Reginald Mobley, Jader Bignamini & Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Jader Bignamini & the Detroit Symphony Release “Carmina Burana” on PENTATONE; Featuring Reginald Mobley
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra and its Music Director Jader Bignamini will release a thrilling live recording of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, one of the most electrifying works of the twentieth century, on June 26 our partner label PENTATONE. Lauded by BBC Music Magazine as a “Carmina Burana to rank among the very best,” the recording features Countertenor Reginald Mobley who was praised by BBC Music for “achieving the tricky balance of sounding pained without tipping over into comic grotesquery. Mobley’s woes are all the more affecting when set against the menacing presence of the Audivi chorus, who are on superb form throughout.” The 5-star review also celebrates Bignamini’s “gripping sense of purpose…a maestro with eyes ablaze.” The recording also features soloists Chen Reiss and Andrzej Filończyk, with additional support from Audivi and the Detroit Opera Youth Chorus.
Drawing on thirteenth-century manuscripts from Benediktbeuern Abbey, Orff transformed the exuberant, irreverent texts of wandering scholars and rebellious clerics into a monumental scenic cantata. From the iconic opening of “O Fortuna” to the exuberant outdoor dances, tavern scenes, and courtly love interludes, the work pulses with elemental rhythms and striking orchestration, with chorus, percussion, two pianos, and celesta playing central roles. Motifs from “O Fortuna” recur throughout, linking the contrasting worlds of humour, erotic longing, and the inexorable wheel of fate.
Orff balances diatonic simplicity with rhythmic ostinati, while movements such as the flute–timpani duet, castanets solo, and piano–percussion passages evoke primal energy and recall Stravinsky’s Les noces. From the introspective soprano arias in “In trutina” to the sardonic baritone tavern numbers, the score alternates between joy, melancholy, and satire, culminating in the final return of “O Fortuna” to close the cycle. Following their acclaimed release of Marsalis’ Blues Symphony in March 2025, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Jader Bignamini return to PENTATONE, reaffirming their mastery of landmark repertoire.