Since Carmina Burana is such a mainstay of the repertoire, it is difficult to think of any ensemble that has not performed it or of any major label that does not have multiple recordings to offer. Direct and sturdy, this popular cantata is almost indestructible and hard to misinterpret, though to make it sound fresh and distinctive is a challenge.
Christian Thielemann's performance with the choir and orchestra of the Berlin Opera is certainly on par with the fine recordings of
André Previn and
Seiji Ozawa, and the recorded sound is as superb as Deutsche Grammophon's technology can make it. The bawdiness of the texts is sufficiently brought across, and the orchestra's brilliant effects are stunning. One feature that may give this recording an edge over others is its clarity. All the parts can be heard distinctly, and the variety of timbres gives this repetitive music some much-needed points of interest. Additionally, this lucid performance reveals
Orff's influences more plainly than most. The rhythmic impulses of
Stravinsky are obvious, but the subtler, post-Romantic colors of
Richard Strauss are also evident, particularly in the soprano's aria, "In trutina." For anyone stymied by the number of recordings available, this 2007 reissue is a terrific choice.