The 24 poems set to music by Orff, mainly in Latin, but also including some in Old High German and one in Provençal, are taken from a collection of 11th and 12th century Medieval poems discovered in the monastery of Benediktbeuern, near Bad Tölz in Bavaria, and handed down through time thanks to an important manuscript contained in a 13th century illuminated manuscript, the Codex Latinus Monacensis 4550 or Codex Buranus: hence the title Carmina Burana, introduced in 1847 by scholar Johann Andreas Schmeller on the occasion of the manuscript’s first publication. It is therefore a text that well reflects the birth of the multilingual internationalist spirit of the Imperial and Byzantine Middle Ages following the first dark centuries after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and therefore perfect for the extremely international audiences during Verona’s summer, a true melting pot of countless nationalities united by a common desire for music and spectacle. But it is also a solemn musical text that is perfect for the impressive setting of the Arena, which naturally takes the scenic cantata into a grandiose setting that only the Amphitheatre’s magnificence manages to achieve.
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Opening and closing with the renowned plea ”O Fortuna”, Carl Orff’s monumental scenic cantata will pay tribute to Ezio Bosso, who conducted it at the Arena in 2019. The twenty four compositions (in Latin, High German and Old Provençal) are taken from a collection of Medieval poetry (carmina), passed down via the Codex Latinus Monacensis 4660 or Codex Buranus, which led to the name Carmina Burana.
Conductor Andrea Battistoni
Arena di Verona Orchestra, Chorus, Corps de Ballet and Technical team
Children's choir A.d’A.Mus. conducted by Marco Tonini
Children's choir A.LI.VE. conducted by Paolo Facincani
Chorus Master Ulisse Trabacchin