Everything you need to know about ‘Carmina Burana,' Hollywood's go-to music for epic movie moments
'Carmina Burana' is a mainstay of the classical repertoire and one of the most widely recognizable concert works of the 20th century. But what exactly is it — and why do choirs keep returning to this 'circle of fortune'?
Here is everything you need to know about 'Carmina Burana.'
Where have I heard this before?
Oh, maybe in millions of movie trailers during the last 40 years (an exaggeration but barely). The marriage of 'Carmina' and cinema arguably started in 1981 with the film 'Excalibur,' which indelibly used the opening movement 'O Fortuna' as King Arthur rides into battle with his knights. The medieval context was appropriate, but it also robustly demonstrated how damned epic and cinematic this old song was — and the entertainment world, which was beginning an arms race for epicness, started using 'O Fortuna' (the cantata's most famous movement, which bookends the hourlong work) in anything and everything as basically a shot of musical steroids.
Oliver Stone needle-dropped it in 'The Doors,' in a scene where Jim Morrison drinks blood in a pagan ritual. (Ironically, the Doors' keyboard player, Ray Manzarek, did a bizarre rock cover of 'Carmina Burana' in 1983.) It was used in countless trailers in the '80s and '90s — from 'Glory' to 'Waterworld' to 'The Nutty Professor.' The latter was an example of how the overuse of this overwrought oratorio made it perfect fodder for parody, and the humor of juicing something comedic with its uber-seriousness. In that spirit, 'O Fortuna' was used in a huge variety of commercials — from Old Spice to Carlton Draught beer — not to mention multiple times in 'The Simpsons.'
But many artists continued to take the piece seriously and deployed it to persuade us to take them super seriously. Michael Jackson used it in a montage of his international concerts and the hysteria they produced; rappers and hip-hop artists have sampled it — see: 'Hate Me Now' by Nas — and lots of sports teams have used it to hype up the home crowd.
These days, you're most likely to hear 'O Fortuna' used ironically in a TikTok video.
Who wrote it: when, where and why?
Carl Orff composed 'Carmina Burana' in 1936, drawing upon a disparate collection of poetry and songs, mostly in Latin and mostly by anonymous writers. Dating as far back as the 11th century, these pieces had been discovered in a Bavarian monastery in 1803. The German composer, whose work often plumbed the ancient past, came across them in 1934. He was spellbound.
'Right when I opened it,' Orff reflected, 'on the very first page, I found the long-famous illustration of 'Fortune With the Wheel,' and under it the lines: 'O Fortuna velut Luna statu variabilis…' The picture and the words took hold of me.
'A stage work with choruses for singing and dancing, simply following the pictures and text, sprang to life immediately in my mind,' he said, and he feverishly produced a musical story in 25 chapters for massive choir, soloists and bombastic orchestras. Organized in three parts — 'Primo Vere' (Spring), 'In Taberna' (In the Tavern) and 'Cour d'Amours' (The Court of Love) — it is an alternately tempestuous, frolicking and romantic tour of life, musically recalling Bavarian folk music, drinking songs and love ballads, but all framed with the pounding war cries of 'O Fortuna.'
How was it received when it premiered?
It was a hit! The work was premiered by the Frankfurt Opera in June 1937, with costumed performers and sets. (It eventually morphed into a pure concert piece.)
The reviews in Germany were good, and it was soon given hundreds of performances in Orff's homeland. It took two decades to reach America — premiering at Carnegie Hall in June 1954 — but it quickly seized hold in the classical scene here, very rapidly becoming the most performed, and most recorded, choral compositions of the century.
Why was it controversial?
Orff wrote the piece in Germany during the Nazi regime, and it was very popular with the Nazis — harmonizing uncomfortably well with their testosterone-fueled propaganda. Orff was never a member of the Nazi party himself, but it's unclear how cozy he was with the people who first embraced his cantata.
Another reason is that, if you can translate Latin, some of the lyrics are quite bawdy and politically retrograde. (Example: 'My virginity makes me frisky / My simplicity holds me back.')
So ... should I not bring my kids?
To each their own, but musically speaking, 'Carmina Burana' is one of the more accessible and infectious concert works of the last century, and it has been a gateway drug for many generations into the larger ocean of classical music. Your kids may have even heard 'O Fortuna' somewhere already, and they'll probably tell you — happily — that it sounds like movie music.
What has it influenced?
Not only has 'O Fortuna' been used in tons of movies, but its influence is apparent in so many Hollywood film scores, which have routinely used beefy choirs and giant orchestras to approximate a similar feeling. Think of the devilish 'Ave Satani' in Jerry Goldsmith's 'The Omen' score or John Williams' 'Duel of the Fates' from 'The Phantom Menace.'
Fun fact: When Stanley Kubrick was deciding on the musical approach for '2001: A Space Odyssey,' he gravitated toward 'Carmina Burana' so much that he actually rang Orff up and asked him to compose the film's score. Orff, then 71, turned him down.
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Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Review: Guerrero and the Grant Park Music Festival close the season with a rousing ‘Carmina Burana'
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Boston Globe
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Los Angeles Times
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A nostalgic vinyl fair takes over the Sunset Strip on Saturday. Here are 5 things to know
At Whisky a Go Go, the Doors were the house band during the summer of 1966. Guns N' Roses and Bob Marley and the Wailers recorded live albums at the Roxy. Van Halen got their start at shuttered nightclub Gazzarri's. It's undeniable that West Hollywood's Sunset Strip is a legendary music mecca — particularly when it comes to rock 'n' roll. To celebrate the rich history and lore of the iconic 1.7-mile strip, the Sunset Strip Business Improvement District is hosting a free vinyl fair called Spinning Sunset on Saturday from 1 to 7 p.m. Part of the district's annual Summer on Sunset initiative, the free, family-friendly event will feature vinyl DJ sets, brand activations and about 55 booths from local record stores and vintage vendors. Businesses like Hotel Ziggy, Andaz West Hollywood and Book Soup will also be offering discounts, vinyl-themed specials and pop-ups throughout the day. With so much to see and experience at Spinning Sunset, here are five things to know before you visit. It's no secret that vinyl records have been having a moment. According to Statista, 43.6 million EPs/LPs were sold in the U.S. in 2023, up from less than one million in 2006. With the surge in popularity, it's only natural that vinyl fairs are also popping up more frequently. At Spinning Sunset, you can expect to find more than 40 record vendors including In Sheep's Clothing, Vinyldigs and Helix Sounds. Serious diggers may want to arrive on the earlier side to secure rare finds. If you're still on the hunt for a particular record, try checking out VinylCon, a massive music event taking place Aug. 23 and 24 at the California Market Center in DTLA. Founded in 2023 by record enthusiast and event producer Kobi Waldfogel in Philadelphia, VinylCon is coming to L.A. for the first time and will feature more than 80 vendors from some of the nation's most sought-after collectors, as well as professional shops and dealers. There'll be vinyl DJ sets too. There's a reason why people still prefer to listen to vinyl records. The sound is fuller, the bass hits you deep in your bones and there's just something electrifying about the imperfect scratchiness that makes you feel like you are actually in the room with the artist. As you're crate digging, you'll be able to experience that feeling firsthand at the fair, where DJs will be throwing down live vinyl sets throughout the day. Among the curated lineup of sound selectors — all of whom will be playing various genres — is Dino Soccio, El Decomicio and Chulita Vinyl Club, an all-vinyl DJ collective that is made up of women, nonbinary, LGBTQ+ and self-identifying people of color. Other performers include Adrian Younge, an Emmy-winning composer and co-founder of the Jazz is Dead record label and live concert project, and Grammy-nominated musician Mayer Hawthorne. Decades before it became the Andaz West Hollywood, this high-rise hotel earned the nickname 'Riot House' due to the rambunctious behavior of its famous clientele. It was here, in 1966, that Doors frontman Jim Morrison was spotted hanging from the balcony by his fingertips, which led to him being evicted from the hotel. A few years later, in 1972, Led Zeppelin took over the entire 11th floor and 'flung beer bottles and furniture out of the windows, aiming for billboards across the road,' according to Harper's Bazaar. These are just some of the hard-to-believe, wild stories that came from this iconic building. Although rock stars aren't wreaking havoc there anymore, you can still feel their spirit at the hotel's Riot House restaurant, which will be hosting the official happy hour for Spinning Sunset. So if you need a break from the festivities, stop by the restaurant to order from their specially curated menu, which includes guacamole and tortilla chips for $12, wild shrimp tacos for $18, a Paloma cocktail for $14 and specific wines for $12. Yes, access to Spinning Sunset is free, but you'll want to RSVP for the chance to win an array of prizes including a one-night stay and breakfast for two at the Mondrian, along with drinks for two at the hotel's Skybar. Other prizes include gift cards to WeHo restaurants like the buzzy Dialog Cafe and Katana, and complimentary bottle service and entry to Keys nightclub. Guests will be required to take a photo at the fair and tag @thesunsetstrip to complete their entry for the giveaway. Winners will be selected via the Instagram page within 24 hours of the event. Attendance is required to claim your prize. 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