The first ballet adaptation of “Carmina Burana” by Kenneth MacMillan premiered in 1957. It was set to the renowned cantata by Carl Orff and has since become a staple of the ballet repertoire. Orff’s cantata, composed between 1935 and 1936, was inspired by 24 medieval poems discovered in the Benediktbeurern monastery. These poems are often considered hedonist, how they satirize the Catholic Church and urge one’s indulgences in the pleasures of life. Pleasures, for these monks, like women and wine. Dating to the 11^th through 13^th centuries, the manuscripts are rebellious, scandalous, and debated to be either poetic revolt or playful mockery. 

Regardless, it is no surprise that Carl Orff was so drawn to a collection of poems that discussed defiance. Born in 1895 Germany, his early career was marked by avant-garde tendencies. However, during the rise of the Nazi regime, he was forced to abandon his style and adjust to fit the regime’s cultural constraints. That is until he composed “Carmina Burana.” Upon the premier in 1937, Orff ordered all his previous and more compliant works to be destroyed. The ballet adaptation for The Royal Ballet translates Orff’s music into a compelling dance narrative, exploring themes of fate, fortune, and human desire. The production is rich in emotional depth and imaginative staging, as a true ballet classic.