Orff - The Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Hartford Symphony Chorale, Fritz Mahler – Carmina Burana

Orff – The Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Hartford Symphony Chorale, Fritz Mahler – Carmina Burana

“Carmina Burana” is the best-known work by German composer “Carl Orff”, and one of the most powerful and instantly recognisable works in the 20th-century classical repertoire. Based on a collection of medieval poems and songs, Orff's cantata was composed in the 1930s and combines huge orchestral forces, massed chorus, solo voices and striking percussion to create music of extraordinary rhythmic energy and dramatic impact.

This recording features the “Hartford Symphony Orchestra” and “Hartford Symphony Chorale” conducted by “Fritz Mahler”, presenting the complete sequence represented on this release. The famous opening and closing movement, “Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi”, frames the work with its monumental choral declaration of the fickleness of Fortune, while “Primo Vere” and “Uf Dem Anger” introduce lighter, more celebratory sections.

The central sections move between boisterous tavern songs and intimate love poetry. “In Taberna”, “Olim Lacus Colueram” and “Ego Sum Abbas” provide some of the work's most theatrical and humorous moments, while “Cour D'Amours”, “Dies, Nox Et Omnia”, “Circa Mea Pectora” and the beautiful “In Trutina” explore the more romantic side of Orff's score. “Tempus Est Iocundum” and “Blanziflor Et Helena” build towards the return of “Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi” and the work's imposing conclusion.

With its unforgettable rhythms, dramatic choral writing and enormous sense of scale, “Carmina Burana” remains an essential work for listeners exploring 20th-century classical music, choral music and orchestral repertoire. This recording is particularly appealing to collectors looking for performances of Orff's celebrated masterpiece.

Tracklist

1. Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi
2. Primo Vere
3. Uf Dem Anger
4. Reie Swaz Hie Gat Umbe Chume
5. In Taberna
6. Olim Lacus Colueram
7. Ego Sum Abbas
8. Cour D'Amours
9. Dies, Nox Et Omnia
10. Circa Mea Pectora
11. In Trutina
12. Tempus Est Iocundum
13. Blanziflor Et Helena
14. Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi