Carmina Burana by Carl Orff

When speaking of Carmina Burana, an entire generation will automatically think of the epic Old Spice aftershave commercial from the 1970s, set to the famous chorus O Fortuna, which both opens and closes the piece. However, the immense richness of this cantata goes far beyond that.

Composed by Carl Orff between 1934 and 1936, it premiered on June 8, 1937, at the Frankfurt Opera.

The composer based this work on 24 poems from the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries, which he selected from a collection of medieval manuscripts gathered from various regions around Europe, all under the same title: Carmina Burana. These were secular medieval poems written by clerics and wandering students who lived on the fringes of societal rules.

Most of the poems, written in Latin, deal with themes of religion, love songs, satire, the pleasures of life, and drunkenness, which finds particular emphasis in the famous “In taberna quando sumus”.

The cantata is divided into three distinct sections, according to the themes of the poems: I. Primo vere (Spring), II. In Taberna (In the Tavern), III. Cour d’amours (The Court of Love). The work begins and ends with a reference to the wheel of fortune, eternally spinning, bringing good and bad luck alternately—a parable of human life, symbolizing the contrasts and contradictions of existence, where everything transforms: joy into bitterness, hope into sorrow.

This secular cantata—written for a large choir, a smaller choir, an optional children's choir, three soloists (soprano, tenor, and baritone), and a full orchestra—has been chosen for the symphonic workshop of the 1st Manteigas Summer Music Festival. It was selected for its unique characteristics: the rhythmic and melodic strength of many of its songs, the relative simplicity of its composition (allowing singers of varying experience levels to participate in either the large or small choir), and its immense popularity since its premiere in 1937.  

This will be a unique opportunity to take part in a symphonic choral project featuring a work of great impact, set against the extraordinary backdrop of the Serra da Estrela mountains, in the town of Manteigas.