Carmina Burana, the staged cantata by Carl Orff, is a work unique in musical history, claims conductor Paavo Järvi: ‘The convergence of medieval texts with such daringly original orchestral colours creates a soundworld that is both archaic and yet beyond time, in which chorus, orchestra and soloists vie in splendour.’

The work also has an unusual history: composed shortly after the Nazi takeover of Germany, it was at first rejected because of its Latin texts and the erotic character of some of its songs; yet Orff and his work subsequently became highly prized by the Reich. The composer (who was secretly ‘a quarter Jewish’) did not support the regime, but made the best of his succes.

Orff was 42 by the time he experienced this breakthrough with his Carmina, which he designated as his Op. 1, disowning all his previous compositions. Departing from the Romantic style, he now wanted to create music linked to rhythm, simple repeated melodies, and non-complex forms. This work’s popular success confirmed that decision.