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Who was Carl Orff?
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Alabama Chapter of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association |
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Born in 1895 in Munich, Carl Orff began piano studies at the age of five under
the tutelage of his mother. The boy's great interest in language and poetry were
fostered in school, where classical languages and literature were among his
favorite studies. He received his formal musical training at the Akademie der
Tonkunst in Munich.
From 1915 to 1917, Orff was musical director of the Munich Kammerspiele, an
experience that had a profound effect on his later work. Upon the advice of his
mentor and friend Curt Sachs, he soon immersed himself in the study of
Renaissance and early Baroque composers, most notably Claudio Monteverdi.
In 1923 he met Dorothee Gunther, who envisioned the founding of a school for
movement, dance, and rhythmic training. The idea of a training in elemental
music - a music which is not abstract, but which integrates the elements of
speech, movement, and dance - emerged and took shape in his discussions with
Gunther. In 1924 they founded the Guntherschule in Munich. Core studies, taught
by several instructors, included gymnastics and dance. As musical director, Orff
was responsible for the musical training of the students.
Orff began with rhythm as the basic element inherent in music, dance, and
speech, combining them and unifying them into one language. Improvisation and
creation were at the center of his teaching. Because a number of his students
had not had previous musical training, he emphasized body sounds and gestures
for rhythm, and he used the voice as the first and most natural of instruments.
He gave great importance to the drum in all its variations of size, shape, and
sound. He made the ostinato (a repeated rhythmic, spoken or sung pattern) serve
as the form-giving element in all improvisations.
Gunild Keetman and the dancer Maja Lex joined the school as students in 1926 and
1925 respectively. Orff regarded both of them as gifted equally in music and in
dance; soon they became colleagues and partners in his search for an elemental
expression in music and dance. Keetman's collaboration in particular proved to
be of immense value in the development of the instrumental ensemble and its
musical style. During the late 20's, with the invaluable help of Karl Maendler,
the barred instruments (which today are simply referred to as "Orff
instruments") were designed and built for the school.
In 1930 Lex and Keetman founded a dance group and orchestra with students of the
Guntherschule which became widely known in Germany and abroad. That same year
saw the appearance of the first publications. Orff was well aware that
publishing brought with it the danger that the purpose of the books would be
misunderstood. Born out of improvisation, the fluid medium of elemental music
does not adapt well to the static medium of print. On the other hand, he
realized that only through publication could its educational value be made
known.
Beginning in 1931, lectures, demonstrations, and training courses began to draw
the attention of music educators in Germany to the work at the Guntherschule.
But during the 1930's and 40's, Orff's approach to music pedagogy was declared
in conflict with the prevailing ideological and political climate in Germany. A
number of his published works were dropped from publication because he had used
poems by writers no longer acceptable. In 1944 the Guntherschule was closed due
to political pressure; the building and most of its inventory were completely
destroyed by bombing.
Between 1935 and 1942 Orff created his first "mature" stage works: Carmina
Burana and the two Grimms' fairy tales Der Mond and Die Kluge . These works are
of direct interest to the Schulwerk teacher because of their stylistic
relationship to the musical language of Orff-Schulwerk.
After the War, Orff was contacted by the Bavarian Broadcasting Company and asked
whether he could create a series of broadcasts for and with children. His
initial doubts were soon replaced with enthusiasm, realizing that the task would
renew his long-abandoned dream of music education reform. He engaged Gunild
Keetman to assist in the planning and to work with the children. In September,
1948 the first program was aired. Teachers, parents, and children demanded more,
and an extended series was presented. Between 1950 and 1954, Orff and Keetman
wrote down the pedagogical concepts that had grown out of their work with
children. When they had finished, they had written five volumes: Schulwerk, in
its re-creation and transformation, had become Music for Children.
Radio broadcasts lacked the possibility of including the movement aspect,
fundamental to rhythmic development. In 1949 Keetman was invited to teach
children's courses at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. Now movement training
could be systematically incorporated into Orff-Schulwerk. By 1953, comprehensive
teacher-training courses were offered at the Mozarteum. In 1963 the Orff
Institute was opened; still a branch of the Mozarteum, it functions today as an
international training center as well as the focal point for Orff-Schulwerk all
over the world.
At the core of Carl Orff's work is a kind of musical expression that is able to
speak to children without the loss of musical integrity. Therein lies its great
significance, its genius.
Source - Orff-Schulwerk: Applications for the Classroom by Brigitte Warner,
Prentice-Hall, 1991.
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