Work of the Week - Carl Orff: Tanzende Faune

The 18-year-old Carl Orff (photo) finished his work Tanzende Faune (Dancing Fauns) as op. 21 in January 1914. The world premiere was in 1995 at the Philharmonie am Gasteig with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, so 80 years after the finalization.

Since 2010 in Munich the Orff-Tage take place at the Bayerische Philharmonie. The Orff-Tage is a festival in honor to the composer Carl Orff. This year is the festival from April 20 to April 21 with the Münchner Jugendorchester, the Junge Münchner Philharmonie and the Kammerorchester of the Bayerische Philharmonie. The orchestras are conducted by Mark Mast und will perform the orchestral play Tanzende Faune.

Not only the title remembers of Claude Debussy's "Prélude a l’après-midi d’un faun". Mostly trough the music you can feel the fascination of the young Orff for his idol. Intelligently Orff uses Debussy's work as a style study and creates an independent, valid post-impressionistic work. At Orff's work, rhythm and motor function is always present. It covers the feastful emotions and so Orff said about his Tanzende Faune: "it is a capped dance piece for the stage".

There are two concerts at the festival, where you can hear more of Orff's fascinating music. The famous Carmina Burana are performed as well as their sister work Catulli Carmina.

• Carl Orff - profile

_{Painting: Heinrich Dreber "Reigen", 1860}