Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi

E592750

"Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi" is the powerful opening and closing movement of Carl Orff’s cantata Carmina Burana, famous for its dramatic "O Fortuna" chorus depicting the capriciousness of fate.

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Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
O Fortuna 0

Statements (45)

Predicate Object
instanceOf choral movement
movement of a cantata
musical composition
associatedDeity Roman goddess Fortuna
basedOn Goliardic poetry
closingMovementOf Carmina Burana NERFINISHED
composer Carl Orff NERFINISHED
contains O Fortuna NERFINISHED
culturalImpact frequently used in television and advertising
widely used in film trailers
depicts capriciousness of fate
dynamicProfile predominantly loud and dramatic
firstPerformancePlace Frankfurt am Main NERFINISHED
firstPerformanceYear 1937
genre cantata movement
keyCharacteristic massive choral unisons
ostinato rhythms
language Latin
musicalStyle modal harmony
neo-medieval elements
notableFeature dramatic choral writing
powerful orchestration
strong rhythmic drive
openingMovementOf Carmina Burana NERFINISHED
originalTextCentury 13th century
originalTextCollectionLocation Benediktbeuern Abbey manuscripts
partOf Carmina Burana NERFINISHED
Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi NERFINISHED
performancePractice often performed in concert independently of full cantata
period 20th-century classical music
publisherOfScore Schott Music NERFINISHED
reprises O Fortuna at end of Carmina Burana NERFINISHED
structure framing prologue and epilogue of Carmina Burana
textAuthor anonymous medieval poet
textSource Carmina Burana medieval poems NERFINISHED
textTopic rise and fall of human condition
wheel of fortune
theme fate
fortune
instability of luck
titleMeaning Fortune, Empress of the World NERFINISHED
vocalForces mixed choir
orchestra
sometimes soloists
workNumberWithinCantata 1

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Orff Carmina Burana structure Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi
subject surface form: Carmina Burana