"Carmina Burana" meets "Winds & Rock"

The Gaienhofen Vocal Ensemble, the choirs of Schloss Gaienhofen, soloists, and the Stockach Symphonic Wind Orchestra present medieval rock, ballads, rousing songs, and Orff’s “Carmina Burana” under the direction of Siegfried Schmidgall Gaienhofen Vocal Ensemble, Inc. Choirs of the Evangelical School at Schloss Gaienhofen Stockach City Wind Orchestra - Conductor: Helmut Hubov Julia Küsswetter, soprano - Joaquín Asiáin, tenor - Lorenzo du Cunzo, baritone Overall direction: Siegfried Schmidgall The Gaienhofen Vocal Ensemble and the choirs of Gaienhofen Castle have put together an unusual and appealing program. The theme for the first part of the concert, featuring choirs, wind orchestra, band, hurdy-gurdy, and bagpipes, is: “It’s going to be rocking and medieval”—with compositions by Corvus Corax, Queen, and others, it becomes clear that joie de vivre and music are just as closely linked today as they were in the Middle Ages: By now, every metal fan knows “Oh Fortuna” from Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana,” as the number of bands that have covered, sampled, or otherwise incorporated it is hard to overlook. Carl Orff, the composer of what is arguably “the most ‘metal’ piece in classical music,” celebrated his 130th birthday in 2025, and in the second part of the concert, Carl Orff’s cantata “Carmina Burana,” with its immediate and exuberant power, celebrates earthly joys and the changing of the seasons. This “Ode to Life in All Its Transience” is presented in an extraordinary arrangement for symphonic wind orchestra, piano, and percussion. Conductor Siegfried Schmidgall brings an impressive ensemble of sound to the stage with his choir of around 250 members—comprising children, teenagers, and adults. Together with three professional soloists, the Stockach Symphonic Wind Orchestra (rehearsed by Helmut Hubov), as well as piano, bass, and a dedicated percussion group, the audience can expect a rousing musical spectacle full of energy and passion. Staged with modern sound and lighting technology, the concert at the Höri Halle in Gaienhofen will be a true experience that will delight Gaienhofen and the entire Höri region. Orff’s music reflects the wheel of fortune of life and captivates with its incredible vitality. Here, melodic simplicity and orchestral sophistication come together. The instrumentation is powerful, sophisticated, colorful, and evocative; the singing is in Latin, Old French, and Middle High German. Sibilant consonants and rapid-fire texts in various languages present a special challenge for the choir and are arranged just as rhythmically effectively as the score for the elaborate cymbal, tam-tam, and drum section in the orchestra. The subtitle of "Carmina Burana" is: "secular songs for soloists, choir, instruments, and magical images." Orff was in search of a total work of art that goes to the roots of music, to the roots of language, culture, and personal experience. He masterfully incorporated music, language, and culture into his “songs”; personal experience is a matter for the individual. Everyone has their own images, emotions, and associations. Let yourself be transported to the Middle Ages. Let the “magical images” of Fortuna, Amor, Blanziflor, and Helena evoke and enchant you... and by Carl Orff, the musicus magicus! Advance tickets available starting May 1, 2026, at the Gaienhofen Tourist Information Office, Tel. 07735 9999-123, touristinfor@gaienhofen.de.