Customer Reviews

Carl Orff: Carmina Burana

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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!

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.

I give this work fewer stars than I gave the Previn version, but I actually like it more. The 1960 recorded sound is still good, unless you've been spoiled by close miking. The boys choir is a little distant and thin, though. The Philadelphia strings don't have a lot of opportunity to shine in this vocal work, though they are as fine as ever when they do take center stage. And Ormandy's conducting and the PO's ensemble playing of the most familiar segment, the "Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi" just plain rocks--it is thrilling and satisfying, a tornado of pagan bombast. Ormandy's version is a solid second choice for this work.

I'm seriously beginning to doubt that any good version of "Carmina Burana" exists on disc today. I've heard a few versions and all of them sound terrible. Low volume levels and terrible sound quality means that we can only hope and pray that Sony gets its act together and remaster the entire "Great Performances" catalog very soon. Not recommended!

"Carmina Burana" is a great piece of music. It will stand the test of time. However, this is a very poor recording. In many places the volume is so low that you can hardly hear it. It is so bad I will have buy a better and different CD of "Carmina Burana".

Carl Orff es conocido por este oratorio, o mas bien por el "Oh fortuna" de Carmina burana, y eso es sólo la guinda de la torta, porque descubriran mucho mas, varias arias, coros, excelente musica.
Carmina Burana (cantos profanos) es un conjunto de textos sobre la fortuna (la suerte y el destino), el amor, los amigos y otras banalidades, escritos en latin, aleman antiguo y otras lenguas a los cuales Orff añadio música. Son ingeniosos muy diversos y van de lo sutil a la extravagancia, un delirio para los oidos.
"Oh fortuna" y "plango vulnera" son un comienzo soberbio, son dos piezas que forman una sola genial. Las partes 3,4 y 5 son de alegria, felicidad, agradecimiento; coro, baritono un momento de fugaz luminosidad. "Uf dem anger" es otro momento
de gran alegria aqui tenemos danza, mujeres alegres, jolgorio y festividad, algunos pasajes suaves, mas genialidad.
"In taberna..." es lo que dice hombres comiendo y tomando en una taberna, con Abbas con su simpática aria con coro y algarabia hacia el final en "in taberna quando sumus".
Orff no se queda solo en alegria y liviandad llega ahora el amor, entre las partes 16 y 23 encontraran arias de amor y sufrimiento, luchas y dolor, y algo de felicidad, coros de niños, soprano, baritono y coro de hombres haran de esta sección un festin de gran variedad.
El "Ave formosissima" breve, pero exquisito nos prepara para el final, "Oh fortuna" reaparece, quizas Orff noto que seria algo popular y lo repitió para termimar de manera espectacular.
Tenemos para hacernos disfrutar de este festin a Harsanyi, Presnell y Petrak, solistas que realizan sin problemas el trabajo encomendado, el Coro de la Universidad Rutgers es grandioso, mentiria si digo que lo conocia antes de esta grabación, voces bien afiatadas y desplegadas para el deleite de nuestros oidos. Finalmente la Orquesta de Filadelfia en una labor como siempre inigualable, Ormandy se hace cargo del trabajo como siempre, muy cercano a la perfección.
Una grabación incomparable, hagase de uno, Carmina Burana es mucho mas que "Oh fortuna"

well, i have heard several Carmina Burana recordings, and i must say, this is the one to own, it is by far the best i have heard, i give ir 5 stars!