Oh Fortuna! Majestic Sound for Year’s End

`Oh, Fortuna! (Oh, godness of fate!)` Grandiose sound of chorus, accompanied by percussion and brass wind instruments, is waking up souls.

Karl Orff’s `Carmina Bourana` is considered one of the greatest classic hits in the 20th Century. Requiring complicated rhythm of chorus and sophisticated lead by solists, it is one of the most rarely played works.

This time, Korean Symphony Orchestra, Incheon City Choir and Ansan City Choir will make harmonic sound under the lead by conductor Ham Shin-ik. The Korean Symphony’s Yearend Concert is scheduled to for 7:00 p.m. on December 11 in Hall of Art.

The two choirs will be joined the Seoul Ladies Singers and the World Vision Children’s Choir for majestic sound. Soprano Lee Byung-soon, Tenor Choi Sang-ho and Baritone Park Hueng-woo will be the night’s solists. Pianist Joyce Yang will also join the stage to play Rachmaninov’s `Paganini Rhapsody,` which is well known for movie background.

`Carmina Bourana` is an ambitious work released by modern German stage music composer Karl Orff in 1937. He gave a `medieval’ and `primitive` aura to verses written by monks who lived in Middle Age Bayern.

TV show programs in Korea often use the bang sound followed by a strong chorus, an opening part of `Oh, Fortuna,` to boost a dramatic effect. `In trutina,` a song set for a soprano solo, was also introduced by `soprano girl` Chalrotte Church.

Orff is also known as a great music educator. His `Karl Orff Teaching` that focuses on creativity of rhythm is popular among young students learning classic music. He once married to renowned writer Luise Linser. Tickets are sold for 20,000 to 40,000 won. For inquires, call 1588-1555,7890.

Yoon-Jong Yoo gustav@donga.com