Saturday, April 12, 2014

Carmina Burana



Carmina Burana (Carl Orff) is one of the top box office draws for symphony orchestras. Written in the 1930s and based on medieval poems, the piece features a large orchestra, mixed choir, boys'/children's choir, and vocal solists (soprano, tenor, baritone).  The opening/closing movement, O Fortuna, is often featured in commercials, movies, and other popular venues.  I have heard it performed by several orchestras/choirs and each time it is impressive due to the size of the performance group, the volume produced by said group, and the rhythmic nature of the piece.  Most recently, I heard it performed by the Carmel (IN) Symphony Orchestra.

1 comment:

mjs said...

We did something to do with Orff in grade school when we learned to play xylophones, I think?