O, Fortuna! (1995)

Carl Orff

A visionary best known to many for his 1937 cantata Carmina Burana, German composer Carl Orff (1895-1982) built his reputation largely by pioneering a unique and groundbreaking system of music educati... read more on for young children called the 'Orff Schulwerk.' Developed in tandem with Gunild Keetman, the system drew on instrumental and vocal performance, movement and improvisation to teach children the fundamentals of musical theory. As directed and edited by documentarist Tony Palmer, with accompaniment by The Bayerischer Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir under the baton of Donald Runnicles, this unique documentary carries audiences inside of Orff's astonishing life and career, making fervent use of archival footage featuring Orff. The program also features accompaniment by vocalists Susan Chilcott, Gwyneth Jones, Roland Hermann and Robert Johnston, directed b chorus master Udo Mehrpohl. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi