Catulli Carmina Catulli Carmina Catulli Carmina ("Songs of Catullus") is a cantata by Carl Orff dating from 1940–1943. 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. "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" – consisting of four pianos, timpani, bass drum, 3 tambourines, triangle, castanets, maracas, suspended and
Carmina Burana (Orff) approaches its renown, as evidenced in both pop culture's appropriation of "O Fortuna" and the classical world's persistent programming and recording of the work. In the United States, "Carmina Burana" represents one of the few box office certainties in 20th-century repertoire. Orff's disciple Wilhelm Killmayer in 1956 created a reduced version for soloists, SATB mixed choir, children's choir, two pianos and six percussion (timpani + 5). This version, authorized by Orff himself, allowed smaller ensembles the opportunity to perform the piece. The popularity of the work has ensured the creation of many additional arrangements for a variety of performing forces.