A night in London

Carmina Burana; Carl Orff, composer; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; Atlanta Boy Choir; Judith Blegen, soprano; Hakan Hagegard, baritone; William Brown, tenor; Robert Shaw, conducting

I remember seeing the trailer, at the movie theater, for the 1981 motion picture “Excalibur”, John Boorman’s magical account of the legend of King Arthur. It featured Nigel Terry as King Arthur, Helen Mirren as Morgana, the great Nicol Williamson as Merlin, and a very young Liam Neeson and an even younger Patrick Stewart as Gawain and Leondegrance. It also featured the always stirring, yet always menacing, “O Fortuna” from Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana”.

In 1935 and 1936, Herr Orff composed music to portions of a manuscript of some two-hundred fifty-four poems and dramatic texts from the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth centuries called “Songs from Beuern”, in English, or, in Medieval Latin, “Carmina Burana”. The manuscript was found in a Benedictine monastery in Benediktbeuern, Bavaria in 1803. Golliards, traveling students and clergy contributed songs of morals and mockery, love songs, drinking and gaming songs for this collection.

Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana” takes the form of cantata and calls on the talents and capabilities of an ensemble of enormous proportions. A massive percussion section, a very large orchestra, two pianos, a large chorus, a children’s chorus, and soprano, tenor and baritone soloists typically fill to overflowing a concert stage of performers who take on this behemoth. Now and then you encounter performances the ensemble has staged the work with ballet and costumes.

In 1991, I went to Europe as a choir accompanist and chaperone for young people, mostly from South Dakota, who had formed a band and chorus to take a summer tour of London, Paris, Switzerland, Austria and Germany. Most of the ensemble members were still in high school. A small number of them were in college. I was to chaperone the college age kids.

When we got to London, I saw that, on our first night in town, there was a concert at Royal Albert Hall. The second half of the concert consisted of the entirety of “Carmina Burana”. I gathered my wards and informed them of this option and to my joy and relief, they all wanted to go to the concert. This was the first time that I ever heard the work and I was blown away.

A few years later, at a band concert, somebody behind me started telling musician jokes during intermission and many others chimed in. I heard the same tired stories that had made the amateur comedy circles for years. But then I heard a choral conductor jump in. “Hey, fellas, listen to this…”

You say Carmina, and I say Carmana.

You say Burina, and I say Burana.

Carmina, Carmana.

Burina, Burana.

Let’s

Carl the whole thing Orff.

Everybody OK?

Credits: To John Boorman, for his gripping story telling of the Arthurian legend. Thank you for using “O Fortuna”.