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Carl Orff: Carmina Burana - "O Fortuna"

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  Quote Panther Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Carl Orff: Carmina Burana - "O Fortuna"
    Posted: 18-Jan-2008 at 06:45
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF7_PhB9coo
 
The latin lyrics and english translation:
 
O Fortuna (Chorus)
O Fortuna
velut luna
statu variabilis,
semper crescis
aut decrescis;
vita detestabilis
nunc obdurat
et tunc curat
ludo mentis aciem,
egestatem,
potestatem
dissolvit ut glaciem.
Sors immanis
et inanis,
rota tu volubilis,
status malus,
vana salus
semper dissolubilis,
obumbrata
et velata
michi quoque niteris;
nunc per ludum
dorsum nudum
fero tui sceleris.
Sors salutis
et virtutis
michi nunc contraria,
est affectus
et defectus
semper in angaria.
Hac in hora
sine mora
corde pulsum tangite;
quod per sortem
sternit fortem,
mecum omnes plangite!
English Translation
O Fortune,
like the moon
you are constantly changing,
ever waxing
and waning;
hateful life
first oppresses
and then soothes
as fancy takes it;
poverty
and power
it melts them like ice.
Fate - monstrous
and empty,
you whirling wheel,
you are malevolent,
well-being is vain
and always fades to nothing,
shadowed
and veiled
you plague me too;
now through the game
I bring my bare back
to your villainy.
Fate is against me
in health
and virtue,
driven on
and weighted down,
always enslaved.
So at this hour
without delay
pluck the vibrating strings;
since Fate
strikes down the strong man,
everyone weep with me!
 
 
This darn song has haunted me for nearly my entire life. This is the only song i've ever encountered that has been able to make me shed a single tear! Anyone esle enjoy this song as much as i do?
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  Quote Aelfgifu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18-Jan-2008 at 16:09
The Carmina Burana are originally songs students sang when travelling from one place of study to another by foot. We do not know the original melodies, but Orff's interpertation, although facinating, is probably as far from how it would have been as you get...
Although this one is about such dark matter as bad fortune, most are lightheaded songs about springtime, love and more carnal desires. Apparently there is even one song about a grilled rooster, sung from the pont of view of the rooster...Wink So although the dramatic music of Orff fits O, Fortuna, I am not so sure it fits all lyrics. There is some info here:
 
Personally I kinda like it, but I do not shed tears over it. What does make me cry, however, are some of the melodies of the soundtrack of Amelie.


Edited by Aelfgifu - 18-Jan-2008 at 16:24

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  Quote Seko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18-Jan-2008 at 16:27
The frist time I was introduced to Carmina Burana was through the movie Excalibur. That and Wagner's Gtterdmmerung was featured in the film. Those tunes will raise the blood pressure of any battle loving movie goer.
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  Quote Justinian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18-Jan-2008 at 22:57
I've always thought highly of it. 
 
Originally posted by Seko

Those tunes will raise the blood pressure of any battle loving movie goer.
Right you are.
 
Thats quite interesting Aelf, yes, I would imagine students would have sung a slightly different melody.Wink 
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  Quote Panther Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19-Jan-2008 at 02:18
Originally posted by Aelfgifu

Apparently there is even one song about a grilled rooster, sung from the pont of view of the rooster...Wink
 
That is absurdly hilarious! LOL
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  Quote Panther Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19-Jan-2008 at 02:21
Originally posted by Seko

The frist time I was introduced to Carmina Burana was through the movie Excalibur. That and Wagner's Gtterdmmerung was featured in the film. Those tunes will raise the blood pressure of any battle loving movie goer.
 
You too Seko! Ok, i admit it.... i'm a sucker for any tune good enough that can raise my blood pressure while watching a war movie. Embarrassed
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  Quote Panther Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19-Jan-2008 at 02:23
Originally posted by Justinian

I've always thought highly of it. 
 
 
The company i am in that enjoy's this song, just keeps getting better and better! Smile
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  Quote ulrich von hutten Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19-Jan-2008 at 05:32
Carl Orff, who died in 1982 in Munich, was the reason for my dislike of the music lessons at school..
but therefore i'll move this thread into modern culture...

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  Quote Panther Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19-Jan-2008 at 07:44

Your right. The gentleman was modern. Just a little detail i didn't consider. Embarrassed

I thought i understood he drew some of his inspiration from the poem's of the medieval past? No real big deal. Just thought i would clarify why i started it in the original thread.
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  Quote xristar Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23-Jan-2008 at 00:09
ahh... about 5 years ago, me and one very close friend of mine discovered this song (he found a CD of it). We listened to it fanatically.
I actually studied for my whole 2nd Lykeion class (that's the 11th class) listening to this song. I learned the whole O Fortuna in latin, and parts of other nice parts of Carmina Burana as well.
When watching this video, I realized I still remember much of the lyrics.Embarrassed
What does make me cry, however, are some of the melodies of the soundtrack of Amelie.

I like Amelie soundrack too....stop laughing, I'M NOT GAY!Ouch

Defeat allows no explanation
Victory needs none.
It insults the dead when you treat life carelessly.
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  Quote Giannis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23-Jan-2008 at 07:58
I was introduced to Carmina Burana in the '80's, in one of the greatest moves of political communications in modern greek politics. The theme of Carmina Burana accompanied almost all of PASOK's rallies and it was magical. Thousands of people waiting for Andreas Papandreou to begin his speech and then the music started......
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  Quote Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23-Jan-2008 at 09:13
 
When I fink of the song, the pics go hand in hand....
 
 
 


Edited by Paul - 23-Jan-2008 at 09:24
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  Quote xristar Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23-Jan-2008 at 09:17
I was introduced to Carmina Burana in the '80's, in one of the greatest moves of political communications in modern greek politics. The theme of Carmina Burana accompanied almost all of PASOK's rallies and it was magical. Thousands of people waiting for Andreas Papandreou to begin his speech and then the music started......

Do you know the name of the piece that Nea Dimokratia uses at its rallies?

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Victory needs none.
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  Quote Illirac Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29-Jan-2008 at 21:13
This one is good,
I bought the cd some year ago, and I was listening to this whole weeks 
For too long I've been parched of thirst and unable to quench it.
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  Quote Peteratwar Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31-Jan-2008 at 10:01
Some years ago, the BBC made a television program of Carmina Burana.
 
It was pretty good, never seen it since
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  Quote Aelfgifu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31-Jan-2008 at 16:07
Originally posted by Panther

Originally posted by Aelfgifu

Apparently there is even one song about a grilled rooster, sung from the pont of view of the rooster...Wink
 
That is absurdly hilarious! LOL
 
I found it for you: ( I have the suspicion that the verses of the Latin and of the translation are not in the same order, though...2 and 3 seem to be reversed)
Originally posted by Roasted Swan

Carmina Burana 130, Olim lacus colueram

 
1 Olim lacus colueram,
olim pulcher extiteram,
dum cignus ego fueram.

Miser, miser!
Modo niger
et ustus fortiter!

2 Girat, regirat garcifer;
me rogus urit fortiter:
propinat me nunc dapifer,

Miser, miser!
Modo niger
et ustus fortiter!
 
3 Mallem in aquis vivere
nudo semper in aere
quam in hoc mergi pipere.

Miser, miser!
Modo niger
et ustus fortiter!

4 Eram nive candidor,
quavis ave formosior,
modo sum corvo nigrior.
 
Miser, miser!
Modo niger
et ustus fortiter!
 
5 Nunc in scutella iaceo,
et volitare nequo
dentes frendentes video:

Miser, miser!
Modo niger
et ustus fortiter!
 
The Roasting Swan

Translation by Rebecca Frost Davis

 
1 Once I inhabited lakes,

Once I stood out, beautiful,

When I was a swan.

 
Wretched! Wretched!

Now I am black

And burning fiercely.

 
2 I was whiter than snow,

More beautiful than any bird;

Now I am blacker than a crow.

 
Wretched! Wretched!

Now I am black

And burning fiercely.

 
3 The pyre burns me fiercely,

The servant turns, and turns me again.

Now the waiter serves me.

 
Wretched! Wretched!

Now I am black

And burning fiercely.

 
4 I would prefer to live in the waters,

Always under the bare sky,

Than to be submerged in this pepper.

 
Wretched! Wretched!

Now I am black

And burning fiercely.

 
5 Now I lie on the plate

And I am unable to fly;

I see gnashing teeth

 
Wretched! Wretched!

Now I am black

And burning fiercely.

 



Edited by Aelfgifu - 31-Jan-2008 at 16:09

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  Quote Giannis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01-Feb-2008 at 10:23
Originally posted by xristar

I was introduced to Carmina Burana in the '80's, in one of the greatest moves of political communications in modern greek politics. The theme of Carmina Burana accompanied almost all of PASOK's rallies and it was magical. Thousands of people waiting for Andreas Papandreou to begin his speech and then the music started......

Do you know the name of the piece that Nea Dimokratia uses at its rallies?
 
Back then it should be ''The chariots of fire'' by Vangelis Papathanasiou.
Give me a place to stand and I will move the world.
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