Carmina Burana...

Carmina - which are the two recordings you don't like?!

james

Dear Sundance,

I used to have an LP of this. Eugen Jochum was conductor on a very nice DG release. I think that used to be the top recomendation a few years ago, and I thought it had the measure of the music. By now it should be a very budget issue.

I suppose that since those days I have moved to less modern classics, prefering the simplest means of performance, and less volume of sound, and so I have not kept up with the more recent recordings of this sort of music. I remember when the one big chorus [O Fortuna, perhaps?] was used for an Old Spice [shaving lotion] advert on television! The contrast of the music and the slightly camp boy who washes in on the surf into a bar [already sureal, even without the addition of the pounding rhythms of the music] was comical! Happy days when we could laugh at such simple things!

I once heard a fascinating Radio Three programme on this music, and the whole business of Carl Orff's position concerning Nazi poitics in Germany was discussed. It had never struck me, as such, that the music was 'approved,' but with hindsight one can see that it conforms to the fairly simple, almost brutalist type of art and architecture in vogue under the Nazi regime. On the other hand it some very catchy ideas in it!

Kindest regards from Fredrik

I've always thought 'In Trutina' was a jolly pretty ditty (sung by anyone other than Sarah Brightman, Charlotte Church or Hayley Westenra that is)

I just think they are poor production CDs James.

Have just found the DG by Jochum on CD at Presto Classical. Will give that a go.
Thanks again.

PS - My new set-up... 282/SC/250 is sounding sweet as....

I haven't heard the Jochum. I suspect I will do one day, as I am a big fan of his. But I already have two rather fine recordings (and a third I rate less so) and I don't know how many I really want.

My favourite is probably Rattle's recent Berlin account which is wonderfully thrilling and has some stunning singing (not least from Sally Matthews).

The other recording I am most fond of is from Donald Runnicles. He manages to provide a remarkably fresh take on the work. In many ways, the finest moments are to be found in the incredible beauty he draws from some of the slow passages, and in particular aided by his wonderful soprano Hei-Kyung Hong. However, there is also plenty of fire in the more famous (or possibly infamous) moments. And yet here again Runnicles has a surprise in store, many of the textures, especially in O Furtuna seem new. I suspect this has a lot to do with how he has positioned his orchestra (the prominence of the bass drum, for instance) something he has excelled at when I have heard him live - and it's wonderful that he can translate this onto a recording.


regards, Tam

I have a version by Ray Manzarak, but you probably don't want hear about that.

IMO, the one to own (CD) is Leonard Slatkin and the St. Louis Symphony on RCA Red Seal 09026-61673-2. The overwhelming reason is Sylvia McNair's solo performances. If she does not make the hair on the back of your neck stand up in "In Trutina" (21) and "Dulcissime" (23), you have a heart of stone.

Norman

I have to say that this is still my favourite recording - Previn, LSO etc.

But this might also be for sentimental reasons. I was in a production of CB as a Treble in 1976 - which was before 'O Fortuna' was on the adverts and so it wasn't a popularly well-known piece. This recording, as far as I recall, was about the only one available at the time, so we listened to it.

For myself, it was quite the greatest musical performance in which I have had the pleasure of taking part. Our School Choral Society and Orchestra, combined with the nearby girls' school Choral Society and Orchestra, reinforced with the instrumental teachers and others, and professional soloists.

The school's Director of Music, having worked on it for the best part of a year, slipped a disc, and a replacement professional conductor had to be found. We had only one or two rehearsals with him, and he wanted to change quite a lot from the way we'd learned it, which I remember worried us greatly.

But the performance was an absolute triumph, and critically well-reviewed. And I'm delighted to say the slipped-disc director of music hobbled in and was sat in a special chair in a prominent viewing and listening position. By 'Blanzifloret Helena', before the concluding reprise of 'O Fortuna', he was clearly in tears (don't think it was the slipped disc - at least to this day I hope not!)

I don't think I'll ever forget those High B's!

James

Although I eventually bought that last recommendation for the EMI/Previn (which is not bad) my favourite is the first I heard a million times - 1975 LP CBS 76372 Masterworks - Cleveland Orch./Tilson Thomas.

I now play this often from the CDR I made of my LP.

On December 2nd this year BBC4 TV had at 7 p.m. a version of CB in Paris streets, but whilst I was at Steeleye Span live in Bristol my recordings decided to ignore new version.

Jolly old BBC2 TV mid-70s production I liked too but then I had no video recording devices.

Bits of CB frequently occur on TV etc ads, but my fave is the 70s Old Spice one.

IMO the other 2 Orff in the 'Trilogy' are rubbish.

I did see this on CD an a market-stall but foolishly didn't buy it at a fiver.

I am almost convinced that your first of anything in this world becames your favourite.

James,

Greatly enjoyed your story. The Andre Previn has been a long standing favourite, together with the more modern Christian Thieleman on DG.

David