Music Director Leonard Slatkin is internationally recognized as a celebrate… Read Full Bio ↴Music Director Leonard Slatkin is internationally recognized as a celebrated musician and champion of American music and musicians. His imaginative programming and interpretations of a vast range of repertoire have been praised and awarded nationally and internationally.

Mr. Slatkin has regularly appeared over the last two decades with the world's major orchestras and opera companies, including the New York and Berlin Philharmonics, the Chicago Symphony, and Concertgebouw Orchestra, as well as the Metropolitan Opera and Vienna State Opera. A recent highlight is a tour with the Pittsburgh Symphony, stepping in at the last minute to replace Sir Andrew Davis.

Mr. Slatkin is Principal Guest Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He is Conductor Laureate of the Saint Louis Symphony and the Music Advisor to the Nashville Symphony. In addition to his conducting appearances, Mr. Slatkin is a frequent host of musical broadcasts, which include the BBC, lending his broad knowledge and expertise.

Mr. Slatkin's extensive discography of more than 100 recordings have been recognized with nine Grammy Awards and more than 60 Grammy nominations.

As a staunch advocate for arts education, Mr. Slatkin actively shares his time within the academic community through benefit performances and personal appearances. He works frequently with youth orchestras across America and abroad, including the DC Youth Orchestra. His numerous honorary degrees, including an honorary doctorate from his alma mater Juilliard, are a testament not only to his artistry, but his commitment to community service as well.

Mr. Slatkin is the founder and director of the National Conducting Institute, a groundbreaking program established to prepare gifted conductors for work with major orchestras. Through the Institute, his work in Saint Louis and with the NSO, and his active commissioning of American music, Mr. Slatkin has made enduring contributions to the nation's orchestral life.

Carmina Burana: O Fortuna
Leonard Slatkin Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

O FORTUNA
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
Mihi quoque niteris
Nunc per ludum
Dorsum nudum
Fero tui sceleris
Sors salutis
Et virtutis
Mihi nunc contraria
Est affectus
Et defectus
Semper in angaria
Hac in hora
Sine mora
Cordae pulsum tangite
Quod per sortem

Sternit fortem
Mecum omnes plangite

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Leonard Slatkin's song "Carmina Burana: O Fortuna" are a powerful and poetic depiction of the fragility and uncertainty of human existence. The opening lines, "O Fortuna, Velut Luna Statu Variabilis" (O Fortune, like the moon, you are constantly changing), set the tone for the entire song, suggesting that the fortunes of life are as unpredictable as the cycles of the moon.

The lyrics go on to describe the paradoxical nature of life's ups and downs, where moments of growth and expansion can quickly turn into moments of decline and diminishment. The lines "Aut decrescis, Vita detestabilis" (You either increase or decrease, life is loathsome) suggest the cyclic nature of life, with periods of good luck and happiness always in danger of being followed by periods of hardship and misery.

The song also explores the role of fate and chance in determining the course of our lives. The line "Quod per sortem Sternit fortem Mecum omnes plangite" (Through fate, it fells the brave, weep with me everyone) speaks to the idea that life is often outside of our control, and that even the strongest among us can be brought down by unforeseeable circumstances. Ultimately, the lyrics of "Carmina Burana: O Fortuna" are a powerful reflection on the human condition, reminding us of our inherent vulnerability in the face of an unpredictable world.

Line by Line Meaning

O Fortuna
Oh, Fate

Velut Luna
Like the moon

Statu variabilis
You are changeable

Semper crescis
Always increasing

Aut decrescis
Or decreasing

Vita detestabilis
Detestable life

Nunc obdurat
Now cruel

Et tunc curat
And then caring

Ludo mentis aciem
A sharp mind's game

Egestatem
Poverty

Potestatem
Power