Carl Orff and Orff Schulwerk:
The Process, The Man, The Mission
Carl Orff (1895-1982) & His Schulwerk
Source - Orff Schulwerk: Applications for the Classroom by Brigitte Warner, Prentice-Hall, 1991

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.