Carl Orff: Carmina Burana – Chen Reiss

Following their acclaimed March 2025 release of ‘Marsalis: Blues Symphony’, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Jader Bignamini return to PENTATONE with Carl Orff’s ‘Carmina Burana’, reaffirming their command of landmark repertoire.

Drawing on thirteenth-century manuscripts from Benediktbeuern Abbey, Orff transformed the exuberant, irreverent texts of wandering scholars and rebellious clerics into a monumental scenic cantata. From the iconic opening of “O Fortuna” to the exuberant outdoor dances, tavern scenes, and courtly love interludes, the work pulses with elemental rhythms and striking orchestration, with chorus, percussion, two pianos, and celesta playing central roles. Motifs from “O Fortuna” recur throughout, linking the contrasting worlds of humour, erotic longing, and the inexorable wheel of fate.

Orff balances diatonic simplicity with rhythmic ostinati, while movements such as the flute–timpani duet, castanets solo, and piano–percussion passages evoke primal energy and recall Stravinsky’s Les noces. From the introspective soprano arias in “In trutina” to the sardonic baritone tavern numbers, the score alternates between joy, melancholy, and satire, culminating in the final return of “O Fortuna” to close the cycle.

The recording also features soloists Chen Reiss, Reginald Mobley, and Andrzej Filończyk, with additional support from Audivi and the Detroit Opera Youth Chorus.