The central theme of the entire work is the Rota Fortunae (Wheel of Fortune), a medieval concept representing the fickle nature of luck and destiny.
Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana is a scenic cantata composed in 1935–36, based on a collection of 24 poems from a 13th-century medieval manuscript. The work is most famous for its opening and closing movement, which has become a cultural icon of dramatic power and the unpredictability of fate. 1. The Core Meaning: The Wheel of Fortune Carl Orff - O Fortuna Carmina Burana
The goddess Fortuna "spins" the wheel, causing some to rise to power while others fall into ruin. The central theme of the entire work is