COURIER LIFE, D DT EC. 14–20, 2018 31
A consolidated troupe of
300 artists of famous creative
teams of Russia will present
“Carmina Burana,” a cantata
by Carl Orff, under the vaults
of the famous Stern Hall of
Manhattan’s Carnegie Hall
on Dec. 29.
The evening promises
to be a grand spectacle, attended
by 300 Russian artists
of the country’s most famous
and oldest arts and cultural
groups: soloists of the Bolshoi
Theatre — Anna Aglatova
(soprano), Stanislav Mostovoi
(tenor), and Vasily Laduk
(baritone) — sing with Yurlov
Capella Choir and Bolshoi
Symphonic Orchestra of
Moscow Conservatory. The
staging includes enchanting
lighting effects, as well as
paintings from great artists
of the Middle Ages and the
early Renaissance.
“Carmina Burana” is an
ancient manuscript of the collection
of medieval poetry, the
original manuscript of which
was found in 1803 in the Benedictine
monastery Bayern
(Beuern, lat. Buranum), now
Benediktbeuern, Bavaria.
The German composer
Carl Orff fi rst encountered
these texts in John Eddington
Simon’s publication “Wine,
Women and Songs of 1884,”
which contained English translations
of 46 poems from a collection
found in the monastery.
Michael Hoffman, a law student
and enthusiast of Greek
and Latin, helped Orff choose
24 poems about the impermanence
of luck and wealth, the
transience of life, the joy of the
return of spring, and the pleasure
of drunkenness, gluttony,
gambling, and carnality.
The manuscript, hidden
in the monastery in the 13th
century, was found many centuries
later. During the European
Middle Ages, it was
a “forbidden” text written,
fi rst, by “renegades vagrants”
— people who had the most
ironic, and even satirical
views on the life, society, and
its mores. There is no religion
in these songs — even close
to no words — but almost on
every page, it communicates
about the removal of taboos
and all sorts of prohibitions.
Yes, life is fl eeting, fortune is
blind and ruthless, there is no
doubt. But, stop praying, fearing,
and waiting for the end
of the world — let’s rejoice:
spring, sun, drink, delicious
food, carnal love, warm company
and cheerful songs, here
and now!
Orff wrote the libretto
with the texts of the poems
in the old German and Latin
languages. The fi rst performance
of “Carmina Burana”
took place on June 8, 1937,
conducted by Bertil Wetzelsberger.
In Europe, on the eve
World War II, the cantata
about the power and beauty
of human life sounded more
relevant than ever. But even
the composer himself could
not assume that his creation
would become a bestseller
of the 20th century. Now, the
most famous orchestras and
choral chapels have in their
repertoire Orff’s work.
“Carmina Burana” is
staged by director Igor
Ushakov, who invited English
conductor Jan Latham-
Koenig for the director’s
console. Music producer is
Vladimir Davydenko. Gennadiy
Dmetryak, people’s artist
of Russia, is the chief conductor
and artistic director of
the Yurlov Russian State Academic
Choir.
Bolshoi Symphonic Orchestra
of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky
Conservatory Yurlov
Capella Choir Soloists of
Bolshoi Theater present “Carmina
Burana” at Carnegie
Hall 881 Seventh Ave. between
W. 56th and W. 57th streets in
Manhattan, (212) 247–7800,
https://www.carnegiehall.
org/Cart/Seat-Selection-Performance/
Syos?eventid=37213
Dec. 29, 8 pm. Tickets from
$22.50 to $210
ADV E RTI S E M E NT
Russian stars perform new staging of ‘Carmina Burana’
/www.carnegiehall