# Carmina Burana on CD. What would you recommend please?



## Gigantor (May 12, 2016)

I think this is my third post. I am new to the forum and classical music.

I have taken the recommendation of Handel's Messiah on board and will purchase this CD shortly.

Whilst I am looking I am wondering which Carmina Burana CD forum members would recommend please? I have had a search on Decca Classics and there where eight hits. I also found two Robert Shaw : Orff CDs. One in gold and another in 32bit. My CD player is nothing special circa 1991.

Amp is Naim Nait XS 2

Just after some clarification and a pointer in the right direction.

Warm regards,

Paul.


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## david johnson (Jun 25, 2007)

Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos/Philharmonia/emi is superb. Eugene Jochum/Berlin Opera/dg is also fine in a different way.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Riccardo Muti's recording is spectacular as is the Christian Thielemann .
Older but also good the Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos mentioned above.


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

Pugg said:


> Riccardo Muti's recording is spectacular.


It certainly is. There are many great _Carmina Burana_ recordings, and I own several of them, but Muti's is the one to which I most often return.


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

Ditto Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos and Jochum. My two favourites.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Fruhbeck de Burgos is very good but my favorite now is the Blomstedt/San Francisco Symph.


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

Blomstedt, Jochum and Frühbeck's accounts are all great, as is Previn's classic recording with the London Symphony Orchestra. I'm also rather fond of James Levine with the Chicago Symphony but, as I've said, Muti keeps on drawing me back!

That said, there really aren't too many duds out there, although I personally found the Thielemann a bit disappointing.


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## Gigantor (May 12, 2016)

Please do not think I am ignoring your recommendations. I have three possibilities here in Australia to purchase locally. As we are not allowed to post links to products I will list the CDs individually.

1. Robert Shaw - Orff: Carmina Burana
Features: • Limited Run of Only 2,000 First Edition Pressings Available! • Produced using PureFlection (Pure Reflection) Process • Ultra HD Mastering • Beautifully packaged • Playable on ALL CD Players! • Re-mastered by Michael Bishop at Five/Four Productions, Ohio, USA • Produced by Winston Ma 

2. Robert Shaw - Carl Orff's Carmina Burana
Features: • Numbered, Limited Edition • Only 1,000 Numbered Copies Available! • 24K Gold CD 

3. Andre Previn - Orff: Carmina Burana
Features: • Mastered from the Original Analogue EMI Master Tapes! • Superior Audiophile XRCD24 • XRCD24 is a standard "Red Book" CD and can be enjoyed on any CD player 

4. EBay Australia Orff:Carmina Burana 0724357357326 by Muti, CD, BRAND NEW FREE P&H

5. A selection of 4 CDs from Decca Classics

a. orff
carmina burana
Edita Gruberova/John Aler/
Thomas Hampson
Shin-Yu Kai Choir
Knaben des Staats- und Domchores
Berlin/Berliner Philharmoniker
Seiji Ozawa

b. Burrowes · Devos · Shirley-Quirk · Southend Boys Choir · Brighton Festival Chorus · Royal Philharmonic Orchestra · Doráti

c. Carmina Burana - Songs of the Middle Ages - New London Consort, Pickett
New London Consort · Pickett

d. orff
carmina burana
Sylvia Greenberg
James Bowman
Stephen Roberts
RSO Berlin und Chor
Riccardo Chailly

I see from the recommendations that I do have the opportunity to purchase a Previn or a Muti. This eBay store that lists the Muti I have not purchased from and am tentative that I may be purchasing a pirate copy. There is quite a price discrepancy between the Muti, Previn and the Robert Shaw. I normally go with the highest price and am slowly developing a level of trust with the Australian Store that reportedly sells Audiophile quality vinyl and CDs.

Thank you for wading through this post. If there is an international store that you would recommend I would be happy to have a look there also.

Do CDs come region coded like DVDs? I have been out of touch for a very long time.

Warm regards,

Paul.


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## Xenakiboy (May 8, 2016)

Oh yes, I listened to this last night!


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## Gigantor (May 12, 2016)

Hello Xenakiboy, Which version did you listen to last night please?

Warm regards,

Paul.


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## perdido34 (Mar 11, 2015)

I really like the Ozawa Boston Symphony version; Sherill Milnes can't be beat!


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

BTW, the 'Songs of the middle ages" is something totally, _totally_ different from Carl Orff.

P.S. No. CDs are not regionally encoded.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

> 4. EBay Australia Orff:Carmina Burana 0724357357326 by Muti, CD, BRAND NEW FREE P&H


Go with this one, :tiphat:


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## Xenakiboy (May 8, 2016)

Gigantor said:


> Hello Xenakiboy, Which version did you listen to last night please?
> 
> Warm regards,
> 
> Paul.


Royal Philharmonic Orchestra! 
Love to put that on every once and a while!


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## Gigantor (May 12, 2016)

I purchased the Muti CD as it was the only one I could find by Muti. With regards to the others, I think I will pick them up as time goes by. Thank you very much for your help and patience.

Warm regards,

Paul.


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

It's a pity this one isn't available to you (according to your list above). However, you should be able to get a copy from various international ebays or Amazon.









London Philharmonic Orchestra / Franz Welser-Most
EMI Red Line


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## Gigantor (May 12, 2016)

Thank you techniquest. I found this on Ebay ca

CARL ORFF: CARMINA BURANA [ORFF, CARL] [1 DISC] [5099960230621] NEW CD

I have purchased this CD and look forward to listening to it as well.

Thank you everybody for your guidance.

Paul.


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## WaterRat (May 19, 2015)

If you ever want to pick up another version I recommend Richard Hickox with the London Symphony.


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## Dalron (Oct 28, 2016)

After reading this thread, I did a search on eBay Australia and I'm amazed at how many different performances of this are available. If Orff's descendants are still receiving royalties, I should imagine they're doing quite well from them.

I know it's shallow but my phone ring tone is Fortuna and I get a thrill every time someone calls me.


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## Bruckner Anton (Mar 10, 2016)

The most important version I would recommend is the Jochum's 1968 recording on DG original, which was "authorized" by the composer himself with his signature. The only minor drawback is the less-than-great sound quality, but the orchestra and singers did a fantastic job.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Bruckner Anton said:


> The most important version I would recommend is the Jochum's 1968 recording on DG original, which was "authorized" by the composer himself with his signature. The only minor drawback is the less-than-great sound quality, but the orchestra and singers did a fantastic job.


So is the Muti one, see the booklet.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Any opinions on Levine's recording with the CSO? I have a 20+ year old Laserlight edition by a no name Czech orchestra, and I want to try somethging else.


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