# The opening chord to O Fortuna **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [April 5, 2023, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opening-chord-to-o-fortuna/982179 "2023-04-05T05:53:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2023, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opening-chord-to-o-fortuna/982179/21 "2023-04-05T18:41:16Z")
I would say it is, yes. ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2023, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opening-chord-to-o-fortuna/982179/22 "2023-04-05T19:01:35Z")
“Guards! Knights! Squires…prepare for battle!” ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2023, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opening-chord-to-o-fortuna/982179/23 "2023-04-05T20:58:00Z")
“It’s a big ad…very big ad!” [Can’t believe how big it is…](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wM2c3WtDjQ) ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2023, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opening-chord-to-o-fortuna/982179/24 "2023-04-05T22:56:44Z")
So then is it fair to say the first chord before the chorus comes in (the DUM) is the three lowest Ds? And looking at the sheet (hard to read) are they full notes except for the tympani? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2023, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opening-chord-to-o-fortuna/982179/25 "2023-04-05T23:25:09Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Gopher tuna > Bring more tuna > Statue of big dog with fleas Then later, the line from “misheard O Fortuna lyrics” that cracks me up: “This octopus… Let’s give him boots… Send him to North Korea!!” (With the poor animated octopus forcibly marching with the North Korean army) But what made it funnier was when a classical music group from the Netherlands had the chorus sing with the misheard lyrics on purpose: [O Fortuna sung with Misheard Lyrics by NMKO - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQEfxhvAy0c) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2023, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opening-chord-to-o-fortuna/982179/26 "2023-04-06T00:41:27Z")
That was fantastic, **digs**! Thnx. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2023, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opening-chord-to-o-fortuna/982179/27 "2023-04-06T02:22:53Z")
I used that to kick off the TV section of an advertising class, mostly to wake everyone up. At the end I’d ask “Now, could you spot the parts that were CGI?” … None, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2023, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opening-chord-to-o-fortuna/982179/28 "2023-04-06T02:34:21Z")
There’s a great 90’s techno version of Carmina Burana……and Carl Orffs estate dropped on them like a safe falling off a building I wonder if the ad creators made the same mistake as the techno guys in assuming it was public domain ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2023, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opening-chord-to-o-fortuna/982179/29 "2023-04-06T02:41:29Z")
[This is the one. Classic.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLk8AMNCo24) (Was trying to inline it, but I’m finally getting the error some other users have gotten about embedding Youtube links.) ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2023, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opening-chord-to-o-fortuna/982179/30 "2023-04-06T15:33:56Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > So then is it fair to say the first chord before the chorus comes in (the DUM) is the three lowest Ds? And looking at the sheet (hard to read) are they full notes except for the tympani? Yeah, the opening note isn’t a chord so much as just D – a very low D – played by as many instruments as possible. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2023, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opening-chord-to-o-fortuna/982179/31 "2023-04-06T15:48:48Z")
I downloaded a midi file of it, imported it into online sequencer and changed all notes to piano. You can see/hear it here :- > **[Carl\_Orff\_O\_Fortuna.mid](https://onlinesequencer.net/3335438)** > > OnlineSequencer.net is an online music sequencer. Make tunes in your browser and share them with friends! Here it is with the original instrumentation (from the midi file that is, not Orff’s !) > **[Carl\_Orff\_O\_Fortuna.mid](https://onlinesequencer.net/3335446)** > > OnlineSequencer.net is an online music sequencer. Make tunes in your browser and share them with friends! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opening-chord-to-o-fortuna/982179.md?page=1)