Repertoire: Carmina Burana--Some Straight Talk

Here are my recommendations for recordings of Orff's perennial favorite, Carmina Burana, accompanied at points by my Super running the vacuum cleaner out in the hallway. Normally I would have remade the video, but if you know your Orff, who included a bowling alley in his score for Der Mond, then you will agree that an offstage vacuum cleaner is somehow appropriate.

[CharlesSchroeder-bj]

My high school choir director introduced me to this work. "Fun and exciting" definitely sums it up. I soon accompanied him on a record-buying trip to Tower Records, where I purchased the Muti recording with the Philharmonia Orchestra. I immediately noticed that the soprano soloist had an unusually beautiful voice, and that was the beginning of my great admiration for Arleen Auger. Several years later, when I was living in NYC, I had the good fortune of attending a couple of her recitals at Alice Tully Hall. She was a very special artist, as you have pointed out in other videos.

I also had the pleasure of participating in a student performance the work during my first year at MSM. In that case, the soprano soloist was Lauren Flanigan during her days as a very hard-working student.

[enlightenedanalysis]

Thank you for this video. I totally agree with you about the tam-tam in the percussion. I just recently went to a live performance of Carmina Burana at the Royal Festival Hall in London, and the conductor had not included the tam-tam in the O Fortuna. I was immensely disappointed, although the rest of the choir and orchestra were all great. I have no idea why the conductor excluded the tam-tam (or gong as I used to call it) from the performance but I’m glad to hear you made a video addressing this point. Thank you again.

[arteguey]

My favorite version is by Rafael Fr[ubeck de Burgos and the Philharmonia Orchestra (1966). It has the best "Dulcissime" and other Soprano arias sung by the best of all sopranos: Lucia Popp.

[Knulletjerozewater]

May I point out Orff was a student of one of the Boulanger sisters and much of their style/influence can found in Carmina Burana. Listen to Lili's Psaume 24 as an example of that influence.

[ftumschk]

It pays not to delve too deeply into Carmina Burana. A religious friend of mine, and fellow chorister, made the mistake of reading the translation. Appalled by the lascivious lyrics, he refused to sing it with our choir and sought refuge in the orchestra, where the words are less of a problem. Excellent recommendations, by the way.

[frgraybean]

I recall Jim Svejda’s description of Carmina Burana: “Music a gland would write if it could.”

[davidgoodman]

A guy with his own tam-tam. Respect!

Carmina Burana can be a real treat in concert. Thanks for featuring these recordings.

David

[whistlerfred]

Okay, at the risk of having things thrown at me, I have to share this...
A Facebook correspondence of mine once described his trip to a New York City Delicatessen, where he was surprised to hear "Carmina Burana" playing in the background. I couldn't resist, so I responded...
Oh, for TUNA!
Almost nobody got it!

[jgesselberty]

My introduction to this work as a youngster was the Ormandy/Philadelphia LP. I have since gotten in on CD and still like to go back to it.

[michaelhartman]

Congratulations on your new channel. We appreciate your insight, scholarship, and enthusiasm. Love your recommendations, though I'm going broke buying too many of them on disk (I'm old school in this regard--have to possess something physical to listen to.). For Carmina Burana enthusiasts, they may be interested into delving into some of the medieval sources for this music. A three volume, four disk set by Philip Pickett on L'oiseau-Lyre label and an older Studio der Fruhen Musik effort on Teldec are interesting. One can hear in the originals how Orff tinkered and used these sources in his 20th century effort (one example: "Tempus est iocundum" on Pickett's 1st disk).

[damian-]

Sir, you are so correct, also Carmina Burana is often played too fast, specially the court of love. Thank you for what you have given us.

[monteclavis]

If you want Tam Tam (and perfectly in balance with the Gran Cassas upbeats), you should listen to the Chailly recording with the DSO. My favorite.. it's the transparency of the percussion section that makes it very special

[pbarach]

Glad you mentioned Ozawa/BSO at the end. Outstanding soloists and.topnotch sound.

[c.iuliusbalbus]

As a native latin speaker, coming from ancient Rome itself (my English, igitur, may be far from perfect), I see a little incongruity in the way you say 'CarmIna Burana', with the I stressed, and then 'Catulli CArmina', with the A stressed; the latter is the correct stressing in the language of my (old) days. Of course I know these songs are very modern, as they were composed in what you call the 'Middle ages', but that should not have nothing to do with which the stressed syllable is. In other respects, I learn a lot with these videos, Mr. Hurwitz, and really enjoy them. So thank you very much!

[barryguerrero]

Your three picks are my three picks as well: Runnicles, Blomstedt and Jochum. I can't say I know tons of recordings of "Carmina" and nor do I want to. I have a 'pirate' of Runnicles doing it with the Aspen Festival - or one of those other Rocky Mountain summer festivals - and it's quite excellent.

[williamevans]

Like many, I sang Carmina at university (as a second bass in my case). Very enjoyable!

[jimbobobie]

You didn't mention the recording by Rafael Frubeck de Burgos which is my favorite after listening to many versions. Lucia Popp is stellar in "Dulcissime" and de Burgos delivers a dramatic percussion crescendo at the end of the "O Fortuna" both at the beginning and at the end of the piece that no one else does. It's really a knockout, although it may not be in the score.

[jlaurson]

At the risk of some intra-ClassicsToday strife, I love what Immerseel has done with Carmina Burana. Zany! Perhaps it merits a review...

[willow]

Regarding Stravinsky's influence, I've noticed the "Circa mea pectora" movement has an ascending 4 note theme (not sure how else to describe it) that sounds exactly like what's in the 1st movement of Symphony of Psalms.

[kevinhaskins]

Good that you mentioned Herbert Kegel. His Leipzig / East German recordings are hard to get, but well worth it. The recording fidelity is top-rate, and performance (IMO) is often as good as it gets ( such as with his Bruckner treatments).