Search - Carl Orff, Cecilia Rydinger Alin, Peter Mattei :: Orff: Carmina Burana (Chamber Version)

Excellent performers

01/22/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This record is the premier recording of the chamber version. The sound is of course a bit rough compared with the full orchestra version but Cecilia Rydinger have made a genuine work with excellent soloists (The toasted swan aria is maybe the best recorded ever) and the clear choral sound so typical for the swedish choirs. No doubt this young conductress is a scholar of Eric Ericson.The pianists (Derwinger and Poentinen) and the Kroumata Percussion Ensamble do their task with accurate precision even in the most subtle parts. The sound, the choir and the soloists makes this record unindespensable in any Carmina Burana lovers collection."

The Most Exciting Carmina Burana of its Kind

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 08/17/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The chamber version of the well-known, often performed 'Carmina Burana' is in many ways even more exciting and visceral than the big, full orchestral version. Carl Orff's orchestration for the more popular version is primarily a percussive nature and so it seems only fitting that the accompaniment for this choral masterpiece be truly percussive. The Chamber Version is scored for two pianos and full percussion ensemble: the vocal portions are exactly the same.



Cecilia Rydinger Alin conducts this tightly woven, exhilarating performance with the Allmanna Sangen (chorus), the Children's Choir from the Uppsala Choir School, the Kroumata Percussion Ensemble, pianists Roland Pontinen and Love Derwinger, and three exceptional soloists - soprano Lena Nordin, baritone Peter Mattei, and tenor Hans Dornbusch. The entire ensemble is first class and Alin obviously knows this work well as she manages to find every intricate rhythm and special effect that abound in the score.



Even if you have several recordings of the BIG 'Carmina Burana', you can't fully appreciate the work until you've heard the Chamber Version. It is exciting, exceedingly well performed (the soloists are the match of any of their more famous colleagues!), and offers a unique view of a 20th century masterwork. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, August 05"