VCE – Solo Performance

Carmina Burana

Notes prepared by John Ferguson – February 2009

Please note that these notes are my personal jottings that I will use with my own students. They are not to be considered as representative of the VCAA. I have written these notes with the students in mind, rather than the teachers (who would effortlessly work it all out themselves!). I should also add that music often presents more than one ʻanswerʼ, and students should be guided by their teacher, who might well present contrary views to mine, views that are at least as equally valid! So, think of these notes as a basis for discussion (rather than the ʻanswerʼ sheet) and enjoy some vigorous debate!

1 and

Carl Orff was born in () 1895 and died in 1982. His life is well documented in the usual encyclopaedias (especially Grove), and on the net. I have assembled the following notes from the New Grove, and from published articles by Paul Serotsky and Steve Schwartz. Most of the facts are agreed upon by the various sources, except for his possible involvement with the Nazis – this will be mentioned again later.

He lived most of his life in Munich, Bavaria. Many of his major original works are steeped in Bavarian folklore.

After War I, during which he was wounded, Orff turned to the study of music from the late Renaissance and early Baroque, especially that of Claudio Monteverdi. This would influence his later operas. He gained a solid reputation for his realization of several Monteverdi scores (sometimes very liberally), starting with Orpheus in 1924.

It is fair to say that Orff first gained prominence not as a , but as an educationalist, publishing (in the early Thirties) theories about encouraging musicianship in people through movement and . In 1924 he joined Dorothee Günther in founding a school in Munich ʻfor the co-ordinated teaching of music, gymnastics and dance.ʼ It was essentially a teacher training college. He introduced a great variety of percussion instruments, borrowing from the , from jazz and from Indonesian gamelan. All this led ultimately to the Orff-Schulwerk.

Orff's first public success came in 1937, with the premiere of Carmina burana, his setting of a collection of medieval poetry. As Paul Serotsky writes:

Both title and texts were taken from a Thirteenth Century manuscript discovered in the monastery of Benediktbeuern (southern Bavaria) by Schmeller, who published it in 1847. A mixture of ancient German and crude “dog” Latin, it in no way corresponds to what you would expect monks to be writing!

The texts, every bit as much as the musical settings Orff provided, have made the cantata controversial from day one. People either love it or hate it - Carmina Burana is one of those very few pieces admitting no middle ground. Some detest it because of the texts, often crude, rude, lewd, and blasphemous, qualities which shine through even the sanitised translations given in concert programmes or record sleeve notes.

Having said that, the texts have a primitive graphic power, capable of punching right through the veil of translation: like them or not, phrases such as “We drink the health of wanton girls” carry considerable “poetic” impact. The same is true of the sheer sound of certain other phrases. Who can fail to react, in any way whatsoever, to the words “animo vernali lasciviens”? Just roll them round your tongue - you'll get my drift! The texts are given voice by three soloists, a large mixed chorus, and a of boys (or children) which heightens the feeling of naivety (I hesitate to say “innocence”!).

The authors of these texts called themselves 'goliards' (defrocked monks and minstrels). Traditionally they have been identified as 'vagantes' (vagrant students, vagabond monks and minor clerics), said to have been 'better known for their rioting, gambling and intemperance than for their scholarship'. Yet whatever their social status, their artistic and technical skill seem to place them among the clerical and academic elite of the age.

Carmina Burana was first conceived as a stage work, performed as such in Frankfurt in 1937 (thereʼs a really cool picture of it on p.708 in New Grove). He later directed that it should be performed with two other works: (1943) and (1953).

Grove's dictionary states:

Orff's musical and dramatic style arose directly from Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex and in particular, "The Wedding" (Les Noces). Like "The Wedding", Carmina Burana (and other Orff works) give an important place to the chorus. The orchestra, often rich in percussion, is normally used in block harmony to underline the highly accented choral rhythms. Polyphony, extended melodic writing and thematic development are rarely found, and instead, the most basic means are pressed into service to generate effects

John Ferguson Page 2 20/05/09 of wild abandon. This technique produces music of powerful pagan sensuality and direct physical excitement.

Steve Schwartz writes:

At its most characteristic, Orff's music relies on the repetition of short phrases, electrifying rhythm, a more-than-usual reliance on percussion, often in a surprisingly lyrical way, and transparent orchestral colors. Though so different in idiom, his work pays an unapologetic debt to the early Baroque.

Never all that prolific, Orff wrote less and less as he got older. From 1971 until his death in 1982, he devoted much of his energy to his eight volumes of Carl Orff und sein Werk: Dokumentation. Various Modernist factions tried to blackball him the club, but his idiosyncratic music refuses to die and has even had descendents, notably some of the minimalists.

2 Context – Historical and Musical

Some musical events in 1937:

June 2 - The incomplete version of Alban Berg's opera Lulu is premiered in Zürich (it is later completed in a version premiered in 1979) June 8 - Première of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana in Frankfurt, Germany. Perry Como begins singing with the Ted Weems orchestra. Frankie Laine fills Como's vacated position with the Freddie Carlone band. Hank Williams' musical career begins.

In Pop:

Count Basie - One O'Clock Jump Benny Goodman - Sing, Sing, Sing Bing Crosby - Sweet Leilani Fred Astaire - They Can't Take That Away From Me

More ominously, the war clouds were gathering over Europe, the Weimar republic in Germany had given way to the Third Reich – or the rise of the Nazi regime. Germany had become the most technologically advanced nation in the world, and its weaponry and armaments second to none.

The Weimar republic needs some explanation:

Notes taken from Wikipedia:

John Ferguson Page 3 20/05/09 Weimar Republic refers to the years (1919-1933) in the German history. Politically and economically, the nation struggled with the terms and reparations imposed by the Treaty of Versailles (1918) that ended World War I, and endured punishing levels of inflation.

1920s Berlin was at the hectic center of the Weimar culture. The fourteen years of the Weimar era were also marked by explosive intellectual productivity. German artists made significant cultural contributions in the fields of literature, art, architecture, music, dance, , and the new medium of the motion picture.

Weimar culture encompassed the political caricature of Otto Dix and John Heartfield and George Grosz, the futuristic skyscraper dystopia of Fritz Lang's 1927 film Metropolis and other products of the UFA studio, the beginnings of a new architectural style at the Bauhaus and the mass housing projects of Ernst May and Bruno Taut, and the decadent cabaret culture of Berlin documented by Christopher Isherwood.

Writers such as Alfred Döblin, Erich Maria Remarque and the brothers Heinrich and Thomas Mann presented a bleak look at the world and the failure of politics and society through literature. The theatres of Berlin and Frankfurt am Main were graced with drama by Bertolt Brecht, cabaret, and stage direction by Max Reinhardt and Erwin Piscator. Concert halls and conservatories exhibited the atonal and modern music of Alban Berg, Arnold Schoenberg, and Kurt Weill.

During the era of the Weimar Republic, Germany became a center of intellectual thought at its medieval universities, and most notably social and political theory (especially Marxism) was combined with Freudian psychoanalysis to form the highly influential discipline of Critical Theory— with its development at the Institute for Social Research (also known as the Frankfurt School) founded at the University of Frankfurt am Main.

With the rise of and the ascension of Adolf Hitler to power in 1933, many German intellectuals and cultural figures fled Germany for Turkey, the United States, the , and other parts of the world. Those who remained behind were often arrested, or detained in concentration camps. The intellectuals associated with the Institute for Social Research (also known as the Frankfurt School) fled to the United States and reestablished the Institute at the New School for Social Research in New York City.

In the words of Marcus Bullock, professor of English at UW-Milwaukee, "Remarkable for the way it emerged from a catastrophe, more remarkable for the way it vanished into a still greater catastrophe, the world of Weimar represents modernism in its most vivid manifestation."

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Orff and Nazism

The issues surrounding Orff and his association with the Nazi regime are still, to some extent, surrounded in mystery. Some commentators have maintained the view that Orff was opposed to the regime, while others have taken the opposite view.

3 Musical Context

Music in the mid 20th century was a time of massive change and experimentation, as the chart below suggests:

Non-Functional Romantics – Experimental – 12 England Harmonists functional tone etc ʻpastoralistsʼ harmony most of the time Debussy (anti - Puccini Webern Vaughan-Williams Wagner) Richard Strauss Berg Holst Ravel Rachmaninov Schoenberg Elgar Stravinski (Walton) Bartok Delius

Consider the musical climate; at the start of the 20th C, Debussy – impressionism, Bartokʼs Concerto for Orchestra, Stravinskiʼs Rite of Spring, Serialism, the traditionalists (Romantics), Rachmaninov, Puccini et al, the English – Holstʼs Planets, Vaughan-Williams who was editing a Hymn Book at the time (and writing symphonies) – and also using some bare harmonies – exposed 5ths etc. One wonders where Orff fits?

Orff was a bit of a loner! He used minimalism – just consider the ʻtuneʼ of . He used simple techniques such as , pentatonic tunes, plenty of homophony, tunes inspired by folk songs, and so on. He avoided the harmonic complexity of, say, Strauss, never mind the more experimental music of Berg or Schoenberg.

Many commentators write of his influence by the music of Monteverdi. It is worth just looking at, say, Beatus Vir. Monterverdiʼs use of the ground bass, the Stylo Moderno homophony, simple melody (and harmony – Baroque homophony in its infancy), and the influence is quite striking.

4 Carmina Burana – The Music

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1. O Fortuna:

O Fortuna (Chorus) O Fortune

O Fortuna O Fortune, velut luna like the moon statu variabilis, you are changeable, semper crescis ever waxing aut decrescis; and waning; vita detestabilis hateful life nunc obdurat first oppresses et tunc curat and then soothes ludo mentis aciem, as fancy takes it; egestatem, poverty potestatem and power dissolvit ut glaciem. it melts them like ice.

Sors immanis Fate – monstrous et inanis, and empty, rota tu volubilis, you whirling wheel, status malus, you are malevolent, vana salus well-being is vain semper dissolubilis, and always fades to nothing, obumbrata shadowed et velata and veiled michi quoque niteris; you plague me too nunc per ludum now through the game dorsum nudum I bring my bare back fero tui sceleris. to your villainy.

Sors salutis Fate is against me et virtutis in health michi nunc contraria, and virtue, est affectus driven on et defectus and weighted down, semper in angaria. always enslaved. Hac in hora So at this hour sine mora without delay corde pulsum tangite; pluck the vibrating strings; quod per sortem since Fate sternit fortem, strikes down the string man, mecum omnes plangite! everyone weep with me!

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First impressions:

1. Itʼs BIG! A full large chorus, huge orchestra, massive percussion section requiring 5 players, 2 , and the wind includes a contra- and cor-anglais.

2. Itʼs LOUD! From that first opening thud, there springs a massive chord that uses every voice and instrument.

3. Itʼs arresting! After that ʻDʼ, the opening chord hits you with discords that scream out for resolution.

4. Youʼre on the move! The syncopation starts in that first bar, and there is at once declamation and anger in bars 3 and 4, powered by a stringendo and ending on the dominant chord – still a discord – reflecting the text: ʻO Fortune like the moon you are changeable.ʼ

5. HOMOPHONY! Itʼs altogether – Bang! In your face!

A Look at the Elements:

Duration:

As rhythm is central to this work, this element would seem as good a place to start as any:

Bar Observations 1 – 4 3/1 (written as 3 over a semibreve – very much an Orff thing – he always does it, virtually nobody else does). Speed is Minim = 60 (needs to be conducted in 6 as a subdivided 3).

Of interest is the ʻthrobbingʼ ostinato in the , pulsing out the minims, all accented. The bass instruments (and LH) are playing semibreves, with the remainder of the instruments (and voices) syncopated for the first two full beats of the first three bars, creating a feeling of movement.

The commas at the ends of bars 1, 2 & 4 are essentially phrase marks (as well as providing ʻdaylightʼ and dramatic effect. The poco stringendo in bars 3 & 4 drives the music to the pause in bar 4. 5 - 60 Tempo change – Minim 120/132, Time Signature (TS) changes to 3/2.

John Ferguson Page 7 20/05/09 This bitʼs really interesting. While the TS is clearly 3, the accompanying figure in the orchestra is really in 2. This has the effect of a hemiola over every two bars. It is most clearly seen in the second bassoon part – you can imagine 3/1 as a time signature across two bars. The effect is an ambiguity of metre, in what is a very rhythmic passage.

The feeling of excited movement is achieved in part by the ʻbubblingʼ sensation of the crotchet movement in the accompaniment. The phrasing is defined by the bass and by the horns – the sustained notes are broken by the phrase endings.

Of further (and vital) interest is the setting of the text. Sung pp, and without natural accent (the orchestral writing practically forbids any suggestion of natural accent in the vocal part), there is almost a menacing and primeval feel to the work. 61 - 88 An increase in tempo (minim = 144 – no option given), is accompanied by a fierce change in the arrangement. The strings play the motif (or tune), and the fast crotchet movement is distributed throughout the orchestra. It is really just a change in instrumentation. 89 - 101 At 89 we see the end in sight – the text translates to: ʻEveryone Weep with me!ʼ The natural stresses are contradicted by the accents, and the melismatic treatment of ʻOmnesʼ and the accents on ʻnesʼ, ʻplanʼ and ʻgiʼ leave us with that off beat unsettled feeling. This is emphasized by the basses and altos in the chorus syncopated against the metre. The final dash from 93 (at Minim 160) still maintains that disquieting hemiola pattern.

Pitch:

Orffʼs harmony has been described as very simple. The harmonic language often relies heavily on pedal point and ostinato. At a time of huge experimentation in music (particularly serialism and non-functional harmony), Orff was content to use modes and simple harmony much of the time, with the odd added 2nd, 9th and 6th etc. to spice it up. However, it is the treatment of these techniques that make it interesting. Despite sounding modal (the restricted chord movement and use of ostinato and pedal points), O Fortuna is in D minor – it has the ʻpullʼ or tensions created by the key, despite some non-functional harmonic treatment.

Bar Observations 1 – 4 Opening slam on D, with the timp providing a D pedal ostinato on minims. The first ʻtuneʼ note is E (the 9th) – instant tension, it moves to the F, then firmly to the D. However, if we look at the

John Ferguson Page 8 20/05/09 bass line (and LH piano) there is a descending D, C, Bb figure played in the first and second bars – with the C treated melodically (not a C#), really a minor 7th (The horns etc stay firmly on A and D) and the fact that the third big chord looks a bit like a Bb chord – do not be fooled – that would be much too stable – it is still D minor. (Hindemith also used this kind of linear technique whereby the more traditional ʻrulesʼ of functional harmony were sacrificed to a linear counterpoint that stresses the horizontal line at the expense of the vertical harmony). ANYWAY, the real function of that bass Bb is to create instability that is only resolved in bar 4 with the relief of the low A as the dominant of D minor. But note –the open 5th – no sign of a C (far less a C#) anywhere!

Looking at the vocal parts, the raw power is exacerbated by the soprano and tenor lines being doubled at the octave, and the alto and bass treated the same way. 5 - 60 The main theme, based on a descending minor second, and later contrasting the major and minor second, (bar 11), sung in the unison and octave, is remarkable in its simplicity, and all the more remarkable in the power of that simplicity. There is a kind of ʻBʼ section at 21 when the soprano (doubled by the tenors) continue the theme a third higher for 8 bars. That section has an impact because it introduces a major 3rd into the vocal line.

Of further interest is the text refers to the fortune like the moon – ever waxing and waning – just like the theme. Keeping the pitch low creates a feeling of gloom.

The accompanying figure is really interesting through this section in that the distinctive use of the ostinato featuring the minor 7th (combined with the rhythmic considerations mentioned earlier) creates excitement and instability. 61 - 88 The gloom gives way to anger – suddenly loud, and up the octave for sopranos and tenors. The orchestration changes in support – strings get the tune, the accompanying figure is played high by the woodwind (and pianos). 89 - 101 The melismatic vocal line at 90 finally leads to the first C# in bar 92, and a perfect cadence to D major and the coda.

Articulation:

Observing the articulation directions in this movement is vital to a successful performance. Orff was noted for being very precise in his directions, and, being a relatively recent composer, one can assume that the articulation directions specified in the score are correct, and not those of an editor.

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Bar Observations 1 – 4 Accents appear on every note, this results in a very forceful statement. 5 - 60 The tenuto sign coupled with the staccato gives the impression that Orff is wanting every note treated the same (one could argue against that, but given where the notes fall in the bar, there seems a reasonable case for it). The semibreves at 10 etc are tenuto (following the note value – as youʼd expect). 61 - 88 Accents on all notes, and the pianos are marked martellatissimo (hammered heavily).

Dynamics:

Dynamics are mainly tiered and create a very dramatic instant effect. There is little use of subtle dynamic variation.

Texture:

Orff famously uses virtually no counterpoint. The homophonic block chords are given ʻbiteʼ by the use of seconds etc (as discussed above under pitch).

There is a lot of ʻMagadizingʼ in this piece – that is, singing in octaves. (The word derives from Magadis, an ancient Greek instrument that became obsolete before AD 194 – and we really no virtually nothing about it – and you donʼt need to know that!).

Bar Observations 1 – 4 Dense chords – ambiguous tonality, and impact given by 2nds and 7ths etc. 5 - 60 Much more open, particularly with the light accompaniment of pizzicato on the strings, the light crotchets and the absence of dense chords. 61 - 88 Greater dramatic impact is achieved by the tune being doubled by horns and strings, accented and at full value. The change in pitch and increased range creates greater density. Note the punchy writing. 89 - 101 With the coda at 93, the and get a real work out – parallel triads greatly increase density, and the fast moving crotchets in much of the rest of the orchestra create a real feeling of climax.

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2 Fortune plango vulnera (I bemoan the wounds of Fortune)

Fortune plango vulnera I bemoan the wounds of Fortune stillantibus ocellis with weeping eyes, quod sua michi munera for the gifts she made me subtrahit rebellis. she perversely takes away. Verum est, quod legitur, It is written in truth, fronte capillata, that she has a fine head of hair, sed plerumque sequitur but, when it comes to seizing an opportunity Occasio calvata. she is bald.

In Fortune solio On Fortune's throne sederam elatus, I used to sit raised up, prosperitatis vario crowned with flore coronatus; the many-coloured flowers of prosperity; quicquid enim florui though I may have flourished felix et beatus, happy and blessed, nunc a summo corrui now I fall from the peak gloria privatus. deprived of glory.

Fortune rota volvitur: The wheel of Fortune turns; descendo minoratus; I go down, demeaned; alter in altum tollitur; another is raised up; nimis exaltatus far too high up rex sedet in vertice sits the king at the summit - caveat ruinam! let him fear ruin! nam sub axe legimus for under the axis is written Hecubam reginam. Queen Hecuba.

Fortune Plango – First impressions:

1 Severe – a single note – D – played low.

2 Basses enter in a declamatory plainchant style – more severity.

Duration:

Bar Observations 1 – 8 Tempo is minim 120. The basses sing in a style reminiscent of plainchant. The TS – 4/2 is broken up with the 1 minim bar (bar 4), thus avoiding becoming too settled. Interesting that the repeated accented D at the start of bar 3 does not match the natural break

John Ferguson Page 11 20/05/09 in the chant. It is like the tolling of a deep bell – random against the futile cry ʻI bemoan the wounds of fortune with weeping eyesʼ. 9 - 24 Vocal part suddenly even minims with the semibreves exactly where you would expect (ends of phrases) – very simple 4 bar phrases, repeated.

The rhythm in the orchestral part (and piano 1) is of interest. The inverted mordents (crotchets on and ) mark the vocal minims (a Stravinsky technique), while the off-beat bass pizzicato and bassoon crotchets give a feeling of forward movement.

The figure everyone remembers is the two quaver/two crotchet motif (get a hair-cut!) that first appears in bar 10. This rhythmic device appears at every phrase ending – growing in prominence from bar 17 with trumpets in thirds in the high register punctuated by the drum. 25 – 34 TS changes to 2/2, tempo quickens, and the horns drive the music Coda with a minim followed by two crotchet theme, sequentially applied, and accompanied by frantic trumpets playing a figure derived from the bar 10 motif, and vigorous quavers from the rest of the orchestra. The syncopation in bars 32 & 33 make for a powerful and emphatic ending.

Pitch:

Bar Observations 1 – 8 Stepwise plainchant, 4 bar phrase (repeated), with the interval of a fourth providing an accentuation (also accented) in an upward sequential pattern. Accompaniment is a pedal D. 9 - 16 Vocal melody is stepwise in parallel thirds. There is some ambiguity – bordering on bitonality - created by the feeling that the vocal part feels in F major, while the bass emphasizes – with tonic and dominant – that we are firmly in D minor. Any possible doubts are dispelled with the cadence at bars 15/16. 17 - 24 A repeat of the previous passage, but with the sopranos and altos added, and a more robust accompaniment – particularly from the – with the trumpets taking the famous motif. 25 - 34 The horns descending sequence is mirrored by the accompanying figures from the quaver passages in the rest of the orchestra, but the pedal D from the trombones and remains steadfast, apart from the brief excursion to A to satisfy the imperfect cadences at bars 28 and 32.

Texture:

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Bar Observations 1 – 8 Bleak and severe – Pedal point. 9 - 16 Vocal melody is stepwise in parallel thirds – a technique called Gymel (literally means ʻtwin-songʼ – might even have Celtic origins! You donʼt need to know that – but isnʼt it interesting!).

The inverted mordent figure is of textural interest – you can decide what it adds to the music! 17 - 24 The gymel gets combined with the magadising in the vocal parts. Of interest is the off-beat piano chords which, especially when one considers the trumpet motif, gives quite a dance-like, almost ʻpartyʼ feel that suits the words. 25 - 34 The horns descending sequence and the business of the rest of the orchestra makes the texture quite dense, and gives a vibrant ending.

Some Comparisons between the two recordings:

The recordings were made 36 years apart. However, for the purposes of this exercise, it is probably best to ignore factors associated with recording techniques, and assume that what we hear is what the conductor wanted us to hear. Trying to guess details of the recording techniques is a hopeless minefield fraught with uncontrolled variables.

More significantly, the Jochum recording was made during Orffʼs lifetime, and this can tend to influence the conductor – due respect to the living composer. In Rattleʼs case, no such concerns are needed, and there is an opportunity to take a fresh look at the music, and make some new decisions concerning tempi and the interpretation more globally. Rattleʼs performance was a live recording, incidentally.

O Fortuna

Bars 1- 4 Jochum Rattle Tempo About 64. The stringendo is About 66 – a little faster. quite pronounced. Again, stringendo quite pronounced. Tone Colour Brass (trumpets) very prominent Articulation Timpani part very prominent. Diction Not great. Not really great, but better

John Ferguson Page 13 20/05/09 than Jochum – a bit. General Brass is much more prominent in the Jochum recording, and the sound seems ʻcloserʼ. Rattleʼs recording is a little more refined. In terms of musical impact, it is a choice between Jochumʼs more declamatory opening, and Rattleʼs more linear and forward moving interpretation.

Bars 5 - 60 Jochum Rattle Tempo Minim 136 – a little faster Minim 144 – noticeably faster than Orff indicates. than Jochum. Duration Note values short (as directed). Dynamics Kept even at the directed pp. Kept even at the directed pp. Articulation Quite heavily accented More linear – less accented. Diction Consonants spat out – Very neat. sounds a bit heavy. Balance Orchestra kept in check Orchestra kept in check General Both interpretations move forward a bit for the last 20 bars or so – an anticipation of the faster section to come. Rattleʼs performance is faster, but, more importantly, is less vertical – a more linear approach, brought about in part by less fixation on spitting out the consonants.

Bars 61 - 92 Jochum Rattle Tempo Minim 144 – as marked. Minim 156 – a Rattlingly good pace! Tone Colour Trumpets prominent, and percussion as well. Love the ! Articulation There is, curiously, an accent on the last of each group of four minims – it has the effect of making the performance a little heavy. Diction More pronounced than Diction gives way a little to the Rattleʼs desire for linear movement and the shape of the phrasing. General With Rattle, one gets a real feel of the wheel turning – it is like it is being conducted as one beat for every two bars – brilliant realisation/interpretation. Jochumʼs greater attention to the accents (as marked by Orff) lead to a heavier and more percussive (perfectly valid) rendition.

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Bars 93 - 101 Jochum Rattle Tempo Does not achieve the marked Almost 190 – dazzling and tempo of 160, goes at 154. brilliant. General At the danger of sounding like a presenter on ʻTop Gearʼ, Rattleʼs brilliant closing tempo does create dramatic excitement – and drama was close to the heart of Orffʼs intentions – it was conceived as an opera!

Fortune Plango Vulnera

Bars 1 - 8 Jochum Rattle Tempo A whisker over Minim 120 Minim 112 – slower than Orffʼs (Orffʼs marked tempo). marking. Articulation Very short staccato – the Not as short – a little more tenuto marks and accents are flowing. all clearly followed. Diction Very clear and precise. General Interesting contrast. Jochum has opened at Orffʼs quite brisk pace, whereas Rattle seems to have opted to perform the opening with greater deference to the plainchant tradition (greater flow, and melisma).

Bars 9 - 16 Jochum Rattle Tempo Tempo increased to 128. Minim 120 – Orffʼs stipulated tempo. Duration Very short notes (as marked), but perhaps excessively so. Tone Colour Bassoon is quite prominent. Articulation Accented throughout. Diction Excellent. General Both conductors decided to vary the tempo between the opening and this next section makes musical sense – there is a change in atmosphere, and mood suggested by the text.

Bars 17 - 24 Jochum Rattle General Both conductors reflect the mood change by moving the tempo forward a tiny bit for this section, in sympathy with the change in voicing and orchestration.

Bars 25 - 34 Jochum Rattle

John Ferguson Page 15 20/05/09 Tempo Curiously, Jochum barely About 150. increases tempo at all – 128/130 General The piu mosso is clearly marked, and the metre changes from 4 to 2. Given the brilliance of the writing at this point, it is odd that only Rattle takes the opportunity to dash to the end.

Bibliography:

Kater, M. H, 2000, Composers of the Nazi Era, OUP, Oxford, UK Krellman & Horton: 1980, The New Grove – ed Sadie, Macmillan, London Schwarz: http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/works/orff-cb/carbur4.php Serotsky: http://www.musicwebinternational.com/programme_notes/orff_burana.htm

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