Part III
Cour d'amours --- The Court of Love
15. Amor volat undique (Boys chorus with soprano)--- Love Flies Everywhere
15. Amor volat undique (Boys chorus with soprano)--- Love Flies Everywhere
- The first part of No.15 (Amor volat undique) has
a freshness and purity which contrast with the sensuality and coquetry of the
middle section. The return of the pure, child-like music of the first part is attractive
and intriguing.
16. Dies, nox et omnia--- Day, Night, and All the World
No.16(Dies, nox et omnia) is a psychologically penetrating study of mockery and cunning, but also of truth
17. Stetit puella--- There Stood a Young Girl
- The psychology of No.17(Stetit puella) is equally
illuminating. Tone-colour is formed by high cello and double bass (flageolet
tone) with low strings and flute.
18. Circa mea pectora--- My Breast
- In No.18 (Circa mea pectora)
there is a sharp contrast between the “chanson” and “refrain”. Many of the
phrases derive from Stravinsky.
19. Si puer cum puellula--- If a Boy and a Girl
No.19(Si puer cum puellula) is an allegro buffo of an erotic character, which Orff used later as a motif for A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
20. Veni, veni, venias (Double chorus, two pianos and six percussionists)--- Come, Come, Pray Co
- No.20 (Veni, veni, venias), however, comes closest to the tonal idiom of Stravinsky.
The piano used percussively, is the foundation above which the choir sings “quasi
a cappella”.
21. In truitina--- In the Scales
No.21(In Trutina) is one of the most refined pieces of the Courd’ Amours(The Court of Love). It is full of the most subtle contrasts and once again makes its ironical comments through music of an Italianate style. A soprano sings in the alto register. This masquerading and disguising of vocal register is a frequent ironical device in Orff. The device is also applied to instruments, as in the use of high pitched bass instruments in Bottom’s scene with Titania.
22. Tempus est iocundum (Two pianos, percussion and vocalists except tenor)--- Pleasant Is the Season
In the dance sing No.22(Tempus est iocundum), the orchestra is dominated by timpani and piano. The foreshortened echo effect (4/4-3/4) is particularly imaginative.
23. Dulcissime--- Sweetest Boy
- No.23 (Dulcissime), in which the solo soprano tenderly spins out her melismatic threads against an original accompaniment of the low notes of the celesta and glockenspiel with high pitched violins (flageolet tone), offers the sharpest contrast with the foregoing orgy of dance.[1]
[1] Liess ,Andreas. Carl Orff. (London: Calder and Boyard, 1966), 87