Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana is one of the most popular choral works of the twentieth century, best known for its electrifying opening chorus, O Fortuna. Dramatic, energetic and instantly recognisable, its music has found a place far beyond the concert hall, featuring in films, television and advertising around the world.
Composed between 1935 and 1936 for soloists, chorus and orchestra, Carmina Burana was conceived as a theatrical work combining music. movement and spectacle. Its text is drawn from a collection of medieval poems and songs exploring themes of fate, love, springtime, drinking and the pleasures of life.
The works unfolds in three principal sections – Springtime, In the Tavern and The Court of Love – framed by the ever-turning Wheel of Fortune. With its driving rhythms, powerful choral writing and vivid theatrical flair, Carmina Burana remains one of the most distinctive and frequently performed works in the choral repertoire.