Schumann: Das Paradies und die Peri - recommendations?

[M forever]

I went to a CSO concert once where I heard Giulini conduct it.

I am happy for you that you had the opportunity to hear that. Giulini was one of the truly great conductors of the last century, and I am grateful that I got to hear him, if not very often, but regularly in Berlin. I heard Bruckner 7,8, and 9 with him, some of the Brahms symphonies (1 and 3) as well as Franck's symphony and Fauré's requiem and a number of other pieces, especially the Bruckner symphonies were shattering once-in-a-lifetime experiences. His control over the musical process and the way he led the orchestra was unique, simple and to the point, but intensely lyrical and full of musical "meaning". Witnessing these concerts was very much seeing and hearing "the real thing", not some more or less accomplished people executing notes more or less skillfully, but music really "happening".
Did you see him often in Chicago?

BTW, the only recording I have of "Das Paradies und die Peri" is the one with SD/Sinopoli which I had to have because I am a Sinopoli collector, but after it took me about 2 years to find a copy for a reasonable price - copies of this are often very expensive because it is so rare - IIRC, I harpooned it at amazon France for just 22 Euro or so -, I haven't actualy gotten around to peeling it from the shrinkwrap and listening to it...