Whether or not you know the name, you know the music. Monumental in its power, Carmina Burana has been used to score hundreds of commercials, television shows, films, campaign events, and Olympic contests; its epic nature makes it a perfect fit for scenes of mystery, battle, triumph, and awe.
A key event in Grand Rapids Symphony’s 2024/2025 season, it will, on April 24th and 25th, transform DeVos Performance Hall into both Ragnorok and Valhalla.
In 1935 and 1936, German composer Carl Orff created the music, basing it on a collection of songs and poems written in the 11th-13th centuries but forgotten until it was found again, in 1803, a small town in southern Germany (today, its population is less than 3,800). Consisting of over a thousand songs and poems written in three languages, the writing explored chance, springtime, and the pleasures—and dangers—of eating, drinking, gambling, and lust.
While the words sung in the piece are medieval, the music is not. It draws from more recent models, including Stravinsky, sacrificing some of the complexities for which classical music is known in favor of directness, immediacy, and rhythmic complexity. Most famous is “O Fortuna,” the opener, which hits like the heat from a blast furnace. “In Trutina” is less well-known, but in its quiet, delicate way, just as moving:
In the wavering balance of my feelings
set against each other
lascivious love and modesty.
But I choose what I see,
and submit my neck to the yoke;
I yield to the sweet yoke.
Sung by a soprano, the song is remarkably beautiful, like morning light streaming through a window. It’s both gorgeous in its own right and indicative of Carmina Burana’s range; the cantata isn’t all bombast and storms, but a full, varied piece of music, cut with facets like a jewel.
Carmina Burana premiered in Frankfurt on June 8th, 1937, and, after initial resistance—including that of musicologist Hans Gerigk, who labeled it “primitive” and “un-German,” and the Nazi regime writ large, which was made uncomfortable by its erotic aspects—it became quickly embraced as an example of art celebrating the spirit and joy of the German people. That would prove somewhat controversial in later years, given the historical context at the time and place of its premiere, but it’s since become accepted that the music belongs to the world.
Revue spoke to Meechot Marrero, soprano, who will be onstage for the performances, about the music’s enormous popularity. “It’s a combination of so many things,” she said. “The text was written at the time as it was but it’s still relevant to life as we know it today. And the music...you cannot help but feel it within your bones.”
She sees herself as having the best seat in the house, as she’ll be surrounded by the music, and, at the same time, will be able to see the audience’s reaction. “It’s the best of both worlds. I’m in the audience and onstage at the same time.”
It’s demanding music. “It’s condensed singing, difficult singing, for all three main voices, the soloists.” As the soprano, she’ll be performing numbers that are very intimate and quiet, in stark contrast to the bombardment of huge, glorious music that precedes them. “It’s a very complex, technical piece, but in the end it comes together so beautifully. It’s just so satisfying.”
She sees meaning in the fact that the words were written by monks: men who devoted their lives to the divinity, who nevertheless captured the essence of secular life. “There are songs about alcohol use, about being drunk, and conversations about lust and the body, about our visceral reaction to an attraction. Sometimes it’s shocking!”
Regardless of whether an audience member is religious or not—and Orff deliberately viewed the music as secular—the questions and experiences explored in the music have ensured its lasting relevance. “For the fest of time, these questions will matter. Plus, you have the musical brilliance. Even generations in the future will be listening to this.”
Will they be listening live? She hopes so. Some things can’t be experienced through a screen. Being present allows the music to impact you more deeply on a physical level, she feels. “Simply being there. Being present. Experiencing it in your body.”
She points out that many people today are willing to pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars to see their favorite artists. “Why is that? Because they enjoy being alive.” Tickets to the Grand Rapids Symphony are much more affordable, but still provide that visceral experience.
“There is something so powerful in just sitting there and basking in this glorious sound. You’ll get goosebumps. It doesn’t matter how much I talk to you about what a rollercoaster this music is. Nothing comes close to what your body will feel when you’re there. You vibrate in a different way.”
Carmina Burana
Grand Rapids Symphony
April 25-26
grsymphony.org
