Iran’s Nuri Choir to perform Carl Orff’s `Carmina Burana’

Mehr News Agency, Iran
May 6 2008

Iran’s Nuri Choir to perform Carl Orff’s `Carmina Burana’

TEHRAN, May 6 (MNA) — Iran’s Nuri Choir conducted by Alireza
Shafaqinejad is to perform Carl Orff’s `Carmina Burana’ at the Vahdat
Hall from May 13 to 16.

The 140-memebr choir will be performing the piece for the first time
in Iran, Shafaqinejad told the Mehr News Agency on Tuesday.

He went on to say that, `Carl Orff had performed the piece in two
ways. The original version was arranged for two pianos and percussion
accompanied with soloists, mixed choir and children’s choir. He also
made a second arrangement for a 200-member orchestra with an array of
string and wind instruments.’

He continued, `At first, we were planning to perform the second
transcription along with conductor Loris Tjeknavorian and the Armenia
Symphony Orchestra, but we could not realize our plan because of
insufficient funding’.

Shafaqinejad also remarked that children’s choral union of `Pars’ will
be accompanying the group in the 75-minute performance.

German composer Carl Orff composed `Carmina Burana’ between 1935 and
1936. The most famous movement is `O Fortuna’ (Fortuna means Fortune
in Latin; it is also the name of a Roman goddess). Orff’s composition
has been performed by countless ensembles.