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 act with the goddess of love herself, Venus. The "Carmina Burana" contains numerous poetic descriptions of a raucous medieval paradise (CB 195–207, 211, 217, 219), for which the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus, known for his advocation of the blissful life, is even taken as an authority on the subject (CB 211). CB 219 describes, for example, an "ordo vagorum" (vagrant order) to which people from every land and clerics of all rankings were invited—even "presbyter cum sua matrona," or "a priest with his lady wife" (humorous because Catholic priests must swear an oath of celibacy). CB 215 even provides an