This 2-CD set features two of Carl Orff's major mid-twentieth-century stage works: Die Kluge (The Clever Woman / The Story of the King and the Clever Woman) and Der Mond (The Moon / A Little World Theater). Both pieces reflect Orff's distinct theatrical style, combining rhythmic dynamism, spoken dialogue, and folk-inspired storytelling. These definitive recordings are conducted by the renowned German conductor Herbert Kegel, leading the Rundfunkchor Leipzig and the Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester Leipzig.
Carl Orff (1895–1982) was a prominent German composer best known for Carmina Burana. His work focuses heavily on elemental music theater, integrating text, music, and movement. Herbert Kegel (1920–1990) was a highly respected conductor noted for his interpretations of contemporary music and twentieth-century masterworks. As the long-time leader of the Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra (Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester Leipzig) and Choir, Kegel established a reputation for precision, clarity, and dramatic intensity, making his Carl Orff recordings a benchmark in the classical discography.