Carmina Burana & Boléro

Prague Royal Philharmonic
Arcis Vocalisten München
Bryndís Guðjónsdóttir, soprano / Gustavo Martin Sanchez, tenor / Paul Gukhoe Song, baritone / Heiko Mathias Förster, conductor

A concert featuring undisputed classics: The program features Ravel’s electrifying “Boléro,” Borodin’s rousing “Polovtsian Dances,” and Orff’s magnificent “Carmina Burana.” Even though the “Boléro” and “Carmina Burana” were composed just seven years apart, they are as contrasting as they are similar. Ravel’s one-movement dance draws on two musical ideas that are repeated over and over again. In a crescendo that spans the entire piece, it begins in a mystical, meditative mood and ends in a powerful ecstasy. Meditation and ecstasy also define Carl Orff’s global success: In addition to striking rhythms, it is the melodic and harmonic richness that gives this collection its inimitable magic. The musical journey through Spain and into medieval Benediktbeuern begins with Borodin’s “Polovtsian Dances” from “Prince Igor.”