Orff: Carmina Burana

Though the German composer Carl Orff left behind a large body of music, including educational pieces for children, he will almost exclusively remain known for his bawdy cantata Carmina Burana setting 24 irreverent medieval Latin poems. Its premiere took place in Frankfurt in 1937 in front of a largely Nazi audience, something from which the composer’s reputation never fully recovered. Orff’s music is joyously over the top, full of striking effect, heavy-duty percussion and moments of subtle beauty. This recording, conducted by Marin Alsop, is alive to every one of the work’s extravagances.