O Fortuna
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
O Fortuna is a poem from Carmina Burana, a collection of Latin poems written in early 13th century. Fortuna is the goddess of fortune in Roman Mythology. German composer Carl Orff selected 24 poems from the collection and set them to new music between 1935 and 1936. O Fortuna is the most famous movement from Orff's Carmina Burana composition, and opens and closes the cycle.
Orff's setting of the poem has become immensely popular and has been performed by countless classical music ensembles as well as popular artists. It powerfully conveys the human condition of struggle. The composition appears in numerous movies and television commercials and has become a staple in popular culture, setting the mood for dramatic or cataclysmic situations.[1] For instance, it is used to portray the torment of Jim Morrison's drug addiction in the film The Doors.[2]
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[edit] Lyrics
| O Fortuna (Chorus) in Latin | English translation |
|---|---|
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O Fortuna |
O Fortune, |
[edit] In popular culture
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- Used in Michael Jackson's teaser "Brace Yourself" on Video Greatest Hits - HIStory.
- Featured in a Gatorade and Old Spice after-shave commercial.
- Featured in a Carlton Draught beer ad called Carlton Draught: Big Ad. [3]
- Played at New England Patriots home games prior to the team exiting the tunnel. It is accompanied by team highlights and more recently, a scene from the film 300.
- It is used as bumper music on The Sean Hannity Show on talk radio.
- Often used on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O'Brien when a video or picture of former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney is shown, suggesting that he is evil, demonic or satanic.
- Played as background music when the Evil Puppy is introduced on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.
- Used in the soundtracks of the films Excalibur and The General's Daughter.
- It has been recently use in the trailer for the film Paul Blart: Mall Cop.
- A stirring rendition performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra and conducted by John Williams appeared on the Summon the Heroes album.
- A version of "O Fortuna" was used in a trailer for the anime film The End of Evangelion.
- It is the music that the Doncaster Rovers enter The Keepmoat Stadium to.
- It is performed by a convent of nuns in the episode "Gone Maggie Gone" of The Simpsons
- It is played in the beginning and end of Jackass: The Movie
- It is played in the movie Cheaper by the Dozen at the end of Dylan's party scene.
- A version is played at the beginning of a Pakistani documentary End of Times, The Hidden Truth.
- Irish boxer and WBA World Super Bantamweight Champion Bernard Dunne enters the ring to a mix of O Fortuna and the Irish song The Irish Rover.
- It is played in the British sit-com Only Fools and Horses, whenever Rodney sees his young nephew Damien.
- It is played during a video on the Jumbotron before every home Pittsburgh Pirates home game.
- It is used as the theme tune for the The X Factor (TV series).
- It is used in the "mugging" scene in Detroit Rock City.
- A version of it, sung by the Harlem Boys Choir, was used in the Assault on Fort Wagner Scene in "Glory".
- Rachel Maddow has had great fun on her show on MSNBC showing "O Fortuna's" uncanny ability to send politicians into paroxysms of cowardice and self-doubt (known as OFII; O Fortuna Induced Insanity) in a parody of commercials from the Republican Party attacking the Democratic Party.
- The Howard Stern Show has used a parody of the song in its endless series of fan-submitted baba-booey songs whenever show producer, gary dell a'bate, enters the studio.
[edit] Bands and artists that have covered/sampled the work
- Aion
- Apoptygma Berzerk[4]
- Apotheosis[5]
- Bornholm
- Botch
- Turetsky Choir
- DJ Irene
- DJ Korsakoff
- DJ Paul (Used in his 2009 single featuring Lord Infamous "You Don't Want It")[6]
- The Diplomats(Used in the Single "Get em Daddy" by Camron & The Diplomats [7]
- Enigma[8]
- Epica[9]
- Era[10]
- Highland
- Iced Earth on Night of the Stormrider
- KMFDM
- Lord Infamous (Used in the song "Ball Off" in his 2009 Album "After Sics" and is featured in DJ Paul's single "You Don't Want It")
- Massacra
- Milwaukee Children's Choir
- Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
- Ministry
- On Mystery Science Theatre 3000, it was used as the basis for Tom Servo's personal theme song.
- Rapper Nas uses it as the background music to his song "Hate Me Now"
- Ragnarok
- DJ Nick Skitz
- Onslaught
- Overkill
- Ozzy Osbourne
- Spiritual Project
- The Disco Biscuits
- Tristania
- Therion
- The Rush (used at the beginning of the Sensation White Anthem 2004)
- Trans-Siberian Orchestra[11]
- Van Helsing's Curse (used at the end of the song "The Child")
- Vital Remains
- John Williams, on the album, Summon the Heroes
- Ysgol Glanaethwy ( Used for Last Choir Standing.)
[edit] Law suit
In 1991, when the group named Apotheosis produced a heavily re-sampled version of "O Fortuna," the estate of Carl Orff (who died in 1982) successfully sued to stop the distribution of the record on the grounds of copyright infringement.[12][13]
[edit] References
- ^ "O Fortuna" in popular culture
- ^ IMDB entry for soundtrack of Oliver Stone's film "The Doors" Rachel Maddow has used the composition to signal Republican fear-mongering. Scroll to bottom
- ^ [1]
- ^ Apoptygma Berzerk - Love Never Dies at YouTube
- ^ Apotheosis - O Fortuna at YouTube
- ^ http://www.djbooth.net/index/tracks/review/dj-paul-ft.-lord-infamous-u-dont-want-it/
- ^ http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkrWnLglbH0/
- ^ Mars - The Gate - Enigma. NASA at YouTube
- ^ Epica - The Classical Conspiracy - O Fortuna (Live) at YouTube
- ^ Era - The Mass at YouTube
- ^ Trans-Siberian Orchestra - O Fortuna (Live) at YouTube
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
