Customer Reviews

Carmina Burana

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

 

 

Last year, I had the privilege of performing Carl Orff's 1936 setting of "Carmina Burana" with my university choir. I enjoyed the music, but I was more intrigued by the lyrics - what sort of world did they fit into, with their lamentations of Fortune's fickleness, plaints of love, and bawdy drinking songs? And how were they meant to be sung in the 13th century, when the manuscript was thought to have been written? A friend recommended this CD, and I was hooked instantly. It is so evocative of the world of the Carmina poems: the plainsong reminds one of the monastic world that these poets lived in, and the bright, joyous instrumentations of the dances and love songs convey to us the more vibrant side of medieval life. For anyone who thought music of the Middle Ages was limited to Gregorian chant, this recording is a revelation. Joel Cohen and the Boston Camerata have also performed an impressive feat of scolarship recreating the melodies from the manuscript. The performers are true virtuousi, especially the vocalists: their marvelous voices shine through this song cycle, with the clear, bright timbre that suits the early music repertoire so well. I highly recommend this CD to anyone with an interest in early music, or as a fantastic introduction to those unfamiliar with music of this period.

This has to be one of the finest recordings I have ever heard
in my life.
Breathtakingly beautiful.

Este cd contiene una buena selección y es en términos generales una buena inversión, de calidad más que aceptable. Sin embargo, creo que existen mejores versiones de los Carmina burana en el mercado que tienen más emoción y garra que ésta. Es una buena compra, pese a todo.