Carmina Burana

The sheer sonic weight of a full symphony combined with a massive choral ensemble defines the Sarasota Orchestra’s presentation of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. The 1937 cantata, based on medieval poems celebrating fate, drinking, and romance, requires an aggressive, highly rhythmic approach from the percussion and brass sections. The performance is anchored by the thunderous opening and closing movement, "O Fortuna," demanding immense stamina and flawless Latin diction from the massed choir. The Masterworks program delivers an overwhelming, visceral auditory spectacle, utilizing extreme dynamic shifts to execute one of the most recognizable and physically demanding pieces in the classical canon.