Tobias Westman sings Carmina Burana with The Berlin Philharmonic choir at The Berlin Philharmonie May 31.

We conclude our season with "Carmina Burana." These very secular songs from Benediktbeuern, set to music by Carl Orff, are among the most popular choral works of the 20th century. They ignite a zest for life, for dance and pleasure, and, with the goddess Fortuna at their center, are a powerful symbol of the mutability and unpredictability of human existence. After the successful premiere in 1937, Orff wrote to his publisher: "Everything I have written so far, and which you have unfortunately printed, you can now pulp! My collected works begin with Carmina Burana."