# Carl Orff, Wagner, who wrote that "La Fortuna" thing?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 22, 2001, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carl-orff-wagner-who-wrote-that-la-fortuna-thing/94769 "2001-11-22T15:04:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MattTheCroc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MattTheCroc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MattTheCroc)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2001, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carl-orff-wagner-who-wrote-that-la-fortuna-thing/94769/1 "2001-11-22T15:04:05Z")
(Note: It was a toss up between GQ and CS for this, but GQ won out as this presumably has an actual answer (despite that sheer _deluge_ of lack of information on this topic (yeah, I know, someone will do a Google and find it on their first try. Always happens.)) plus (bet you had to go and read what I put before the brackets there, didn’t you?) CS is about discussing things, and this is about factual answers.) So anyway, this will probably get moved to Cafe Society… Most people would know (or at least have heard) “La Fortuna” (assuming that _is_ its real name) song with the boom-boom-boom-boom! and all that. Different sources credit different people with it. One says it’s Wagner. Another says it was Orff in the only non-Wagner piece of Excalibur (under the title “Carmina Burana”) All those MP3 programs say about a billion different things (not that I’d trust them anyway). So, does anyone have any sort of definitive answer to this query? It’s really annoying me… ---
**Author:** ![Tamealien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Tamealien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamealien)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2001, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carl-orff-wagner-who-wrote-that-la-fortuna-thing/94769/2 "2001-11-22T15:21:03Z")
It’s “O Fortuna” from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff And the obligatory google reference is [http://members.ozemail.com.au/~caveman/Carmina/](http://members.ozemail.com.au/~caveman/Carmina/) ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2001, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carl-orff-wagner-who-wrote-that-la-fortuna-thing/94769/3 "2001-11-22T15:26:10Z")
Yes. The absolutely #1 definitive answer. I dunno what you mean “some people credit Wagner with writing it”. The entire piece is called the _Carmina Burana_ and the music is by Carl Orff. Always has been, always will be. The lyrics were provided courtesy of certain medieval writers. The particular portion of it that you’re talking about is actually titled “O Fortuna”, not “La Fortuna”. About Carl Orff. > **[Classical Net - Carl Orff - Who wrote the music of Carmina Burana?](http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/works/orff-cb/carbur2.php)** > > The Classical Net web site offers a comprehensive collection of information and news on classical music subjects including articles and CD reviews, composers and their music, the basic repertoire, recommended recordings and a CD buying guide. The... Lyrics. “O Fortuna” both opens and closes the piece. > **[Classical Net - Carl Orff - Carmina Burana Lyrics](http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/works/orff-cb/carmlyr.php)** > > The Classical Net web site offers a comprehensive collection of information and news on classical music subjects including articles and CD reviews, composers and their music, the basic repertoire, recommended recordings and a CD buying guide. The... You should stop getting your information from _other_ sources and stick with the Straight Dope. 😃 Preview: Dang! Must learn to type faster than the Tame Alien. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tamealien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Tamealien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamealien)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2001, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carl-orff-wagner-who-wrote-that-la-fortuna-thing/94769/4 "2001-11-22T16:05:09Z")
And it’s going straight into the CD player when I get home - thanks for making me think of it… ---
**Author:** ![MattTheCroc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MattTheCroc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MattTheCroc)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carl-orff-wagner-who-wrote-that-la-fortuna-thing/94769/5 "2001-11-23T04:50:58Z")
Well, \*actually[/]DDG… It was at this site that my confidence was shattered; I thought it was Orff… but someone acted surprised that anyone could think it was by anyone but Wagner. It shattered my whole world, and I didn’t know what to do… Thank you for showing me the light, you two… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MattTheCroc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MattTheCroc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MattTheCroc)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carl-orff-wagner-who-wrote-that-la-fortuna-thing/94769/6 "2001-11-23T04:52:03Z")
Aah, Christ… could a Mod please fix that? ---
**Author:** ![DPWhite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d26b3c/32.png) [@DPWhite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPWhite)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carl-orff-wagner-who-wrote-that-la-fortuna-thing/94769/7 "2001-11-23T06:17:12Z")
Orff wrote the music to go with the existing “libretto”. Libretto is ancient and the author(s) are not known. Wagner had nothing to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![psychomonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@psychomonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychomonkey)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carl-orff-wagner-who-wrote-that-la-fortuna-thing/94769/8 "2001-11-23T06:37:07Z")
Incidently, La Fortuna is a town in Costa Rica, near the Arenal volcano.