Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale about the princess who was sensitive enough to be disturbed by a pea hidden underneath a huge pile of mattresses, inspired Austrian composer Ernst Toch to create a children's opera, first presented in 1927.
To render the allegorical fairy tale, Toch, who received the Pulitzer Prize for his Third Symphony (1954), employs the musical language of his time while simultaneously making use of past forms, arias, duets etc. The enchanting opera was an immediate success and it has ever since been integrated into the repertory of most opera houses worldwide.
Apostolia Papadamaki, attempts to visualise Toch's music with the aim of creatively communicating it to children's audiences.