The cacophonic masterpiece that is O Fortuna was written by German composer Carl Orff in 1935 and is the opening and closing movements to Orf's Carmina Burana. It premiered at Frankfurt in Nazi Germany in 1937. Originally designed by Orff as a concert with dancers and staging Carmina Burana later morphed into the concert hall cantata we know today. Carl Orff permitted commercial use of the piece where it reached mainstream audiences on TV and Cinema throughout the 60's & 70's in particular the UK 'Old Spice' ocean surfer adverts.

This fantastic American orchestra & choir's rendition of O Fortuna seems to have blasted all other contenders out of the water. Bravo!

Carl Orff died in 1982 aged 87 and is buried in his home town Munich.


Fortuna-Carmina Burana-Carl Orff

Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.


Fortuna-Carmina Burana-Carl Orff

K H A L E D