Programme
Ottorino Respighi
"Pini di Roma"
Carl Orff
"Carmina Burana"
Duration: approx. 1 hr 45 mins without intermission
Sounds that immediately captivate and get under your skin. Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" is one of those rare works that also excite people who otherwise have nothing to do with classical music. Since its premiere in 1937, it has been the most frequently performed choral work with orchestra worldwide. The ingredients are rather unsuitable for the masses: Middle High German and Latin texts from the 11th century, set to music with stylistic elements of the Middle Ages. But Orff knew how to do it: a huge choir, massive orchestra, percussion like thunder - even the opening chorus feels like a natural event... Our chief conductor Sir Donald Runnicles has combined it with "Pini di Roma" by Ottorino Respighi, which impresses with an equally immediate, colorful language of sound that relies on strong effects, clear tonality, and emotional directness. Both works were created during times of fascist regimes and were used for propaganda purposes due to their monumental, easily accessible aesthetics - with Respighi through the image of Roman legions, and with Orff through archaic choral masses. However, the problem is not so much the music itself as its historical proximity to totalitarian symbolism.Ottorino Respighi
"Pini di Roma"
Carl Orff
"Carmina Burana"