 8 September, with each concert broadcast live on Radio 3.

Photo credit: Julia Wesely

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