Do you think it's wrong to listen to O Fortuna?

[Mister_De]

Do you believe it’s wrong, or even sinful to listen to Carl Orff’s O Fortuna? I’m sure you know it. Here’s a link:

youtube.com/watch?v=lF7_PhB9coo

I use to think it was one of the worst songs ever created. When I heard it I would envision hell, pain and torture. It just seemed like such an evil song. As I got older I saw it for the masterpiece it really is. I love this song and I think it’s brilliantly made. But I just found out that the song is about the Roman goddess Fortuna, the goddess of fortune. So, what do you think? is it wrong, or even sinful to listen to this?

 

[Mirdath]

If it inspires you to create giant spinning pinwheels of naked women, then maybe. If not, you’re probably in the clear.

It isn’t a sin to read Bulfinch’s Mythology either.

 

[Em_in_FL]

Carmina Burana is the only Opera I’ve ever been to!
The music, in and of itself, is absolutely beautiful and I personally find Orff to be a musical genius!

Does it make me question my faith? Not one stinkin’ bit!
I’m just a fan of beautiful music…

 

[beckycmarie]

Do you believe it’s wrong, or even sinful to listen to Carl Orff’s O Fortuna? I’m sure you know it. Here’s a link:

youtube.com/watch?v=lF7_PhB9coo

I use to think it was one of the worst songs ever created. When I heard it I would envision hell, pain and torture. It just seemed like such an evil song. As I got older I saw it for the masterpiece it really is. I love this song and I think it’s brilliantly made. But I just found out that the song is about the Roman goddess Fortuna, the goddess of fortune. So, what do you think? is it wrong, or even sinful to listen to this?

That song does make a good soundtrack for Hell. It’s not surprising it’s used in the Omen and often other Satanic scenes in movies.

Wikipedia has the translation of the lyrics - a very dark song indeed.

I don’t know that it’s a sin to listen to it, but it definitely violates the standards of Philippians 4:8.

 

[iamrefreshed]

Do you believe it’s wrong, or even sinful to listen to Carl Orff’s O Fortuna? I’m sure you know it. Here’s a link:

youtube.com/watch?v=lF7_PhB9coo

I use to think it was one of the worst songs ever created. When I heard it I would envision hell, pain and torture. It just seemed like such an evil song. As I got older I saw it for the masterpiece it really is. I love this song and I think it’s brilliantly made. But I just found out that the song is about the Roman goddess Fortuna, the goddess of fortune. So, what do you think? is it wrong, or even sinful to listen to this?

I certainly hope not. It’s on my iPod!

 

[LilyM]

That song does make a good soundtrack for Hell. It’s not surprising it’s used in the Omen and often other Satanic scenes in movies.

Wikipedia has the translation of the lyrics - a very dark song indeed.

I don’t know that it’s a sin to listen to it, but it definitely violates the standards of Philippians 4:8.

Philippians mentions thinking of ‘whatever is true’ - it’s certainly true that at least at times life sucks bigtime, which is the ultimate point of the song, and not the worship of the Roman goddess of fate. Even Paul spends some time dwelling on his misfortunes - how he’s been beaten, starved, jailed etc etc

See Philippians doesn’t mean we need to only think sunshine lollipops and rainbows, otherwise strictly speaking, I couldn’t tell my doctor that I’m ill or in pain. So I don’t think this song violates Philippians.

 

[drafdog]

Em, I think the correct classification for this work is “Cantata.” It is certainly *not *an opera. As for the content of the poetry put to music by Maestro Orff, it was taken from manuscripts found in the library in a Benedictine monastery in Germany.
While at university my brother was a member of the chorus and they performed the work.
I have a recording of these Cantiones Profanae as performed by the Rutgers University Choir supported by the Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of Eugene Ormandy. This is a truly excellent work of musical art.

Matthew

 

[Em_in_FL]

Em, I think the correct classification for this work is “Cantata.” It is certainly *not *an opera. As for the content of the poetry put to music by Maestro Orff, it was taken from manuscripts found in the library in a Benedictine monastery in Germany.
While at university my brother was a member of the chorus and they performed the work.
I have a recording of these Cantiones Profanae as performed by the Rutgers University Choir supported by the Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of Eugene Ormandy. This is a truly excellent work of musical art.

Matthew

:bowdown2: I stand corrected!
“Opera” just popped in my head first because the local city opera group preformed this on stage…
But you’re right… Cantata, not Opera!

 

[m134e5]

Carmina Burana is the only Opera I’ve ever been to!
The music, in and of itself, is absolutely beautiful and I personally find Orff to be a musical genius!

Does it make me question my faith? Not one stinkin’ bit!
I’m just a fan of beautiful music…

It isn’t an opera…it’s an oratorio (or Cantata as it was referred to earlier- they are the same thing).

If you think O Fortuna is bad, you should read the translations of some of the other movements in the piece. O Fortuna is *nothing *compared to at least two of the others. They get pretty racy at times, and may even be considered blasphemous in some movements.

The texts were found in a medieval monastery that was known for not being very faithful. They were written by Goliards (defrocked priests). Carl Orff, a German composer (and a Catholic- not sure how good of one- although the program notes I have of the CD refer to him as “devout”) set some of these songs to new music in either the 1930’s or the 1940’s (I can’t remember exactly when), creating one of the most recognizable, and commonly performed choral/orchestral works of the 20th century.

I have the CD- it’s one of my favorites, and I’ll probably go home and listen to it, now that I’ve read this thread. When art is tastefully done- and isn’t purposely created to blaspheme, I don’t have a problem with it being controversial.

 

[bpbasilphx]

Carmina Burana is the only Opera I’ve ever been to!

Carmina Burana is not an opera. Its length would make it an oratorio, though these are usually on relgious or at least elevated subjects–which Carmina Burana is definitely not!

 

[m134e5]

Carmina Burana is not an opera. Its length would make it an oratorio, though these are usually on relgious or at least elevated subjects–which Carmina Burana is definitely not!

Oratorios are *usually *based on religious themes, but not always.

 

[Monsterkittie]

Do you believe it’s wrong, or even sinful to listen to Carl Orff’s O Fortuna? I’m sure you know it. Here’s a link:

youtube.com/watch?v=lF7_PhB9coo

I use to think it was one of the worst songs ever created. When I heard it I would envision hell, pain and torture. It just seemed like such an evil song. As I got older I saw it for the masterpiece it really is. I love this song and I think it’s brilliantly made. But I just found out that the song is about the Roman goddess Fortuna, the goddess of fortune. So, what do you think? is it wrong, or even sinful to listen to this?

O Fortuna is part of a larger work called Carmina Burana (Secular Songs of Benediktbeurn). The text for Carmina Burana came from a collection of some 200+ poems known as Codex latinus 4660 (in the Bavarian State Libray, Munich) that, until 1803, were housed in the Benedictine monastery at Benediktbeurn. These poems were edited and published as Carmina Burana in 1847 by J.A. Schmelker. They were set to music by Carl Orff in 1937. He picked out only 25 poems, though.

FYI: The Codex latinus 4660 were secular Latin songs, compiled at a time when most of the music that was being commissioned was for the church. Most of the poems were love songs, notorious for their obscenity. Others are parodies of religious songs or are drinking and gambling songs, a few serious satirical poems, and six liturgical plays.

info source: The Development of Western Music: A History (second ed.) by K. Marie Stolba, Prof. of Music, Indiana Univ.-Purdue Univ. at Ft. Wayne.

(Never thought I’d crack that book open again…)
:twocents:I r done…

 

[Em_in_FL]

It isn’t an opera…it’s an oratorio (or Cantata as it was referred to earlier- they are the same thing).

Carmina Burana is not an opera. Its length would make it an oratorio, though these are usually on relgious or at least elevated subjects–which Carmina Burana is definitely not!

Alright already!
I concede!

:bowdown2: I stand corrected!
“Opera” just popped in my head first because the local city opera group preformed this on stage…
But you’re right… Cantata, not Opera!