CARL ORFF (1895-1982): Ein Sommernachtstraum.

Description: Worked on over the period of 1939 to 1964, when it was finally performed in Stuttgart, this is not an opera and not a play with incidental music. It is the result of Orff's quest to marry sound, language, dance, representation and space through music. The music is almost ever-present; its sources range from original music to quotes from Orff's earlier works (including Carmina burana and Die Kluge), quotes from other composers from Monteverdi to Richard Strauss and it makes use of multiple performing groups and uses, though not to the extent in his representations of Greek tragedy, his favored ensembles of Asian, African and Indonesian percussion instruments. A recording for specialists and for people whose German is excellent (the unabridged Schlegel translation of Shakespeare is used by the actors) or who know their Midsummer Night's Dream by heart. This would have been perfect for DVD but... 2 CDs. Actors, Andechs Festival Choir, Andechts Orff Academy of the Munich Radio Orchestra; Christian von Gehren.