Carmina Burana [Import]

Those who have had the privilege of listening to Maestro Blomstedt's live performances will understand his grasp of clarity and balance. In this rendition of Orff's masterpiece, he gives us a performance so clear that the listener believes himself to be reading the score.

The percussion, emphasized in some recordings to achieve a superficially brilliant effect, is brought into balance with the rest of the ensemble, yet still provides the necessary aural spice. The Maestro shows us that this is well written and beautiful music, and allows the ingredients to speak for themselves.

Nevertheless, the work as presented still contains the erotic power and drive of Orff's conception. This is amazing since Maestro Blomstedt is a Seventh Day Adventist, and the expressions in this music, and in particular in "In Taberna" must be anathema to his personal beliefs.

I do not know who troubled to write the pans that appear elsewhere on this page, but they must have listened to far too many trite performances of this major work. And as far as characterizing Orff as unoriginal is concerned, he may not be another Mozart, but he is still a pretty good Orff.

The poems themselves celebrate bawdy love, but they are humorous, and Carl Orff's music is addictive. There is a right mix of music so that a chorus and orchestra can both create a spectacular sound. The work begins and concludes with the famous chorus O Fortuna. Some of the poems celebrate spring, festivities on a common and in a tavern, and the songs of love. The poems show us an interesting slice of life in the middle ages as well as a different perspective on humanity. Orff's music is modern, but it employs unique sounds that catch the attention of the listener. Most of the music is fast paced and fits the words being sung rather well.

Herbert Blomsted and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and Chorus do a decent job in this recording. The orchestra is strong and the play the music lavishly. The chorus has some powerful moments, but the performance in somewhat uneven. The three soloists are good, but not exceptional. My favorite recording of this work was an old Boston Symphony Orchestra recording that is no longer available. Sherrill Milnes and Eileen Farrell are two of the soloists and Erich Leinsdorf is the conductor. Just about any recording of this world would suffer from comparison.

The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra is terrific, playing with sparkling precision, and the superb chorus not only sings beautifully in tune but enunciates the Latin text so that every word can be understood. Soloists John Daniecki and Kevin McMillan are also quite fine, and Decca's sound quality is ultra-clear, which only underlines Blomstedt's crisp interpretation.

Among fairly recent recordings of this piece, Muti and Dutoit are other favorites. Some listeners may admire versions with specific soloists, such as Jochum's with Gundula Janowitz or Levine's with June Anderson. But this one is hard to beat as an overall, highly satisfying choice - and reminds us of why this piece became a chestnut in the first place.