ILLINOIS PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA: CARMINA BURANA

Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana is not merely a concert; it is an event and a work of extremes. The opening and closing O Fortuna is one of the most overwhelming things a symphony orchestra and chorus can produce — a wall of sound that hits you in the sternum. Then, without warning, Orff pulls everything back to a whisper. The dynamic range is shocking. The drama is total. Powered by a multitude of high school choruses, you will leave this concert feeling as if something large and ancient just ran directly through you.