Due to problematic acoustics and faulty engineering, this 1995 EMI recording of
Carl Orff's Carmina Burana is strangely hollow sounding, dynamically unpredictable, and, in too many sections, distressingly distant. Once past the loud opening Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi, listeners will need to turn up the volume a lot to hear the extremely soft choruses and solos, and then be ready to turn it down quickly for the boisterous numbers. These sound problems make listening a tedious chore, and the effort is not rewarded with outstanding performances or even memorable moments. In accuracy, energy, color, and cohesion, this rendition of Carmina Burana is adequate, but not breathtaking or truly exciting. The
Bournemouth Symphony Chorus and
Orchestra and the Highcliffe Junior Choir, efficiently conducted by
David Hill, are competent, and the vocal soloists -- soprano
Janice Watson, countertenor
James Bowman, and baritone Donald Maxwell -- are controlled and expressive within the boundaries of taste. But the enterprise is bedeviled by the inconsistent reproduction, and Virgin should have remastered the recording to acceptable levels for reissue. Listeners are advised to try other versions before settling on this uneven CD, notwithstanding its affordability.