Orchestre des Champs-Élysées & Collegium Vocale Gent

An oriental folk tale about a fallen angel: in 1843 it was with this dreamily-romantic work, full of eastern promise, that Schumann convinced the audience of his dramatic talent. Nowadays, Schumann is best known for his lieder and piano music, but he himself attached more importance to his lyrical work. This grand oratorio brought every aspect together for the first time: Schumann’s love of literature, his narrative skill, his talent for orchestration and the enchanting sound world of the romantic opera. He drew his inspiration from Irish poet Thomas Moore’s oriental romance poem Lalla Rookh, which was very popular at the time. The honest energy of Philippe Herreweghe and his Orchestre des Champs-Elysées gives Schumann’s score the necessary depth. Soprano Carolyn Sampson shines in the role of the angel child Peri.