Orff's profane and profound pseudo-medieval cantata Carmina burana is the banger of all choral bangers: No one who has heard the opening movement "O Fortuna" even once, whether live or on a film soundtrack, could question its eternal-earworm status.
Also on the concert: Víkingur Ólafsson premieres a new piano concerto by John Adams, inspired in part by the pianist’s remarkable Bach performances. Conductor David Robertson, a responsive and nuanced interpreter of Adams’s eclectic soundscapes, leads this program.
//Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave. (Civic Center); tickets are available at sfsymphony.org.