Date: 11.1. – 11.1.2025
Time: 19:00
Title: CARMINA BURANA
Location: Junácka 10
Organizer: STARS Auditorium, Bratislava
Event Description:
“The monumental composition Carmina Burana by Carl Orff can transport you in a single breath from peaceful tranquility to wild intensity. It is music that is both dignified and powerful, with lyrical and even ecstatic, energetic passages. It embodies a strong pagan sensuality and direct physical excitement, evoking the feeling of absolute beauty even from the simplest phrases. It stirs untamed joy in its listeners, and its motifs can resonate within them for a long time.”
The cantata Carmina Burana (Songs from Beuern) for soprano, tenor, baritone, choir, and orchestra (or various versions of instrumental accompaniment) with the subtitle Cantiones profanae cantoribus et choris cantande comitantibus instrumentis atque imaginibus magicis (Secular Songs for Singers and Choirs Sung with Instruments and Magical Images), by German composer Carl Orff (1895–1982), is based on Goliardic poems and songs from the early 13th century, discovered in an ancient manuscript at the Benedictine monastery of Benediktbeuern in Bavaria in 1803. The texts, compiled into a collection in 1847 by the German philologist Johann Andrea Schmeller, offer various perspectives on medieval life—ranging from religious verses to social satire, to racy love and drunken songs, written in both Latin and medieval German.
The archaic musical notation that has been preserved for several of the texts remained largely undeciphered, allowing Orff freedom in his musical imagination. He selected 24 pieces, which he structured into a prologue, epilogue, and three musically balanced blocks. The first of these, Primo vere (“Spring”), presents fresh and energetic dances; the next section, In taberna (“In the Tavern”), transports the listener to a decadent environment of indulgent drinking revels; the leitmotif of the third block, Cour d’amours (“Court of Love”), remains romantic love. The prologue and epilogue are framed by the most famous melody, O fortuna (“Fortune”), about the unpredictability of fate, representing an ancient image of the Wheel of Fortune.
Carmina Burana, one of the most famous and, according to some period critics, one of the most fascinating and stunning choral works created in the 20th century, was first performed on June 8, 1937, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, directed by Oskar Wälterlin, with sets by Ludwig Sievert and conducted by Bertil Wetzelsberger. The work demonstrates the composer’s mastery in handling rhythm and his ability to create captivating melodic lines set in harmonies that often evoke medieval music. However, as Orff himself claimed, he did not follow historical impulses during its composition but was simply inspired by the compelling character, rhythmic attributes, and musicality of the text, as well as the simplicity of Latin. This greatly contributed to the piece’s emotional impact and overall effect, making it one of the most frequently performed vocal-instrumental works of the 20th century, still widely popular today.
The concert will be dedicated to one of the leading figures in choral conducting in Slovakia, Professor Ladislav Holásek, whose posthumous 95th birthday will be commemorated on December 23, 2024. Ladislav Holásek was instrumental in the founding of Slovakia’s leading choral ensembles and played a significant role in their artistic development and formation. He conducted numerous concerts with the Slovak Philharmonic Choir, the Opera Choir of the Slovak National Theatre, the Chamber Vocal Choir Slovenskí madrigalisti, and the Bratislava City Choir, both in Slovakia and abroad, earning significant domestic and international recognition. He also collaborated with prominent local and international orchestras, produced many radio and TV recordings, and several CDs. He was also active in pedagogy.
Orff’s cantata Carmina Burana will be performed under the direction of conductor Lukáš Kunst by three Bratislava choral ensembles: the Bratislava City Choir, which Ladislav Holásek led continuously from 1977 as its artistic leader and conductor; the female choir Les Sirènes; and the children’s choir Sirénčatá.