Of the 250 poems in the manuscript, Orff selected just 24 to set to music. A simple concert rendition of Carmina Burana misses half the fun. He described his composition as � secular songs for soloists and choruses, accompanied by instruments and magic images�. In 1937, Carl Orff's Carmina Burana was born. When he was given a copy of the Carmina Burana he knew he had found the perfect vehicle to bring his concept to life. His idea was of the Total Theatre, combining music, words, visual design, movement and dance to overwhelm the senses. He developed a music teaching method, children's musical instruments and an entire new concept of music performance.
He was convinced that everybody had within them an innate musical ability and that this ability needs to be nurtured from childhood. The monastery's librarian collected and published them as the Carmina Burana, meaning Songs of Beuren.Ĭarl Orff was a German composer who lived all his life in Munich.
In 1803, the library of this monastery was being renovated, and a wonderful discovery was made a manuscript, dating back to the 13th century containing over 250 previously unknown songs and verses, rich in variety and inventiveness, in both Latin and German. This town has a monastery dating back to medieval times. There is a little town about 100km south of Munich, Germany, called Benediktbeuren.
