CARMINA BURANA

Concluding Remarks
Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana has established
itself as a cornerstone of the
twentieth-century choral repertoire. Its
combination of medieval and modern elements,
along with Orff’s distinctive compositional
style, creates a thrilling experience
for both the audience and the performer.
Although the elements of strong adherence
to score markings and principles of diction
seem highly restrictive in this study, the freedom
of scenic conception allows every new
performance to be as innovative and fresh
as the very fi rst.
Many critics of Carmina Burana fi nd it
vulgar, devoid of the “standard techniques
and elaborations” that made music an art
and a spiritual force. 24 However, the reason
for this opinion may be that too many
performers indulge in its excesses rather
than adhere to its strong sense of form and
symmetry. When performed with all Orff’s
intentions accounted for, Carmina Burana
becomes a pulsing, visceral, and cathartic
musical experience.
NOTES
1
Philip, Robert. Early Recordings and Musical Style.
(Cambridge University Press: Cambridge
1992) 1.
2
See appendix for complete list and information
on each recording.
3
These recordings are indicated as “Orff present”
in the list of recordings.
4
Wall, Joan. International Phonetic Alphabet for
Singers. A Manual for English and Foreign
Language Diction. (PST…Inc: Dallas, Texas
1989). 218.
5
Copeman, Harold. Singing in Latin. (Published at
Oxford by the Author, 1996). 97.
6
Ibid., 98.
7
Copeman, Harold and Vera U.G. Scherr. “German
Latin.” Singing Early Music. Ed. T. McGee, A.G.
Rigg, D.N. Klausner. Bloomington: Indiana
University Press, 1996. 261ff.
8
Copeman. 170.
9
Copeman. 6.
10
Rigg, A. G. Singing Early Music – The pronunciation
of European Languages in the Late Middle Ages
and Renaissance. (Indiana University Press.
Bloomington) 1996. P. 5
11
Ibid.
12
Copeman, p. 8.
13
Carmina Burana literally means “songs from the
monastery of Benediktbeuern.” The source
of these texts is known as the Burana Codex.
This collection of Medieval Latin and Middle
High German and French lyrics, the most
important of its kind, was collected in Austria
between 1220 and 1250.
14
Parlett, David. Selections from the Carmina
Burana—A Verse Translation. (Viking Penguin
Inc. New York) p. 19ff.
15
The word “modifi ed” is used here, because no
recording completely followed the rules of
Middle High German, as summarized in Rigg’s
Singing Early Music.
16
Frenzel, Peter. Late Medieval German and Early
New High German, Singing Early Music. Ed.
McGee, T, Rigg, A.G. Klausner, D. (Indiana
university Press: Bloomington 1996) 228.
17
Ibid.
18
Frenzel, Peter. Germany and the Low Countries.
Singing Early Music. Ed. McGee, T. Rigg, A.G.,
Klausner. D. (Bloomington: Indiana University
Press: 1996). 244.
19
Frenzel, p. 220
20
Ibid.
21
Taylor, Robert. “Old French” Singing Early Music
The Pronunciation of European Languages in
the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance. Ed. T.J.
VOICE / OPERA
UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES
GRADUATE DEGREES
PERFORMANCE DIPLOMA
Dr. Karl Paulnack, director, music division
Patty Thom, chair, voice and opera
Dr. William Cutter, director, choral studies
Kirsten Z. Cairns, director, opera studies
FACULTY:
Michelle Alexander, Marilyn Bulli, Kirsten Z. Cairns,
William Cotten, William Cutter, Kerry Deal,
Rebecca Folsom, Sara Goldstein, Thomas Gregg,
Robert Honeysucker, Victor Jannett, James Javore,
Michael McGaghie, Monique Phinney, Mary Saunders,
Merrill Shea, Lisa Sheldon, Melinda Sullivan,
Patty Thom, Craig Wich, Kevin Wilson, Kathryn Wright
McGee; A. G. Rigg; D. N. Klausner (Indiana
University Press: Bloomington 1996) 65.
22 For more information see Babcock, Jonathan.
“Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana: A Fresh
Approach to the Work’s Performance
Practice.” Choral Journal 45, no. 11 (May 2006):
26– 40.
23 David Fallows. “Stentato.” In Grove Music
Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.
oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/
grove/music/26681 (accessed July 22, 2010).
24 Lang, Paul Henry. “Carl Orff” Bungled Fire-works
… or Skillful Effects?” High Fidelity (January
1982): 52.
For complete tempo timings see: Babcock, Jonathan,
“Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana: An Analysis
of the work’s performance practice on
commercial recordings.” (D.M.A. dissertation,
University of Hartford 2003) Appendix C.
pp. 99–113.
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CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 51 Number 4 63