Odi et amo carl orff biography

cantata by Carl Orff

Catulli Carmina (Songs of Catullus) is a cantata by Carl Orff dating from – He described it as ludi scaenici (scenic plays).

The work mostly sets poems of the Latin poet Catullus to music, with some text by the composer.

Odi et amo carl orff biography

Catulli Carmina is part of Trionfi, the musical triptych that also includes the Carmina Burana and Trionfo di Afrodite. It is scored for a full mixed choir, soprano and tenor soloists, and an entirely percussive orchestra – possibly inspired by Stravinsky's Les noces^[1] – consisting of four pianos, timpani, bass drum, 3 tambourines, triangle, castanets, maracas, suspended and crash cymbals, antique cymbal (without specified pitch), tam-tam, lithophone, metallophone, 2 glockenspiels, wood block, xylophone, and tenor xylophone/low xylophone.

Dramatic structure

The piece is divided into three parts: a prelude with Latin text by Orff,^[2] the central dramatic story using Catullus' poem