Best known thanks to the epic 1936 version by Carl Orff, the original Carmina Burana, a manuscript containing poems and songs from the 11th and 12th centuries, is one of the most important collections of Goliard and vagabond songs. Its songs originate from all over Europe, and include works from Occitania, France, England, Scotland, Aragon, Castile and the Holy Roman Empire. In these songs, satire is the dominant theme, often at the expense of the Catholic Church. On this new recording, the Ensemble Obsidienne strikes an appropriately delicate balance between the devilish and the angelic.
