Carl Orff - O Fortuna Carmina Burana Guide

The goddess Fortuna "spins" the wheel, causing some to rise to power while others fall into ruin.

By using "O Fortuna" as both the prologue and epilogue, Orff creates a musical "circle," mirroring the never-ending turn of the wheel. 10 Places You've Heard Carmina Burana - Erie Philharmonic Carl Orff - O Fortuna Carmina Burana

Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana is a scenic cantata composed in 1935–36, based on a collection of 24 poems from a 13th-century medieval manuscript. The work is most famous for its opening and closing movement, which has become a cultural icon of dramatic power and the unpredictability of fate. 1. The Core Meaning: The Wheel of Fortune The goddess Fortuna "spins" the wheel, causing some