“O Fortuna!” Carmina Burana’s towering first movement rolls in like thunder, announcing a celebration of spring, the delightful debauchery of nights at a tavern, and the joys and sorrows of love. Although the words were written by medieval monks, this outrageous cantata is an unstoppable force brimming with bawdy, irreverent satire on the ever-changing fate of man. The National Symphony Orchestra, two choruses, and stars of the Wolf Trap Opera come together for Carl Orff’s epic choral masterwork. The evening begins with the Overture to Johann Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, along with selections of the best loved melodies from the famous opera Carmen.
