Customer Reviews

Orff: Carmina Burana

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have collected many recordings of Carmina Burana over the years, and this recording is without a doubt the finest. Mr Blomstedt's control of all the forces is truly memorable. The only other recordings that come close, and each have their own special points are, De Burgos earlier (1960's) and Welser-Most. The soloists are superb, and do not allow their voices to stray. I believe Mr Blomstedt follows Mr Orff's orchestration completely, as this is a factor in my opinion why several other recordings do not come even closer the the aformentioned three. I will continue to search for more Carminas. Each is absolutely unique in their individual interpretations, but Mr Blomstedt;s will surely be hard to beat. TEXASJW@aol.com

It says much about the quality of a recording when you can listen to it and be completely transported by the music, as happens to me when I play this disc. The sound quality is unsurpassed and the choral pieces are almost haunting in their sheer power. The pounding rythyms of this work and the heroic nature of the score have never been more vividly captured. Fully deserving of its Grammy award.

I would suggest that those who have little knowledge of "classical" music keep their reviews elsewhere, as people looking here are probably trying to evaluate between performances. While not a collector, I have heard many Carminas, and this is great. The brass, the flutes, the timpani all sparkle and crackle. The bells just jump out at you--so effervescent is the playing. The soloists are divine...as is the chorus. Timing seems impeccable. It snaps and zips with the exhuberance this music is supposed to have. This is not liturgical music, it is secular music about love and drinking and the glories of life. This performance captures all those feelings.

This much-recorded chestnut has rarely sounded as powerful as it does on this recording. Blomstedt whips up a huge amount of excitement with overall tempi on the brisk side, but still allows delicate sections to breathe, such as "In Trutina" (with the excellent soprano Lynne Dawson, who sounds clear and focused both here and throughout the recording).

The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra is terrific, playing with sparkling precision, and the superb chorus not only sings beautifully in tune but enunciates the Latin text so that every word can be understood. Soloists John Daniecki and Kevin McMillan are also quite fine, and Decca's sound quality is ultra-clear, which only underlines Blomstedt's crisp interpretation.

Among fairly recent recordings of this piece, Muti and Dutoit are other favorites. Some listeners may admire versions with specific soloists, such as Jochum's with Gundula Janowitz or Levine's with June Anderson. But this one is hard to beat as an overall, highly satisfying choice - and reminds us of why this piece became a chestnut in the first place.

This is one of the most engrossing recordings of any piece of music I've ever heard. The orchestra is extremely tight and crisp, and the chorus has the power and technique to match them.

Blomstedt does a good job of restraining the performers in the more lyric sections, such as "Chume, chume, geselle min" and "In trutina," to balance out the power of the many fast-and-furious movements. There seems to have been a trend in popular music in the late 80's and 90's toward harder-hitting, more raw and powerful sounds, which I think this performance reflects. The fact that the soloists and chorus sound slightly unrefined (though not uncontrolled) in some places only adds to the feeling of primal energy that I think this piece requires.

Sound quality - which I think is often overlooked or underappreciated - is absolutely superb in this recording. The chorus and brass sound very present and high and low frequencies are well balanced. You'll want to hook up a high-end sound system to enjoy this recording to its fullest. When you do, buckle your seatbelt and brace yourself...this recording is not for the faint of heart.

I have discovered a new love for classical music with this piece. Carl Orff was a fantastic melodist with a great knowledge of how to effect a listener. His beginning and ending movements are somewhat dark, yet energetic. However, he also mixes new styles of music in much more joyous themes. I think that the many groups from San Francisco have given listeners a clear understanding of what it feels like to stand up and truly enjoy a great piece of music. It would be near impossible to choose a favorite section of this piece. The CD is best when listened to as a whole. Not completely satisfied with the fact that the CD ends, I found myself (on more than one occasion) hitting the "REPEAT" button on my player. I hope you enjoy this selection as I have.

This is an incredibly refined performance.

Those who have had the privilege of listening to Maestro Blomstedt's live performances will understand his grasp of clarity and balance. In this rendition of Orff's masterpiece, he gives us a performance so clear that the listener believes himself to be reading the score.

The percussion, emphasized in some recordings to achieve a superficially brilliant effect, is brought into balance with the rest of the ensemble, yet still provides the necessary aural spice. The Maestro shows us that this is well written and beautiful music, and allows the ingredients to speak for themselves.

Nevertheless, the work as presented still contains the erotic power and drive of Orff's conception. This is amazing since Maestro Blomstedt is a Seventh Day Adventist, and the expressions in this music, and in particular in "In Taberna" must be anathema to his personal beliefs.

I do not know who troubled to write the pans that appear elsewhere on this page, but they must have listened to far too many trite performances of this major work. And as far as characterizing Orff as unoriginal is concerned, he may not be another Mozart, but he is still a pretty good Orff.

The variations in audible levels so delightful when seen live, are taken to barely heard extremes at some points. Be certain to have a superior audio system in order to garner the faint whisperings of selections.

On the whole, this is a wonderful performance, but I had hoped to have better audio editing in order to enjoy the full score and not just the loud sections.

Much of 20th century music is more interested in texture than it is in melody which goes a long way in explaining the lack of interest in serious 20th century music. Orff ignored the rise of atonal music and is thus belittled. This recording by SFS and Blomstedt highlights the beauty of this piece. SFS is vastly underrated. Because it lacks the media exposure of the east coast and the historical elevation of european orchestras it is often overlooked; but for the past couple of decades under the leadership of both Blomstedt and MTT, it has consistently delivered the best live performances and recordings of any major orchestra in the world.

Generally San Francisco recordings are among my favorites. The Richard Strauss recordings under Blomstedt are rich and clean, and powerfully convey colors and character. However, this recording of Carmina is hardly up to speed with any of that. The performance is dull and lacks character, though the soloist do quite well throughout. I recommend the Philharmonia recording under Ricardo Muti, or the Carl Orff approved recording with the Berlin Opera under the direction of Eugene Jochum. The SFS recording is a nice addition to the Orff colection, if for nothing else than variety.