54th Season

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Carl Orff
CARMINA BURANA
Choral Pronunciation Guide

Consultants: 
Charles Larkowski, Ph.D.
Department of Music
Wright State University

Allen Hye, Ph.D.
Department of Modern Languages
Wright State University

Neal Gittleman
Music Director
Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra

Note

This pronunciation guide was developed as a practical performance guide for a performance of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana by the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, Neal Gittleman, Conductor, at Memorial Hall in Dayton, Ohio in December 1997. The performance included the Dayton Philharmonic Chorus, Hank Dahlman, Director, members of the Miami University (OH) Men's Glee Club, Clayton Parr, Director, and members of the Kettering (OH) Children's Chorus, Natalie DeHom and Mary Lynn Bergsten, Directors.

As the choral preparation supervisor of this performance, I developed this guide in consultation with Mr. Gittleman and two of my colleagues at Wright State University. Dr. Charles Larkowski, Department of Music, assisted with general pronunciation rules of Medieval poetic Latin. Dr Allen Hye, Department of Modern Languages, conducted research in and assisted with pronunciation of Middle High German. Final pronunciation decisions were decided in consultation with Mr Gittleman, based on articulation and text clarity, hall acoustics, and other pragmatic performance requirements

It should be noted that this guide makes no claim of final scholarly authority, but is rather is our best estimate of accurate pronunciation based on reliable sources, combined with our practical performance considerations.

My thanks to Mr. Gittleman, Drs. Larkowski and Hye, and the members and staff of the Dayton Philharmonic Chorus for their assistance with this project.

Hank Dahlman. DMA
http://hypatia.wright.edu/Dept/mus/hd/HANKBIOPAGE.HTM

General Comments on Pronunciation
Carmina Burana has predominantly two languages:

• Medieval, scholastic/poetic Latin: closer to church Latin, not Italianate, but a little Germanic.

• Middle High German: similar to modern High German, with some notable differences.

                                                        Latin Pronunciation
Latin pronunciation rules for Carmina Burana:  

• Vowels are the same 5 pure ones used in modem church Latin:

                     a = "ah"   e = "eh"   i = "ee"   o = "aw"   u = "oo"

• When "y" is used as a vowel in a Latin word, we will "Germanize" by making it a little like the umlaut "u" sound (ü), i.e., round lips like "oo," but say "ee" inside.

• Consonants present our biggest problem. Most are the same as in church Latin, which is closer to the poetic medieval than scholastic Latin. Notable consonant rules, exceptions, and examples in alphabetical order:

mecum = meh-koom
Hecubam = heh-koo-bahm (see note on 'h')
calvata = kahl-vah-tah (see note on V)
capillata = kah-pee-lah-tah
Cupidims = koo-pee-dee-nees 
amicus = ah-mee-koos

ecce = eh-tseh
saccis = sah-tsees

Cytharizat = tsü-tah-ree-dzaht

sevitia = seh-vee-tsee-ah
septies = sehp-tsee-ehs
militibus = mee-lee-tsee-boos
octies = awk-tsee-ehs
decies = deh-tsee-ehs
penitentibus = peh-nee-tehn-tsee-boos
agentibus = ah-gehn-tsee-boos
pretiosa = preh-tsee-aw-zah

German Pronunciation

• Vowels: Are actually a bit more like modem English. Also, they tend to be phonetic, that is, if two vowels appear together, pronounce them separately (or quickly elide if on the same note).

• Consonants: Are also much like modem English, so some modem German things don't apply. For instance, "s" is pronounced like modem English "s," and so is "w." However, some consonants are done like in modem German: "v" = "f," "j" = "y", and "ch" endings in words like "ich" and "mich"

• Pronunciation: Because the MHG text is so much shorter than the Latin in CB, a word-by-word pronunciation guide follows.

Gruonet der wait allenthalben,
wa ist min geselle alse lange
Der ist geriten hinnen
o wi, wer sol mich minnen?

damit ich die jungen man
an ir dank der minnenliebe 
noete

Seht mich an,
jungen man!
lat mich iu gevallen!

Minnet, tugentliche man,

minnecliche frouwen!
minne tuot iu hoch gemout
unde lat iuch in hohen
eren schouwen

Wol dir, Werit, daz du bist
also freudenriche!
ich will dir sin undertan
durch din liebe immer
sicherliche.

krah-mehr gihp dee fahr-weh meer
dee meen wen-gehl roh-eh-teh (the o sounds a little Swedish)
dah-miht ich dee yoon-gehn mahn
ahn ihr dahnk dayr mih-nehn-lee-beh noh-eh-teh (Swedish o)

sayt mich ahn
yoon-gehn mahn
laht mich yoo geh-fah-lehn

mih-neht tuh-gehnt-lee-sheh (slightly
gutteral) mahn

mih-nehk-lee-sheh froh-oo-wehn
(elide to second vowel quickly)
mih-neh too-oht yoo hoch geh-moh-oot
oon (as in foot)-deh laht yooch ihn hoh-ehn eh-rehn shoh-oo-wehn

wohl deer wehrit dahs doo bihst
ahl-soh froy-dehn-ree-sheh
ich wihl deer sihn oon-dehr-tahn
doorch deen lee-beh ih-mehr 
see-cher-lee-sheh

Chume, chum, geselle min
ih enbite harte din
Suzer rosenvarwer munt
chum un mache mich gesunt

kuh-meh kuhm geh-seh-leh meen
ich ehn-bee-teh hahr-teh deen
soo-sehr roh-sehn-farh-wehr munt
koom oon mah-che mich geh-suhnt

weh-reh dyoo wehrit ah-leh meen
fawn deem meh-reh oon-seh-an dayn reen
dehs wohit ich mich dahr-ben
dahs dyoo koe-nih-gehn fohn ehn-geh- lant
leh-geh ahn mee-nehn ahr-mehn