Cash McCall – The Blues

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Carmina Burana, the best of classical music

Based on the Carmina Burana, an important collection of Latin and German Goliard poems discovered in 1803 in the library of the Benedictine monastery of Benediktbeuern, near Munich. Written by monks and minstrels, the collection appealed to Orff because of the variety of its humorous, sad, and suggestive verses. He selected about twenty featuring the wheel of fortune and arranged them into bawdy songs for soloists and chorus, accompanied by instruments and magic images.

This work exemplifies Orff’s search for an idiom that would reveal the elemental power of music, allowing the listener to experience music as an overwhelming, primitive force. Goliard poetry, which not only celebrates love and wine, but also pokes fun at the clergy, perfectly suited Orff’s desire to create a musical work appealing to a fundamental musicality that, as he believed, every human being possesses. Eschewing melodic development and harmonic complexity, and articulating his musical ideas through basic sonorities and easily discernible rhythmic patterns, Orff created an idiom which many found irresistible. The perceived “primitivism” of Carmina Burana notwithstanding, Orff believed that the profound appeal of music is not merely physical.

Carmina Burana forms the first part of a trilogy of staged cantatas called Trionfi (Triumphs), all based on Latin texts. The other two parts are Catulli Carmina and Trionfo di Afrodite. The first performance, in 1937, was a stylistic breakthrough, and brought Orff instant fame. Orff regarded Carmina Burana as the real beginning of his career, and ordered his publisher to destroy all his previous works (an instruction that fortunately was disregarded).

Carmina Burana is a scenic cantata composed by Carl Orff between 1935 and 1936. It is based on 24 of the poems found in the medieval collection Carmina Burana. Its full Latin title is Carmina Burana: Cantiones profanae cantoribus et choris cantandae comitantibus instrumentis atque imaginibus magicis (”Songs of Beuern: Secular songs for singers and choruses to be sung together with instruments and magic images.”) Carmina Burana is part of Trionfi, the musical triptych that also includes the cantata Catulli Carmina and Trionfo di Afrodite. The best-known movement is “Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi (O Fortuna)” that opens and closes the piece.

Carmina Burana Text
Main article: Carmina Burana

Orff first encountered the text in John Addington Symonds’s 1884 publication Wine, Women and Song, which included English translations of 46 poems from the collection. Michel Hofmann, a young law student and Latin and Greek enthusiast, assisted Orff in the selection and organization of 24 of these poems into a libretto, mostly in Latin verse, with a small amount of Middle High German and Old Provençal. The selection covers a wide range of secular topics, as familiar in the 13th century as they are in the 21st century: the fickleness of fortune and wealth, the ephemeral nature of life, the joy of the return of Spring, and the pleasures and perils of drinking, gluttony, gambling and lust.
Carmina Burana Reception

Carmina Burana was first staged in Frankfurt by the Frankfurt Opera on June 8, 1937 (Conductor: Bertil Wetzelsberger, Choir Cäcilienchor, staging by Oskar Wälterlin and sets and costumes by Ludwig Sievert). Shortly after the greatly successful premiere, Orff wrote the following letter to his publisher, Schott Music:

“Everything I have written to date, and which you have, unfortunately, printed, can be destroyed. With Carmina Burana, my collected works begin.”

Several performances were repeated elsewhere in Germany. The Nazi regime was at first nervous about the erotic tone of some of the poems, but eventually embraced the piece. It became the most famous piece of music composed in Germany at the time. The popularity of the work continued to rise after the war, and by the 1960s Carmina Burana was well established as part of the international classic repertory.

Alex Ross wrote that “the music itself commits no sins simply by being and remaining popular. That ‘Carmina Burana’ has appeared in hundreds of films and television commercials is proof that it contains no diabolical message, indeed that it contains no message whatsoever.”

In retrospect the desire he expressed in the letter to his publisher has by and large been fulfilled: No other composition of his approaches its renown, as evidenced in both pop culture’s appropriation of O Fortuna and the classical world’s persistent programming and recording of the work. In the United States, Carmina Burana represents one of the few box office certainties in 20th-century music.

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I live in Florida and I love classical music but I always have trouble finding them on my radio. What classical music stations are there that I can listen to on my radio?

There are radio station locator sites, like http://www.radio-locator.com, that will tell you what is available in your are. But when I visit So. Florida every winter, from here in NY – I am struck by entering a wasteland of very little decent classical music – and a WHOLE lot of absolutely crazy, late-night far-right-wing ranting radio talk shows! I usually can find a NPR repeater – but I listen thru the night (Id o not l sleep well in hotels . . ) with headphones, and sometimes am stuck with Canadian all-news ( there’s an auditory soporific!) or BBC news – ditto. You might discover that your mp3 player is your new best friend – especially at night.

Added – since you said *radio*, I did not mention streaming – which is a GODSEND. You need never listen to 4am right-wing screamers again in Florida – there is culture *somewhere*, and you can get it streamed in!

I only understand calc II when I listen to classical music and i cant take my ipod to the test lol, but anyway how does that help ppl concentrate?

Studies have shown that listening to music while studying actually reduces concentration. My guess is that you are not actively listening to the music (which requires concentration on the music), but perhaps listening passively to drown out ambient sounds. It is also possible that you are a rare case, but I don’t think it applies to most other people. Science has never shown that listening to any music (classical or otherwise) while performing a task helps in the performance of that task.

Listening to some music that you like before doing something can help you relax, however.

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im auditioning for a school of music and i have to sing a classical song. besides ave maria, what are some really good classical songs? im use to singing R’nB but im going to try anyways lol ive always liked the phantom of the opera.

Schools often have a list of suggested repertoire to use for auditions. Check their music department website under audition information to see. If they don’t have a list posted, contact someone in the choral department and ask.

Don’t use anything from Phantom.

excerpts from music created by some of the great classical music composers… this is the second of seven parts ♪♪♪

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I know some people have started as soon as they found out.. But I am not going to walk around with headphones on my belly for 9 months.. lol. So what do you think is a good month to start playing it music at?

Also what are some good songs and such to play it…. I have no idea about classical music.

Why are you playing music for your unborn child…? I don’t know if it makes them smarter or something but its kinda weird…

But I do know classical music, and ignoring periods such as the romantic, i’ll just name some wonderful composers.

Chopin- famous pianist

Vivaldi- The four seasons is probably his four most famous pieces, everyone who knows classical knows these.

Bach- Of course Beautiful sound

Beethoven- of course, you can’t know classical without listening to him. A Genius for sure Defiantly try "Moonlight Sonata" it is simply gorgeous

Pachelbel- Canon in D major is a stunningly performed piece, wonderful and it has a variety of emotions that are felt when listening to it

Mozart is another famous one, I love what he has composed

"Gavotte" Is a fun peice I enjoy playing, I do not remmeber the composer though, so you might have to look that one up online.

They also have more "Modern" Pieces that are still played with all the fun woodwind, string and brass Instruments.

Try "Pirates of the Caribbean: The curse of the Black Pearl Theme" its beautifully done.

"Crocodile Rock" is another, a fun joyful piece

Hope you find some music you enjoy! And there are many out there, I just named some that are more often known to people.