Carl Orff

A German composer focused chiefly on dramatic works driven by primal rhythms and stark emotional force, Carl Orff earned lasting recognition for Carmina Burana, composed in 1937. Early pieces reflected the impact of Richard Strauss and Schoenberg, yet around 1930 he turned to creating Schulwerk, a series of instructional pieces for classroom use that let him pursue his fascination with primitive rhythms while drawing melodic inspiration from Monteverdi. This direction produced Catulli Carmina in 1943, seven a cappella choir settings of gutter Latin texts drawn from medieval monasteries. Exploration of Bach and Schütz prompted him both to arrange selections from their output and to conceive Carmina Burana, Orff’s most popular work. The opera Antigonae, notable for its deployment of Steinspiel—tuned rocks—alongside an array of other percussive instruments, together with Trionfo di Afrodite (1950-1951), stand out especially for their striking orchestral sonorities.