Apart from Richard Strauss, Carl Orff is the most important Bavarian composer of the 20th century. Today, Carmina Burana is the most frequently performed choral work of all time, but other works by Carl Orff have fallen into oblivion. This is most notably the case with his Greek dramas, and also his Bavarian pieces, but various new productions are heralding a renaissance: the Darmstadt State Theatre has addressed Oedipus and Antigone in productions by John Dew, and the Orff Festival in Andechs, under the artistic direction of Hellmuth Matiasek, has broken fresh ground with new productions of Astutuli and Die Bernauerin.

The Carl Orff DVD series - created by B.O.A. Videofilmkunst Munich under the direction of Peider A. Defilla - presents a new view of the composer Carl Orff.

Oedipus
According to the Delphic Oracle, Oedipus, ruler of Thebes, can only save his city from doom if he solves the murder of his predecessor Laius. In the course of the investigation, Oedipus himself is accused of regicide and realises that, several years earlier, he unwittingly killed Laius, his own father, and married Jocasta, his mother. Thereupon, Oedipus blinds himself.

Cast:
- Norbert Schmittberg (Oedipus)
- Dimitry Ivashchenko (A priest)
- Andreas Daum (Kreon)
- Oleksandr Prytolyuk (Choragus)
- Markus Durst (Choragus)
- Mark Adler (Tiresias)
- Yamina Maamar (Iokasta)
- Stefan Umhey (messenger from Corinth)
- Hans-Joachim Porcher (shepherd of Laius)

Stage Director: John Dew