Catulli Carmina

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Catulli Carmina is a cantata by Carl Orff to the texts of Catullus, the Roman poet of the 1st century BC. It is part of Trionfi, the musical triptych that also includes the Carmina Burana and Trionfo di Afrodite. It is scored for a full male and female choir with various percussion acompanament, including four pianos. The piece experiments with repeated phrases and syncopated rhythms even more so then Carmina Burana. The reason why this is such a lesser known work compared to its predecessor has been debated by scholars for many years. Most of them have decided that, with the fall of Nazi Germany and the depressed feeling of Europe in the aftermath of World War II, it simply didn't have the opportunity to be presented to any large audience for a long time. Even now, it is one of Orff's least performed works.

This composition is another example of Carl Orff's brilliant use of orchestra, percussion and action on stage. The story tells of Catullus, a lovesick young man who falls in love with Lesbia, a woman who does not remain faithfull to him. In this way, the piece also requires a male and female soloist to portray each of these two roles, respectively.