P R E S S I N F O R M A T I O N CARMINA BURANA Monumental Opera A fireworks of perfect dramatic art goes on world tour. In this opera we time-travel into the vivid, sensuous life of the Middle Ages. “Carmina Burana” - they are rousing songs and poetry of 13th century wandering minstrels. In 1934 the composer Carl Orff discovered the forgotten collection of manuscripts from the monastery in Benediktbeuren at an antique dealer’s in Würzburg. The powerful texts fascinated Orff so much that he composed immortal music for them, enthralling young and old, disco music and opera fans alike. Everybody knows the magnificent final chorus “O Fortuna”. “Carmina Burana” is one of the most often performed choral works worldwide. A musical legend full of power and sensuality. The “Carmina Burana” tell of the capricious goddess Fortuna’s wheel. They show the facets of human life, stuck between time and space. It’s about happiness and love, lust and suffering. About eating and drinking. But also about heaven and hell. About life and death. About the pact with the devil. It’s about burghers and farmers. Beggars and bishops. Secular and clerical power. All of them wriggling on Fortuna’s invisible threads. Rich or poor, king or beggar, they are equals in their striving for lust. The wheel of life - Fortuna’s wheel never stands still. This production, initiated by Franz Abraham, has been on a worldwide, successful tour since 1995: an enthusiastic audience in Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, France, Mexico, in metropolises like Săo Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Lisbon, as well as on the occasion of the 1000 year celebration in Oslo or at the renowned Baalbeck International Festival in Lebanon! Finding the perfect director and conductor for this total piece of art did not take long - for who would be better suited to interpret Carl Orff’s work than his long-standing and close friend Dr. Walter Haupt. In recognition of his work he was awarded, among others, the Bundesverdienstkreuz am Bande in 1995 (Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany) and the Verdienstkreuz 1. Klasse in 2002 (Distinguished Service Cross of the Federal Republic of Germany First Class). Dr. Walter Haupt, director and conductor, already gained an international reputation with his “Klangwolke” (~ cloud of sound) in Linz, which got an audience of several million people all over Europe enthusiastic. A recognized, sensational achievement came from the stage and costume designer Mihail Tchernaev, who lives in Munich: for the 2002/2003 tour the set, originally dimensioned and designed as a gigantic open-air event, was translated into an indoor version, which will also be used for the Back-to-Back-Tour in 2004/2005. The central element - the “stage tower” - on which the “wheel of life” is turning, boasts a height of 13 meters (43 ft.) and forms the center of this “spectacle of life”, lavishly and impressively staged with light, sound and pyrotechnics of highest international standards. In addition, this gigantic stage architecture is highly flexible - as a show in a hall or as an open-air event - a variable construction, the well-coordinated crew and meticulous planning and design make it possible that the heavy steel colossus can be born again and again according to director Walter Haupt’s ideas. Gigantic stage sets, over 250 participants, 300 sparkling costumes and the unique scenery made of light projections and pyrotechnical fire effects make a total piece of art, enchanting and fascinating the audience all around the world. The CARMINA BURANA MONUMENTAL OPERA is a pioneering work that sets new standards for music events. 24 magical images tell stories of life and death, of fortune and misfortune, becoming and fading under the ever turning “wheel of life”. Mihail Tchernaev’s magnificent, monumental stage architecture, light projections and pyrotechnical fire effects make a unique scenery for this spectacle with 30 dancers in 300 costumes, choir, orchestra and soloists. Total Theater. Total Success. contact: AER CONCERTS GmbH Thorsten Küppers marketing director Phone: +49-8178-868-145 Fax: +49-8178-868-199 e-Mail: t.kueppers@art-concerts.de www.art-concerts.de