Carl Orff: Carmina Burana

Harve Presnell (Performer), Carl Orff (Composer), Eugene Ormandy (Conductor), Philadelphia Orchestra (Orchestra), Janice Harsanyi (Performer), Rudolf Petrak (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Harve Presnell, Janice Harsanyi, Rudolf Petrak
• Orchestra: Philadelphia Orchestra
• Conductor: Eugene Ormandy
• Composer: Carl Orff
• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000025M2
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #82,999 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ormandy commands this Carmina Burana, May 13, 2001

By 

"bigmikedc" (Sugar Hill, GA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Carl Orff: Carmina Burana (Audio CD)

I have listened to so many versions of Carmina Burana and I have two different ones that I now own. I've come to the assumption that you can not find a definitve version of Carmina Burana. If only you could combine elements from all of your favorite versions of this most infamous piece. Oh well, with Ormandy's version I can say that you'll have an accurate version of Carmina Burana. Actually, this is perhaps as accurate a version of Orff's masterpiece as you're likely to find. Down to every note it shines in accuracy. Please forgive the fact that this recording of Carmina Burana is a 1960 one as it still has a great sound even with the slight hissing you're likely to notice from time to time. Get this if you're simply looking for accuracy. However, if you're looking for the big bang to impress your friends with then perhaps you'll want to look elsewhere.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great place to start, December 7, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Carl Orff: Carmina Burana (Audio CD)

As a true Carmina-phile, I must say that this was the first recording of it that I owned (on tape!), and when CDs came out, it was one of the first that I bought. Is it the essential Carmina? No. It IS, however, a really good recording, and a great place to begin a Carmina collection. The orchestra is rock-solid and accurate, if a little restrained at times. I wish the brass had been a little rowdier, but that's why so many people collect recordings of this piece.

Another reviewer stated that he wished there was an "essential Carmina" recording... the only real way to get that is to have several recordings, select which recording of each track is your favorite, then make a compilation tape or CD for yourself.

If this is the route you decide to go, then this CD will certainly be responsible for several tracks on your compilation!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ormandy Performing Carmina Burana, December 16, 2000

By 

Shota (Torrance, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Carl Orff: Carmina Burana (Audio CD)

Philadelphia Orchestra is truly one of my favarite orchestras, while Stoki (the only conductor who shook hands with Mickey Mouse) and Ormandy were around. And I love this recording of Orff's Carmina Burana. Although it doesn't really give much excitement on rather exciting music, the performance is truly delicate, pure, and very skilled. The strings and the woodwinds are excellent and tends to show off more, exact opposite to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which has really good brass. The soloists and the choir did an excellent job. The brass are fair enough. If you want Ormandy, you should buy this CD.