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»These new technological achievements and possibilities were stimulating for me.«[1]

»Towards the end of the 1920s, [...] experiments were undertaken in musical broadcasts via large open-air loudspeakers.«[1] (Carl Orff with Herbert von Karajan during a record recording session 1973)
(Carl Orff with Herbert von Karajan during a record recording session 1973)

   

The ›Entrata‹ based on William Byrd for five orchestral groups and organ was given its first performance in Königsberg in 1930, conducted by Hermann Scherchen »Scherchen conducted the choirs combined as the principle orchestra [...] in the large hall of the broadcasting studio; he conducted the two choirs of trumpets and timpani [...] which were each assembled in a different room at a great distance [...] with the aid of light signals.«[2] (Final page of the autograph score›Entrata‹ after William Byrd 1928)
»Good fortune was blessed on me via the management of Deutsche Grammophon. Their enterprising head of classical repertoire – Frau Elsa Schiller – displayed interest in issuing a large-scale modern work.« (Ernst von Siemens)[3] (Ein Osterspiel [An Easter Play], choir of Angels, stage photo of the first performance on television in 1956; Photo: Rudolf Belz, Deutsches Theatermuseum)
»She had employed her prudent sense of intuition and selected ›Carmina burana‹, but this decision did not elicit great approval from within the company, as it was feared that any modern work would only generate a loss. I was able to help her to get her own way and to everyone’s surprise, the recording – conducted by Eugen Jochum – turned out to be a great financial success [...]. Orff told me at a later point that this recording had opened numerous doors for him in America.« (Ernst von Siemens)[3] (First page of autograph score ›Carmina Burana‹)

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[1] CO-Dok II,193; [2] CO-Dok II,195; [3] Ernst von Siemens: Carmina Burana, in: Carl Orff. Ein Gedenkbuch, ed. Horst Leuchtmann, Tutzing 1985, p. 153
Images : 1 Siegfried Lauterwasser; CO-Dok II,201; OZM; 2 Rudolf Betz; German Theatre Museum

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