When I was in college, friends and I would make relatively regular trips to Pittsburgh for various musical experiences. Almost every Monday some friends and I went to a Pittsburgh bar to listen to the live jazz band that played there. And fairly often a group of us would drive into the city to see the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
On one of the trips to the PSO, we got to see Orff's Carmina Burana conducted by Lorin Maazel. It was absolutely stunning. This was before O Fortuna had been killed by a thousand sports commercials and it was just a magical evening. We had spectacular seats for watching the orchestra, but honestly, I had my eyes closed and enjoyed the music that way most of the evening.
My favorite piece is a short baritone solo near the beginning of the third movement called Dies, nox et omnia. It requires the full range of the singer and is just absolutely heart-breaking when performed well (and no doubt heart-breaking when not performed well also, though for completely different reasons). Anyway, enjoy! And do what brings you joy!
| Dies, nox et omnia | Day, night and everything |
| michi sunt contraria; | is against me, |
| virginum colloquia | the chattering of maidens |
| me fay planszer, | makes me weep, |
| oy suvenz suspirer, | and often sigh, |
| plu me fay temer. | and, most of all, scares me. |
| O sodales, ludite, | O friends, you are making fun of me, |
| vos qui scitis dicite | you do not know what you are saying, |
| michi mesto parcite, | spare me, sorrowful as I am, |
| grand ey dolur, | great is my grief, |
| attamen consulite | advise me at least, |
| per voster honur. | by your honour. |
| Tua pulchra facies | Your beautiful face, |
| me fay planszer milies, | makes me weep a thousand times, |
| pectus habet glacies. | your heart is of ice. |
| A remender | As a cure, |
| statim vivus fierem | I would be revived |
| per un baser. |
