A Czech recording of Carl Orff’s rendition of the poems of the Latin poet Catullus. Orff wrote his music during the war in 1940-43, Catullus wrote his poetry around 60 BCE. Outside of what he wrote, not much is known about Catullus. Saint Jerome is the most precise about him: he was born in 87 BCE, and died 30 years later in Rome.
This is a curious work. Maybe inspired by Stravinsky, it is scored for an orchestra of percussionists, choir, soprano and tenor. The orchestra is only playing in the introduction, and in the end. During the poems themselves the soloists are accompanied by the choir.
I’m not so sure about the recording, I should compare it a bit better I guess. But the work itself is outstanding. I know Carmina Burana, sure, and along with Trionfo di Afrodite this is part of a three part collection called Trionfi. I didn’t know this work, but it definitely is worthy of more attention than it gets.