Carmina Burana beneath the treetops of NaturTheater Bad Elster
At the end of August, Bad Elster gets an evening combining the monumental choral sound of Carl Orff with Italian opera. The program "Carmina Burana & GroĂe Ital. Operngala" takes place on August 28, 2026, at 19:30 at NaturTheater Bad Elster, an open-air stage located in Waldpark. At the heart of the evening is Orff's "Carmina Burana", while the program also includes works by Giuseppe Verdi, Gaetano Donizetti and Giacomo Puccini.
It is important to know what type of performance to expect. This is not a classic musical with a single linear story, dialogue and a series of characters moving through a plot. "Carmina Burana" is a scenic-choral work created from medieval poetic texts, while the rest of the evening is conceived as an opera gala. The announcement for Bad Elster emphasizes soloists, large choral ensembles and orchestra, and does not name a specific director, choreographer, set designer or costume designer.
For an audience choosing the event for the music itself, this is an important distinction: here, rhythm, voices, choir and orchestral mass carry the dramaturgy. "O Fortuna", the best-known number from the work, is only an entrance into a broader world of songs about changing fortune, spring, pleasure, transience, drinking and love. It is worth securing tickets in good time.
An opera gala as an introduction to Orff's choral spectacle
The announced program does not limit the evening solely to the work "Carmina Burana". From Verdi's opera "Nabucco", the "Gefangenenchor" has been announced. From Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore", the program brings the overture, introduction and aria "Elisir di sĂŹ perfetta". Puccini is represented by the work "Capriccio symphonico", the aria "Se come voi piccina io fossi" from the opera "Le Villi" and the grand finale of the first act of the opera "Tosca".
Such a selection creates a clear contrast. Donizetti's bel canto demands lightness and control of the vocal line, Verdi gives the choir collective emotional weight, while Puccini builds powerful theatrical tension. Orff then changes the perspective: instead of an operatic scene and individual characterization, rhythm, repetition, choral blocks and the direct physical energy of sound come to the fore.
The announcement does not assign individual operatic numbers to named soloists, so it is not justified to claim in advance who will sing which aria or part. It has been confirmed that sopranos Anna Erxleben and Anna Maria Schmidt and bass Paul Song will perform, together with the choirs and Elbland Philharmonie Sachsen under the baton of conductor Florian Merz.
Carmina Burana: a world of Fortune, spring, feasting and love
Carl Orff worked on the work "Carmina Burana" from 1934 to 1936, inspired by the medieval collection of poems bearing the same name. The texts come from a codex associated with Benediktbeuern and are written in Latin, Middle High German and Old French. Orff was particularly attracted by their rhythm and the sound of the languages. From this he developed a musical style in which text is not merely meaning, but also impact, pulse and stage movement.
The work has no plot that needs to be followed as in a musical or opera. Instead of a single protagonist, the audience passes through a sequence of images and moods. Fortuna represents the instability of fortune and status. Spring scenes bring the awakening of nature and physical energy, while other sections lead toward the world of feasting, wine, desire and romantic tension. Meaning is built through contrasts between the collective and the intimate, the power of the choir and exposed solo moments.
For the original work, Orff-Zentrum MĂŒnchen lists soprano, tenor and baritone, mixed choir, children's choir and orchestra, with an approximate duration of 65 minutes. This information applies only to Orff's work, not to the entire program in Bad Elster. The total duration of the evening, any interval and the precise distribution of solo parts in the current production have not been published in the announcement.
Why "O Fortuna" has such an immediate impact
"O Fortuna" opens the work and immediately establishes its fundamental theme - a human being facing forces that change faster than they can be controlled. Massive choral syllables, emphatic rhythm and powerful dynamic changes give it an almost ritual force.
That immediacy helped "Carmina Burana" move far beyond concert halls. Carl-Orff-Stiftung states that over the decades "O Fortuna" became present in film, television, advertising and sporting contexts, while the work itself remained an important part of the international choral repertoire. "Carmina Burana", however, offers much more than its best-known opening: different types of choral sound, solo episodes and scenes that change character without the need for a classical plot.
Confirmed cast in Bad Elster
Singakademie Dresden additionally confirms that its GroĂer Chor and Kinderchor are taking part in this performance, which is important because a children's choir belongs to the original vocal concept of Orff's work.
- Paul Song - bass; LandesbĂŒhnen Sachsen presents him as a Korean bass-baritone and a member of the ensemble since the 2012/13 season.
- Anna Erxleben - soprano; member of LandesbĂŒhnen Sachsen with an opera, operetta and concert repertoire.
- Anna Maria Schmidt - soprano; member of LandesbĂŒhnen Sachsen since the 2022/23 season.
- Chor der LandesbĂŒhnen Sachsen.
- GroĂer Chor and Kinderchor der Singakademie Dresden - preparation is led by Michael KĂ€ppler.
- Elbland Philharmonie Sachsen.
- Florian Merz - conductor of the evening.
Anna Erxleben, Anna Maria Schmidt and Paul Song come from the professional operatic environment of LandesbĂŒhnen Sachsen, while Elbland Philharmonie Sachsen regularly works in both symphonic and music-theatre repertoire. Florian Merz has been associated with Bad Elster since the beginning of the 1990s and has extensive experience in operatic and symphonic projects.
In a performance of "Carmina Burana", the conductor must bring together large choral forces, precise rhythmic transitions and the relationships between soloists, choir and orchestra. In this production, this is especially demanding because the same evening moves from the Italian operatic style into Orff's strongly rhythmic choral architecture.
NaturTheater Bad Elster is not an ordinary concert hall
NaturTheater Bad Elster is located in the forest park of the town of Bad Elster and opened on July 9, 1911, with the Goethe celebration "Hermann und Dorothea". After a long interruption, it was revived in 2007, while modernization in 2018 brought a movable roof over the auditorium and an expansion of capacity. The design documentation for the renovation states an increase from 1,088 to 1,530 seats.
The audience therefore gets an open space and immediate proximity to the forest, but without complete exposure to the weather. The movable membrane structure can cover the auditorium, while the stage retains the character of a summer open-air arena. For "Carmina Burana", which relies on large collective impacts of sound, such a space offers a different spatial perspective from an enclosed opera house.
No special choreography, costumes or directorial concept have been published for this production. The confirmed information describes a program with soloists, choirs and orchestra, so it is reasonable to expect that the main visual element will be the NaturTheater Bad Elster stage itself and the large performing ensemble.
Ticket sales for this event are underway.
Arrival, parking and admission
NaturTheater is located at Carl-August-Klingner-Str. 7, 08645 Bad Elster. The organizers list two main parking options. The "Zentrum" parking garage by Albert Bad has around 450 spaces and is approximately a five-minute walk from NaturTheater Bad Elster. The large "NaturTheater" parking area at the entrance to the town is free of charge and is approximately an eight-minute walk from the stage. Access to the NaturTheater Bad Elster site itself is generally non-motorized, with special options for visitors holding the appropriate disability identification card.
For arrival by train, there is a Vogtlandbahn connection to Bad Elster station, which is around 2.5 kilometers outside the town center. Another option is to travel to Adorf and continue by bus toward Bad Elster. For an evening event, it is particularly useful to check the return connection after the end of the program in advance.
Unless otherwise announced for an individual event, admission to NaturTheater Bad Elster and the evening box office open 60 minutes before the start. This leaves enough time for the walking part of the journey, entrance checks and finding one's seat.
Rain, bags and accessibility
Performances at NaturTheater Bad Elster take place even in the rain. The movable auditorium roof increases protection, but the organizers still recommend warmer and waterproof clothing. In the event of stormy gusts of wind or thunderstorms, the start may be delayed or the performance may be temporarily interrupted.
Restrictions apply at the entrance to larger bags and backpacks exceeding DIN A4 format, that is, 21.0 x 29.7 cm. Bulky objects such as suitcases, baskets, helmets, stick umbrellas and selfie sticks may not be brought in; seat cushions and blankets are listed as exceptions. Visitors' own food and drinks are also restricted, as is portable equipment for video, photography and audio recording, with the exception of mobile phones.
NaturTheater is accessible to people with reduced mobility, and accessible sanitary facilities are located in the service building. Places for wheelchair users are provided in the first row on the left and right sides and above row 21, with seats for accompanying persons in the immediate vicinity.
Bad Elster as part of the evening, not merely an address on the ticket
Bad Elster is a spa town in Vogtland, close to the Czech border and in an area where Saxony, Bavaria and the Czech Republic meet. It is known for its mineral springs, historic parks and cultural buildings, so NaturTheater is part of a broader spa and cultural landscape.
The 2026 seasonal program of NaturTheater Bad Elster also announces the evening "Lichterwelt" in the Königlichen Anlagen, with illuminated sculptures, water features and walking paths through Waldpark available after the program until midnight. This can be an interesting addition to the evening for visitors who do not have to head immediately to their car or the railway station.
How to prepare for an open-air performance
This evening combines the Italian operatic tradition with Orff's best-known scenic-choral work. Verdi, Donizetti and Puccini meet in one program, after which the focus shifts to "Carmina Burana", in which the choir becomes one of the principal carriers of expression.
For the ticket buyer, the most important thing is to arrive with the right expectation. One should not expect a musical with dialogue, elaborately developed characters and a linear plot. One should expect a large vocal-orchestral event in which opera soloists, choirs, a children's choir and orchestra come together in a forest open-air arena. Precisely that combination is the confirmed identity of the current production.
If the reason for attending is "O Fortuna", the program returns that music to the whole from which it originated. If the reason is Italian opera, the gala presents different faces of the 19th and early 20th centuries - from Donizetti's vocal elegance to Verdi's choral expression and Puccini's drama. And if the location is decisive, NaturTheater offers a historic forest setting and a modernized auditorium with a movable roof.
It is worth securing tickets in good time. When arriving, one should also allow for the walking section from the parking area or for a transfer if coming by public transport, and the total duration of the evening should not be estimated solely according to the standard 65 minutes of "Carmina Burana", because the program also includes a separate operatic section.
Sources:
- ChursÀchsische Philharmonie / NaturTheater Bad Elster - date and time, complete program, performers, conductor and event address
- Singakademie Dresden - confirmation of the participation of GroĂer Chor and Kinderchor der Singakademie Dresden
- NaturTheater Bad Elster - arrival, parking, admission, weather conditions, entry rules and accessibility
- Orff-Zentrum MĂŒnchen and Carl-Orff-Stiftung - creation of "Carmina Burana", languages, original vocal forces, duration and history of the premiere
- LandesbĂŒhnen Sachsen - biographical information: Paul Gukhoe Song and Anna Erxleben
- Anna Maria Schmidt - biographical information and current ensemble engagement
- Singakademie Dresden - information about Michael KĂ€ppler and the artistic direction of the choir
- Elbland Philharmonie Sachsen - history and current profile of the orchestra
- NaturTheater Bad Elster / Bad Elster - history of the open-air stage and the town's tourism context
- Alfred Rein Ingenieure - modernization of the auditorium in 2018, movable roof and capacity