Dr. Phillips Center shows off its worth

On Nov. 22, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts took off it wraps and proved its important worth to a full house, with a blockbuster performance of Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana.” A colossal combination of the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park (employing the Bach Festival Orchestra, Bach Festival Youth Choir, and the Bach Festival Choir,) plus the Orlando Ballet thrilled a standing, cheering, audience, after a rousing performance of song and dance.

“Carmina Burana” (1936) is German Carl Orff’s major work, one he called a “scenic cantata.” Orff captured the spirit of the medieval period with infectious rhythms and simple harmonies. The language of his medieval poetry is Latin. After several performances of this music, Orff claimed not to be satisfied, and reworked it into the final version that was first performed in 1964. Orff's last work, “De Temporum Fine Comoedia (Play on the End of Times),” had its premiere at the Salzburg Festival in 1973, and was performed by Herbert von Karajan and the Symphony Orchestra Cologne and Chorus. In this highly personal work, Orff presented a mystery play, sung in Greek, German and Latin, in which he summarized his view of the end of time.

My b.w. informs me that the present “Carmina Burana” performance is the best she has ever encountered in the half dozen she has experienced. (Yes, that includes New York.)

On Saturday, Orff’s difficult solo parts were delivered immaculately and superbly by baritone Gabriel Preisser, soprano Julia Foster, and tenor James Hall. “Well done” applies equally to the performance’s orchestra, choirs and ballet dancers, a total number onstage that could easily have reached nearly 300!

Stage Director/choreographer Robert Hill’s contribution brought much value to the performance by emphasizing simple Grecian beauty and grace.

The enormous task of holding together all the many complementing parts of the evening’s forces was in the experienced hands of Bach Festival’s able conductor John V. Sinclair. What a magnificent evening!