Barbara Bonney, Frank Lopardo, Anthony Michaels-Moore, Wiener Philharmoniker, André Previn - Orff: Carmina Burana (1994)

One of the best performances of this work I know of. Levine gets the balance between the joyous and profane just right, except for one thing. The movement in which the swan being roasted sings a lament over his plight is too beautiful: the bassoon solo (like that in Rite of Spring, which I'll bet is where Orff got the idea) is not supposed to sound pretty. If Orff had wanted a lyrical melody wafting cloud-like over the audience, he would have scored an English Horn or oboe, but he didn't. It's supposed to sound strained, even painful (which playing a bassoon in that register is). Similarly, the tenor singing the part works too hard to make it lovely, choosing a smooth falsetto rather than allow his voice to crack appropriately; he's supposed to sound like he's being roasted on a spit, not having his toes tickled.

Still, in all other essentials it is fantastic, clean, powerful, breathtaking; it remains my favorite recording of the Carmina.