O Fortuna O Fortuna "O Fortuna" is a medieval Latin Goliardic poem written early in the 13th century, part of the collection known as the "Carmina Burana". It is a complaint about Fortuna, the inexorable fate that rules both gods and mortals in Roman and Greek mythology. In 1935–36, "O Fortuna" was set to music by German composer Carl Orff as a part of "", the opening and closing movement of his cantata "Carmina Burana". It was first staged by the Frankfurt Opera on 8 June 1937. It opens at a slow pace with thumping drums and choir that drops quickly into
Carmina Burana (Orff) ZDF; Orff collaborated in its production. Orff's style demonstrates a desire for directness of speech and of access. "Carmina Burana" contains little or no development in the classical sense, and polyphony is also conspicuously absent. "Carmina Burana" avoids overt harmonic complexities, a fact which many musicians and critics have pointed out, such as Ann Powers of "The New York Times". Orff was influenced melodically by late Renaissance and early Baroque models including William Byrd and Claudio Monteverdi. It is a common misconception that Orff based the melodies of "Carmina Burana" on neumeatic melodies; while many of the lyrics in the