Daniel Harding conducts Schumann's Paradise and the Peri

Let maestro Daniel Harding and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra guide you on a journey in search of the supreme gift. Inspired by Thomas Moore’s eponymous poem — itself rooted in Persian mythology — Schumann’s secular oratorio Paradise and the Peri tells the story of a celestial being of ineffable beauty banished from Paradise; to regain her place, the Peri must offer Heaven the most precious gift. Her quest first takes her to India, where she finds sacrifice, then to Egypt, which offers unconditional love — two insufficient treasures. It is ultimately the redemption of a criminal in response to a child’s prayer that opens the way for her return.

Despite the origins of his inspiration, Schumann avoids the pitfalls of musical Orientalism and chooses to accompany the heroine’s journey with all the simplicity and piety she displays. The work shines particularly through its magnificent melodies, which maestro Daniel Harding “seems to carry in his blood as he weaves these light and graceful lines that float across the stage” (Bachtrack). Paradise and the Peri is indeed inseparable from the conductor’s career: he had presented it to celebrate his arrival at the helm of the Orchestre de Paris in 2016; in 2023, the work sees the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and the maestro excel during their very first collaboration.