Orff was born in Munich and came from a Bavarian family that was very active in the German military. His father's regimental band supposedly often played the compositions of the young Orff. He studied at the Munich Academy of Music until 1914, then served in the military during World War I. Afterwards he held various positions at opera houses in Mannheim and Darmstadt, later to return to Munich to further pursue his musical studies.
From 1925 Orff was the head of a department and co-founder of the Guenther School for gymnastics, music, and dance in Munich, where he worked with musical beginners. Having constant contact with children, this is where he developed his theories in music education.
While Orff's association, or lack thereof, with the Nazi party has never been conclusively established, his Carmina Burana was hugely popular in Nazi Germany after its premiere in Frankfurt in 1937, receiving numerous performances (although one Nazi critic reviewed it savagely as "degenerate", implying a connection with the contemporaneous, and infamous, exhibit of Entartete Kunst). He was one of the few German composers under the Nazi regime who responded to the official call to write new music for A Midsummer Night's Dream, after the music of Felix Mendelssohn had been banned, which in itself suggests where his sympathies lay; others refused to cooperate in this.
Orff was a personal friend of Kurt Huber, one of the founders of the resistance movement Die Weiße Rose (the White Rose), and who was condemned to death by the Volksgerichtshof and executed by the Nazis in 1943. After World War II, Orff claimed that he was a member of the group, and was himself involved in the resistance, but there was no evidence for this other than his own word, and other sources dispute his claim).
Orff is buried in the Baroque church of the beer-brewing Benedictine priory of Andechs, south of Munich.
Orff is best known for Carmina Burana (1937), a "scenic cantata". It is the first of a trilogy, Trionfi, which also includes Catulli Carmina and Trionfo di Afrodite. These compositions reflected his interest in medieval German poetry. Together the trilogy is called Trionfi, meaning "triumphs". The work was based on a thirteenth-century erotic verse written by the Goliards, found in a manuscript dubbed the Codex latinus monacensis, which had been discovered in a Bavarian monastery in 1803. The term "Goliards" was often used to describe students who wrote secular verse in the Middle Ages. While "modern" in some of his compositional techniques, Orff was able to capture the spirit of the medieval period in this trilogy, with infectious rhythms and easy tonalities. The mediaeval poems were written in an early form of German and Latin.
With the success of Carmina Burana, Orff orphaned all of his previous works except for Catulli Carmina and the En trata, which were rewritten until acceptable by Orff. He was reluctant to call any of his works simply operas. For example, he called Der Mond ("The Moon") (1939) a "Märchenoper" or Fairytale Opera, and placed Die Kluge ("The Wise Woman") (1943) in the same category. About his Antigone (1949), Orff said specifically that it was not an opera, rather a Vertonung, a "musical setting" of the ancient tragedy. The text is a German translation, by Friedrich Hölderlin, of the Sophocles play of the same name. The orchestration relies heavily on the percussion section, and is otherwise fairly simple.
Orff's last work, De Temporum Fine Comoedia ("A Play of the End of Time"), had its premiere at the Salzburg music festival on 20th August 1973, performed by Herbert von Karajan and the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. In this highly personal work, Orff presented a mystery play, in which he summarised his view on the end of time, sung in Greek, German, and Latin.
Carmina Burana: O Fortuna
Carl Orff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
velut luna like the moon
statu variabilis, you are changeable,
semper crescis ever waxing
aut decrescis; and waning;
vita detestabilis hateful life
nunc obdurat first oppresses
et tunc curat and then soothes
egestatem, poverty
potestatem and power
dissolvit ut glaciem. it melts them like ice.
Sors immanis Fate - monstrous
et inanis, and empty,
rota tu volubilis, you whirling wheel,
status malus, you are malevolent,
vana salus well-being is vain
semper dissolubilis, and always fades to nothing,
obumbrata shadowed
et velata and veiled
michi quoque niteris; you plague me too;
nunc per ludum now through the game
dorsum nudum I bring my bare back
fero tui sceleris. to your villainy.
Sors salutis Fate is against me
et virtutis in health
michi nunc contraria, and virtue,
est affectus driven on
et defectus and weighted down,
semper in angaria. always enslaved.
Hac in hora So at this hour
sine mora without delay
corde pulsum tangite; pluck the vibrating strings;
quod per sortem since Fate
sternit fortem, strikes down the string man,
mecum omnes plangite! everyone weep with me!
The song O Fortuna from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff has been immortalized in pop culture, often appearing in movies and television shows when there is an epic battle or a moment of intense emotion. However, the lyrics of the song reveal a much deeper meaning that speaks to the ephemerality of life and the fickle nature of fortune.
The opening lines liken fortune to the moon, which is ever-changing and unpredictable. The lyrics then proceed to describe how life can be hateful and oppressive, only to suddenly change and become soothing. This is followed by a meditation on how fortune can destroy poverty and grant power, only to take it away just as quickly. The chorus then describes fortune as a monstrous and empty wheel, which can bring malevolence and destroy well-being. The song ends with a call to action, urging listeners to recognize the transience of life, and to mourn their individual losses.
Overall, O Fortuna is a powerful and emotional song that speaks to the human experience of uncertainty and change. It is a reminder to cherish the good times and endure the bad, and to recognize the thin line between good fortune and ill.
Line by Line Meaning
O Fortuna O Fortune,
Addressing Fate as a powerful entity, with a sense of respect and reverence.
velut luna like the moon
Comparing Fate to the constantly changing, waxing and waning moon.
statu variabilis, you are changeable,
Acknowledging Fate's unpredictable, ever-changing nature.
semper crescis ever waxing
Highlighting Fate's constant growth and expansion.
aut decrescis; and waning;
Also acknowledging Fate's reduction or diminishment at times.
vita detestabilis hateful life
Describing life as burdensome and undesirable.
nunc obdurat first oppresses
Suggesting that Fate's first impulse is to oppress and be harsh.
et tunc curat and then soothes
But acknowledging that Fate also offers relief and comfort at times.
ludo mentis aciem, as fancy takes it;
Implying that Fate's actions are perhaps driven by whim or fancy rather than logic or fairness.
egestatem, poverty
Referring to poverty as a manifestation of Fate's tough circumstances.
potestatem and power
Attributing power and might as being under Fate's domain as well.
dissolvit ut glaciem. it melts them like ice.
Suggesting that Fate can bring sudden destruction or change to circumstances just like a melting piece of ice.
Sors immanis Fate - monstrous
Labelling Fate as a terrible, almost inhuman force.
et inanis, and empty,
Further painting Fate as a futile, unfulfilled concept.
rota tu volubilis, you whirling wheel,
Drawing an image of Fate as a spinning wheel, constantly in motion.
status malus, you are malevolent,
Lambasting Fate for its perceived evil intentions.
vana salus well-being is vain
Arguing that seeking the approval or favour of Fate is pointless or futile.
semper dissolubilis, and always fades to nothing,
Highlighting the fleeting, temporary nature of happiness or well-being - it always fades away eventually.
obumbrata shadowed
Imagining Fate as being dark or obscured.
et velata and veiled
Further painting Fate as being shrouded in mystery or deception.
michi quoque niteris; you plague me too;
Indicating that Fate can cause suffering or torment for everyone, even the artist themselves.
nunc per ludum now through the game
Describing life as being like a game or contest that Fate oversees.
dorsum nudum I bring my bare back
Referring to being exposed or vulnerable to Fate's actions or whims.
fero tui sceleris. to your villainy.
Accusing Fate of committing evil deeds or actions.
Sors salutis Fate is against me
Admitting that Fate is not working in the singer's favour.
et virtutis in health
Suggesting that even the singer's personal virtue or merits cannot protect them from Fate's power.
michi nunc contraria, and virtue,
Further elaborating on Fate's opposition, even to those who are deemed virtuous.
est affectus driven on
Labelling the artist as being pushed by Fate's force or momentum.
et defectus and weighted down,
Indicating that the artist is burdened by the weight of Fate's negative actions.
semper in angaria. always enslaved.
Feeling trapped or enslaved to Fate's control or influence.
Hac in hora So at this hour
Setting the scene for a specific moment in time or climax.
sine mora without delay
Urging immediate action or response, without hesitation.
corde pulsum tangite; pluck the vibrating strings;
Commanding the musicians or performers to begin playing the music with passion and intensity.
quod per sortem since Fate
Referring back to Fate as the overarching theme of the song.
sternit fortem, strikes down the string man,
Warning that even the strongest or most resilient can be brought down by Fate's power.
mecum omnes plangite! everyone weep with me!
Calling for a collective lamentation or grief, as a recognition of the powerlessness of human beings against Fate.
Contributed by Jackson C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.