# Drinking song's...



## hawk

I met a young man recently who is a singer and self described classical afficiando. 
During our discussion he made mention about classical drinking songs. I laughed thinking he was joking but he said it was not a joke and he would make a burn a cd for me with some examples.
As I was working, it was an art show, and had to attend to a perspective customer, I did not get the chance to ask him for names of composers.
Is anyone here familiar with any classical drinking songs?


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## opus67

Drinking, to me at least, brings to mind only Bach's 'Coffee Cantata'.


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## hawk

Navneeth,
Coffee cantata...hmmm is this a heart pounding piece


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## opus67

I don't think so. I have heard it only once, and it was nice, but it didn't put me to sleep at all.


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## hawk

Ahh..then it is similar to a piece called "Eine Nine-clock Music"


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## Chi_townPhilly

*Hey*! Now _there's_ a topic worthy of a hoist of a tankard!
O.K.: where do I start? (hic!)

*Brindisi* from Verdi's _La Traviata_.
*Academic Festival Overture* by Brahms mixes in the strains of that Heidelberg beer-quaffing favorite, "Guadiamus Igitur." 
Along the same lines, Alfven's *Swedish Rhapsody* includes a serious song that happens to be better known to Swedes as being parodied into a drinking song (rough lyrics begin: "how long will that jigger remain unconsumed on this table...") 
*In Taberna Quando Sumus* from Orff's _Carmina Burana_... and (beacuse I'm me, I can't leave without mention that in) Wagner's *Götterdämmerung*, Hagen concludes the _Summoning of the Vassals_ with an exhortation to "drink deep until drunkenness overcomes you!"


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## Mark Harwood

Is there libation to be quaffed in the words of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana? _Edit: I see that Chi town/Philly knows it._ I also have a vague idea that Tetley's beer is mentioned in something by Stravinsky, but I'm happy to be wrong about Stravinsky.


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## Methodistgirl

I have heard of the Coffee Cantata by Bach. A more recent song by Neil Diamond
called Red Red Wine. I know that it's not a classical piece but I guess we can say
it's a classical pop tune.
judy tooley


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## Chi_townPhilly

There are still "untouched glasses" left in this topic.

First, a clarification: The "Hur länge skall på borden" music is in Alfvén's "Swedish Rhapsody *No. 2*- the "Uppsala" rhapsody.

Secondly (I was waiting for Maestro K to chime in with this one, since I've no doubt he knows it better than I), many know the "Furiant" from early in Act II of Smetana's * Prodaná nevěsta* (Bartered Bride), but that act actually opens up with the chorus "To pivečko to věru je nebeský dar" (Beer is really a gift from heaven). Sounds like the _perfect_ tune for some Czechvar, or (if you prefer) Pilsner Urquell. (hic!) _ejchuchu!!_


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## Methodistgirl

There is one more song that comes to mind. The lyrics go "I like coffee I Like 
tea.
judy tooley


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## YsayeOp.27#6

> Is anyone here familiar with any classical drinking songs?


I am.


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## Methodistgirl

I know plenty of country songs that are drinking songs like "I like Beer, The Lord
Knows I'm Drinking, and Good Ole Mountain Dew. 
judy tooley


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## Rondo

Here's a neat little album I came across which may interest a few of you.


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## shsherm

The first song of Mahler's Das Lied Von Der Erde is actually a drinking song.


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## Badinerie

Strange...I thought we were in " Student prince or" La Traviata" territory here...


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## Chi_townPhilly

Rondo said:


> Here's a neat little album I came across which may interest a few of you.


Nice find, *Rondo*!


Badinerie said:


> Strange... I thought we were in "Student Prince" or "La Traviata" territory here...


Yup, they're both on the album *Rondo* found for us.

As long as this topic's still alive, here's another one: Overture ends, curtain raises on Ambroise Thomas' _Mignon_- and the chorus begins "Bons bourgeois et notables/assis autor des tables/fumons* tranquillement/et buvons en fumant... Que la bière brune ou blanc/écume dans les pots!/Mes amis gaiement, vidon les brocs!"

As good townsfolk and citizens/sitting around the tables/let us smoke* in peace/and enjoy our drinking... Let the beer, light or dark/foam in our mugs!/My friends, with cheer, let us drain our glasses!

*This brief nod to smoking is probably _not quite_ sufficient to qualify this ditty as Classical Music's first "blazing song."


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## Methodistgirl

Tiny bubbles by Don Ho.
judy tooley


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## sospiro

I know it's not what the OP meant but any excuse to see DH


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## Falstaft

"Inaffia l'ugola" from _Otello _is hard to beat! There's also Varlaam's song from Boris Gudonov -- not literally about drinking but clearly to accompany it as an activity. Similar stuff goes for Tavern music in any envisioning of Faust, I should think.


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## myaskovsky2002

*I am familiar with some French songs...*

I've learnt from my mother this one...

Chevaliers de la table ronde;

Chevaliers de la table ronde, goûtons voir si le vin est bon...

Well...the guy here doesn't sing very well and has a weird accent, but the songs seems like that:






Other are a bit different and I'm not sure are à boire...

Le bon roi Dagobert (comes from Middle age)










My dear mother was French and I grew up with all this magic!






Souvenirs d'enfance!

Martin Pitchon


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## janealex

No i dont know about drink songs, i think this would be some type of cafe songs :S, dont you have his number?


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## johogofo

Perhaps Mussorgsky could answer that


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## CageFan

Oho..You will be in love with Brindisi(Drinking Song) from Verdi's La Traviata-Act I.

The following link is the best version that I heard so far from Placido Domingo(He was vey young then).

Youtube Link you may sample listen:


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## Aksel

Here's a drinking song that might not be too familiar to most people. It's the drinking song from Jeppe på Bjerget (after Holberg's comedy) by Geirr Tveitt.

Clip is from the opening gala of the new opera house in Oslo.


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## sospiro

Aksel said:


> Here's a drinking song that might not be too familiar to most people. It's the drinking song from Jeppe på Bjerget (after Holberg's comedy) by Geirr Tveitt.
> 
> Clip is from the opening gala of the new opera house in Oslo.



Brilliant!

An excellent addition to our list of drinking songs.


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## Olias

The third movement of Brahms 4th Symphony has been described as a musical depiction of sailors merrily drinking in a tavern.


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## Aksel

sospiro said:


> Brilliant!
> 
> An excellent addition to our list of drinking songs.


Good!
For anyone wondering, the song from Jeppe is about how camels are stupid because they only think about water when they roam the desert. And how men with wits don't think like camels because they only think about beer, wine and stronger alcoholic beverages.
I might attempt a translation of the lyrics if anyone is interested. 'Cause I'm like that, yo.

And also, the drunk aria from La Périchole by Offenbach (Ah! quel dîner!) I know, it's in Norwegian. And a duet. But I find it funny. Again, it's from the opening gala of the new Norwegian Opera.


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## SixFootScowl

From the opera Martha, by Flotow. Terrible performance, but great aria. Only one I could find on You Tube with live action and sung in English is posted below. However, for an excellent performance in the original German, click here (audio on You Tube).


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## Pugg

Roberto Alagna & Tiziana Fabbricini - Brindisi ( Libiamo ne' lieti )( La Traviata - Giuseppe Verdi )

My all time favourite, even this production, should be on DVD release.


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## Azol

Has no one mentioned the great "Bonheur de la table" yet?!? Shame on you...






P.S. Does "Pirates drinking song" from Offenbach's Robinson Crusoe count?


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## Azol

Le Comte Ory has nice drinking song too:


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## Pugg

Ghena Dimitrova & Pietro Cappuccilli-Macbeth-Act II-Brindisi-"Si colmi il calice di vinoi..."

The drinking song from Macbeth.:cheers:


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## palJacky

*Vaarlem's*



johogofo said:


> Perhaps Mussorgsky could answer that


Mussorgsky's 'Boris' does have the great 'Varlaam's song' sung by a drunk in a bar...

Not really a 'drinking song' in the traditional sense since it isn't the type of ditty the whole place wants to join in, but it does capture a drunk bragging about his war days.


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## Pugg

Verdi - Otello - Inaffia l'ugola! (Drinking song)


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## Tchaikov6

Brahms's Academic Festival Overture is basically a medley of student drinking songs- the whole pieces is a joke, almost a "prank" pulled on the University of Breslau.


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