Carl Orff (1895–1982)

An odd selection, this. Carl Orff is known by most people for 'Carmina Burana' and nothing else, though because of its extensive use in advertising, there are extracts from 'Schulwerk' that many listeners will recognise. What you get on this disc is a cut-down version of 'Carmina Burana' and then tantalising extracts from 'Schulwerk' and two other works. The cuts from 'Carmina Burana' appear to be fairly arbitrary. Surely it would have been better to release this as a two CD set, allowing a show more full performance of the well-known work and then a more representative overview of the rest of Orff's output? show less

OK, before we start, will everybody repeat after me: "'Carmina' is accented on the first syllable, not the second (and obviously not the third)." Thank you very musch. And now, the Review. Although this piece was already in well-established in Western Europe, it took this still-unqualled recording to launch this so-called "scenic cantata" into the ever-expanding popularity, nay the uniquity which it enjoys today in the USA. Over the years I have had at-least two LP copies, the four-track show more tape version (remember them?), and now the CD. Columbia Records was going from strength to strength in the late 50s and early 60s: this Orff recording, the Oistrakh-Stern Vivaldi concerti, The Clancy Brothers, E. Power Bigg's ORGAN IN MAERICA . . . wow, wasn't that a time. show less

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