Originally, Gregorian was conceived as a more pop-oriented group in the vein of Enigma. Under this concept, they recorded the 1991 album Sadisfaction, with lead vocals provided by The Sisters of Oz: Susana Espelleta (Peterson's wife at the time) and Birgit Freud. However, this was the only album in that style.
In 1998, Peterson and his team Jan-Eric Kohrs, Michael Soltau and Carsten Heusmann re-invented the project to perform popular songs in the Gregorian style. The criteria for song selection were strict; in order to be considered, a song needed to be translatable into the 7-tone scale. For each album, songs were carefully chosen in addition to original songs written by Jan-Eric Kohrs, Amelia Brightman and Carsten Heussman. Twelve vocalists - previously acclaimed session and choir singers - were then hired to record the tracks.
Each Gregorian album is initially digitally tracked at Nemo Studios, Peterson's Hamburg studio. The vocalists then record their parts in a church atmosphere with dimmed lights and candles, in order to escape what Peterson referred to in a 2001 interview as the "cold and technical" studio atmosphere.
The concept proved to be successful, and the group proceeded to record several more Masters of Chant albums in the same style. Their 2004 album, The Dark Side, was a slight departure from the others, featuring a darker repertoire consistent with the title.
In 2005, The Masterpieces, a compilation album with a live DVD, was released. A fifth Masters of Chant album was released on 31 March 2006. In 2006, a festive album was also released, titled Christmas Chants. A sixth Masters of Chant album was released on 28 September 2007. In 2009 a seventh Masters of Chant album followed.
Gregorian in 2009
On 8 September 2010 the next album, titled The Dark Side of Chant, was announced to be published on 15 October 2010.
The members of the Gregorian choir group are Richard Naxton (Naxos), Johnny Clucas (Johnny), Chris Tickner (Chris T.), Richard Collier (Rich), Gerry O'Beirne (Gerry), Lawrence White (Lorro) and Rob Fardell (Rob F.).
Others who contribute to the vocals or sound of Gregorian are Sarah Brightman (under the pseudonyms Hepsibah or Sarah Hellmann), Amelia Brightman (Sarah Brightman's younger sister), Frank Peterson, and staff of Nemo Studio among others.
O Fortuna
Gregorian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Velut luna
Statu variabilis,
Semper crescis
Aut decrescis;
Vita detestabilis
Nunc obdurat
Et tunc curat
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!
The lyrics of O Fortuna, originally taken from a 13th century poem, speak of the ever-changing and unpredictable nature of life, symbolized by the moon and the wheel of fortune. The first stanza describes life as detestable, with moments of both hardness and caring. The image of playing with the sharp focus of the mind represents the struggles and challenges that one has to face in life, including poverty and powerlessness, which can be broken apart like ice.
The second stanza gives a more detailed description of the wheel of fortune, calling it both immense and empty, with a bad outlook and a false hope. It is always spinning, always changing, and everything in life is subject to change, including the singer. The shadows and veils that obscure life are also present, exerting a pull on the singer that causes them to carry the burden of someone else's crimes, exposed and vulnerable. Finally, the singer acknowledges the forces that are working against them, describing the struggles of the heart and the body that are always present, causing great distress. The final call is a prayer-like call to the audience to join in the mourning of the outcome of fate, to mourn those who fall and to empathize with those who go through life's challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
O Fortuna
Oh fate
Velut luna
Like the moon
Statu variabilis
Constantly changing state
Semper crescis
Always increasing
Aut decrescis;
Or decreasing
Vita detestabilis
A detestable life
Nunc obdurat
Now it hardens
Et tunc curat
And then cares
Ludo mentis aciem,
To sharpen the focus of the mind
Egestatem,
Poverty
Potestatem
Power
Dissolvit ut glaciem.
It dissolves like ice.
Sors immanis
Immense fate
Et inanis,
And empty
Rota tu volubilis,
You, turning wheel,
Status malus,
Bad status
Vana salus
Futile salvation
Semper dissolubilis,
Always dissolving,
Obumbrata
Overshadowed
Et velata
And hidden
Michi quoque niteris;
You strive against me also;
Nunc per ludum
Now through the game
Dorsum nudum
Naked back
Fero tui sceleris.
I bear the guilt of you.
Sors salutis
Fate of salvation
Et virtutis
And of virtue
Michi nunc contraria,
Now opposed to me,
Est affectus
There is sadness
Et defectus
And weakness
Semper in angaria.
Always in distress.
Hac in hora
In this hour
Sine mora
Without delay
Corde pulsum tangite;
Strike the strings of the heart;
Quod per sortem
Because through fate
Sternit fortem,
It strikes down the strong,
Mecum omnes plangite!
Everyone weep with me!
Contributed by Eli L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Otto Graph
O Fortune,
like the moon
you are changeable,
ever waxing
and waning;
hateful life
first oppresses
and then soothes
as the sharp mind 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
If you wanted to know what it was in english
José Meireles
O Fortuna
Gregorian
fortaleza
O Fortuna
como a lua
Velut luna
mutável;
Statu variabilis,
sempre a aumentar
Semper crescis
Ou diminuindo;
Aut decrescis;
vida de ódio
Vita detestabilis
agora é difícil
Nunc obdurat
E então acalma
Et tunc curat
Por um capricho;
Ludo mentis aciem,
pobreza
Egestatem,
poder
Potestatem
Como gelo.
Dissolvit ut glaciem.
destino
Sors immanis
O vazio;
Et inanis,
Rodar roda
Rota tu volubilis,
ruim
Status malus,
saúde
Vana salus
fades
Semper dissolubilis,
sombreada
Obumbrata
e secretamente
Et velata
Você me atormenta também;
Michi quoque niteris;
Até agora o jogo
Nunc per ludum
meu nua
Dorsum nudum
Calvata.
Fero tui sceleris.
quando a saúde
Sors salutis
o poder
Et virtutis…
Tom Abila
O Fortuna has always been my favorite Choiral piece... This gave me chills.
ProjectThunderclaw
I like this cover a lot, but boy is it a testament to Carl Orff that a version of his song that adds Gregorian chanting, ominous church bells and electric guitar somehow manages to be less dark and heavy than the original
Su-47 Berkut
FINALMENTE ACHEI!!! Era uma das minhas favoritas, só faltava esta das que eu procurava, achei finalmente 😌
wombataz
Yes. It's a medieval Latin poem, part of a collection called "Carmina Burana". I'm not sure anyone knows the true author. Maybe a real historian, I'm just a low-end amateur. : ) Carl Orff composed the music for it, and did a heck of a job imho. This cover is one of my favorites, but my most favorite (so far) O Fortuna is the one done by Transiberian Orchestra.
roberto moreno
BOM. BOM DEMAIS.
Otto Graph
O Fortune,
like the moon
you are changeable,
ever waxing
and waning;
hateful life
first oppresses
and then soothes
as the sharp mind 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
If you wanted to know what it was in english
Dushyantha Rathnasinghe
True That Otto
Kaleb Tesfaye
thx sir
realtalk2
Otto Graph awesome
Matt's Interesting Stuff
Damn, that's really dark