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The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Performs 'Carmina Burana' Hear the opening concert of Carnegie Hall's new season with a gala performance of Carl Orff's lusty, rowdy masterpiece, featuring the CSO and music director Riccardo Muti.
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Classics in Concert

Established masters, emerging musicians, powerhouse orchestras and intimate chamber groups

Carnegie Hall Live: The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Performs 'Carmina Burana'

FromWQXR Radio

  • Riccardo Muti so impressed composer Carl Orff with his 1980 'Carmina Burana' performance that Orff reworked some tempo and dynamic markings in the score to hew to Muti's interpretation.
    Riccardo Muti so impressed composer Carl Orff with his 1980 'Carmina Burana' performance that Orff reworked some tempo and dynamic markings in the score to hew to Muti's interpretation.
    Torsten Kjellstrand for NPR
  • This was the first concert in Carnegie Hall's 2012-13 season, and was greeted with relief: little more than a week ago, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's musicians were on strike in their home city.
    This was the first concert in Carnegie Hall's 2012-13 season, and was greeted with relief: little more than a week ago, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's musicians were on strike in their home city.
    Torsten Kjellstrand for NPR
  • An excited audience poured into the lobby for this performance that opened the Carnegie Hall season.
    An excited audience poured into the lobby for this performance that opened the Carnegie Hall season.
    Torsten Kjellstrand for NPR
  • Orff's cantata calls for an enormous corralling of forces: orchestra, adult chorus, children's chorus and three vocal soloists.
    Orff's cantata calls for an enormous corralling of forces: orchestra, adult chorus, children's chorus and three vocal soloists.
    Torsten Kjellstrand for NPR
  • Masses of singers from the Chicago Symphony Chorus were on hand for this hefty cantata, with its 24 medieval texts centered on love, drinking and gambling.
    Masses of singers from the Chicago Symphony Chorus were on hand for this hefty cantata, with its 24 medieval texts centered on love, drinking and gambling.
    Torsten Kjellstrand for NPR
  • Young singers from the Chicago Children's Choir, directed by Josephine Lee, traveled to New York to take part in this performance.
    Young singers from the Chicago Children's Choir, directed by Josephine Lee, traveled to New York to take part in this performance.
    Torsten Kjellstrand for NPR
  • The gala performance was greeted with rapturous applause before patrons adjourned for a celebratory dinner.
    The gala performance was greeted with rapturous applause before patrons adjourned for a celebratory dinner.
    Torsten Kjellstrand for NPR

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Hear the opening concert of Carnegie Hall's new season with a gala performance of Carl Orff's lusty, rowdy masterpiece, featuring the CSO and music director Riccardo Muti.

Editor's note on Oct. 29, 2015: The writing that initially appeared on this page has been removed because some unattributed words or phrases in it matched those in previously published sources. NPR cannot allow such work to stand. But a news organization should not hide its mistakes. We have moved the material that was on this page to another location, highlighted the words and phrases that were at issue and added links to show where the material was originally published. NPR's policy on plagiarism is clear: It is unacceptable.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus

  • Riccardo Muti, music director and conductor
  • Rosa Feola, soprano
  • Antonio Giovannini, countertenor
  • Audun Iversen, baritone
  • Chicago Symphony Chorus (Duain Wolfe, chorus director)
  • Chicago Children's Choir (Josephine Lee, artistic director)
Special Series

Classics in Concert

Established masters, emerging musicians, powerhouse orchestras and intimate chamber groups