Carmina Burana, a Grand Finale
From John Cooper, Erie Philharmonic Chorus Member
The wheel of fortune favors the bold in Carl Orff’s magnificent work.
I remember hearing the Erie Phil Chorus perform this work several years ago. I am mostly familiar with what I now know is the first and last movement of the piece titled “O Fortuna” (O Fortune). I remember this movement from the 1981 movie Excalibur. The one part in the movie that I most remember is when King Arthur drinks from the Holy Grail and is revitalized, along with the land. He and his knight ride out to fight the final battle with Mordred. As they ride out, the land which had become desolate comes back to life as they pass by the trees and grasses to the music of “O Fortuna”. It is truly inspiring to hear and see what transpires as they ride out. Every time I hear and sing this movement, I see in my mind that portion of Excalibur.
History of the piece
Carmina Burana is a cantata composed in 1935 and 1936 by Carl Orff (1985-1982), based on 24 poems from the medieval collection Carmina Burana. The poems and dramatic texts are mostly from the 11th or 12th century, although some are from the 13th century. The pieces are mostly bawdy, irreverent, and satirical.
Orff's Carmina Burana is divided into three sections called “Springtime,” “In the Tavern,” and “The Court Of Love.”
It is comprised of 25 movements beginning and ending with “O Fortuna” (O Fortune). The languages performed in this piece cover Medieval Latin, Middle High German and a bit of Old French.
The piece uses several soloists which are tenor, baritone & soprano. It will also include the full Erie Philharmonic Chorus, Erie Philharmonic Junior Chorus, and Erie Philharmonic Youth Chorale.
Note: Information taken from Wikipedia & Music Magazine
Perspective of the piece from the singer
I was excited to hear that this piece was going to be performed this season.
This is my first time performing this work. This work is a challenge in several ways: first, the length of the piece being 25 movements. The chorus sings all but seven of the movements in the work. Several movements are sung by just the women or the men.
Second, the language. We do not have anyone from the time period of these poems to actually know how we are to pronounce them; thus you can hear several different pronunciations when you listen to recordings. It is crucial to mark your music, so you know exactly how to sing the lyrics the way the music director wants them sung.
Third, the necessity of being able to transition from one movement to the other and one style to another quickly. In some movements, we do not have any accompaniment leading us into it. We have to be able to hear what is coming up before we sing it.
The Erie Philharmonic Chorus
How people know the work
As mentioned earlier, some might have heard the opening and closing movement in the 1981 movie Excalibur. You can watch it here.
“O Fortuna” was also used in an Old Spice commercial.
You can also find this movement used in Jackass movie intro.
“O Fortuna” has also been covered, remixed, and sampled by various musical acts like Therion and Nas.
Additional thoughts
I have enjoyed the challenges of this piece and look forward to performing it in its entirety. This is where all of your preparation comes into play. You can rehearse all you want. You can stop and start each piece until you get it right. The real challenge is to perform it, non-stop from beginning to end. It’s kind of like a musical marathon, with several breaks scattered throughout.