Carmina Burana is a cantata composed in 1935 and 1936 by Carl Orff, based on 24 poems from the medieval collection Carmina Burana. Its full Latin title is Carmina Burana: Cantiones profanae cantoribus et choris cantandae comitantibus instrumentis atque imaginibus magicis. It was first performed by the Oper Frankfurt on 8 June 1937. It is part of Trionfi, a musical triptych that also includes Catulli Carmina and Trionfo di Afrodite. The first and last sections of the piece are called "Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi" and start with "O Fortuna".
Cover of the score showing the Wheel of Fortune
Rota fortunae (Wheel of Fortune) from the Codex Buranus
Set design by Helmut Jürgens for a performance in Munich in 1959
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir.
Soloquartet and strings