{"id":44103,"date":"2024-06-24T21:48:21","date_gmt":"2024-06-24T19:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/54f8f31c-ed3f-42d6-95e0-52c18ecd1e23"},"modified":"2024-06-24T22:36:06","modified_gmt":"2024-06-24T20:36:06","slug":"the-best-classical-drinking-songs-eight-bibulous-masterpieces-and-one-imposter","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/the-best-classical-drinking-songs-eight-bibulous-masterpieces-and-one-imposter\/","title":{"rendered":"The best classical drinking songs: eight bibulous masterpieces (and one imposter)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By <\/p>

Published: Monday, 24 June 2024 at 19:48 PM<\/p>

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Here are some favourite pieces of classical music with somewhat bibulous associations. Yes, it’s our list of the best classical drinking songs. Cheers!<\/p>

Classical drinking songs<\/h2>

Henry Purcell – various, actually<\/h3>
Locked out of the house by his wife after a drunken night at the theatre, Purcell<\/a><\/strong> caught a chill and died at the age of 36. Or so the myth goes. Regardless of whether or not it brought him to an untimely end, there can be no doubt that Purcell liked a good tipple. Amongst his many drinking songs are excellent titles such as \u2018I gave her cakes and I gave her ale\u2019 and \u2018Wine in a morning makes us frolic and gay.\u2019<\/p>
More about Purcell’s drinking songs<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul>
Johannes Brahms – Academic Festival Overture <\/h3>
In 1879 the University of Breslau awarded Brahms<\/a><\/strong> an honorary doctorate. After sending a letter of thanks, he was informed that the University expected a grander statement than a mere note. ‘Compose a fine symphony for us!’ wrote conductor Bernard Scholz; ‘but well orchestrated, old boy, not too uniformly thick.’ <\/p>
Rather than the honourable gesture that the University had requested, Brahms orchestrated a ‘very boisterous potpourri of student drinking songs’, the premiere of which he conducted (gleefully) in 1881. Though university officials were less than impressed, we can safely assume that the students appreciated the effort.<\/p>
<\/div><\/figure><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-giuseppe-verdi-libiamo-ne-lieti-calici-from-la-traviata\"> Giuseppe Verdi – ‘Libiamo ne\u2019lieti calici\u2019 from <em>La traviata<\/em> <\/h3><p>\u2018Let\u2019s drink\u2026and may the brief moment be inebriated with voluptuousness\u2019 sings the young romantic Alfredo in this most famous of drinking songs from <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/giuseppe-verdi\">Verdi<\/a><\/strong>‘s famous opera <em>La traviata<\/em>. He wins Violetta and the entire chorus over, and they quickly join in this rapturous song. Well, wouldn\u2019t you?<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-sigmund-romberg-drinking-song-from-the-student-prince\">Sigmund Romberg – Drinking song from <em>The Student Prince \u00ad<\/em><\/h3><p>This song certainly wins first prize for realism. The students of Heidelberg’s cry of \u2018Drink! Drink! Drink\u2019 is the most manageable drinking song of any on this list, though its operetta (think <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/best-gilbert-and-sullivan-operettas\">Gilbert and Sullivan<\/a><\/strong>) style has nothing on Verdi. <\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-more-memorable-classical-drinking-songs\">More memorable classical drinking songs<\/h2><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-hector-berlioz-certain-rat-dans-la-cusine-from-the-damnation-of-faust\">Hector Berlioz – \u2018Certain rat, dans la cusine\u2019 from <em>The Damnation of Faust<\/em><\/h3><p>This is a sad tale of a rat who, after living the high life in a kitchen, is killed by a dose of poison. The aria from <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/hector-berlioz\">Berlioz<\/a><\/strong>‘s <em>La damnation de Faust<\/em> makes it onto our list because it is sung, by an already inebriated student, as a prelude to more drinking. In the opera it is followed by a tale of a flea who brings his relative to infest a whole royal court. Flea 1, Rat 0.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-jacques-offenbach-ah-quel-diner-from-la-perichole\">Jacques Offenbach – \u2018Ah! Quel d\u00eener\u2019 from <em>La P\u00e9richole<\/em><\/h3><p>Perhaps the best thing about this song is the wonderful performance by Dame Joan Sutherland (below), which comes with hiccups included. In true <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/jacques-offenbach\">Offenbach<\/a><\/strong> style, P\u00e9richole (Sutherland) is about to get married to her equally drunk (and totally unaware) lover, Piquillo.<\/p><p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"350\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cQfpbH3LkAs\" width=\"625\"\/><\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-mozart-finch-han-dal-vino-from-don-giovanni\">Mozart – \u2018Finch\u2019han dal vino\u2019 from <em>Don Giovanni<\/em> <\/h3><p>Traditionally performed with a glass of bubbly in one hand, this drinking song has earned the rather classy alternative name of \u2018the Champagne <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/musical-terms\/what-aria\">aria<\/a><\/strong>\u2019. In it, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/mozart\">Mozart<\/a><\/strong>‘s operatic hero Giovanni orders his servant Leporello to make ready for a party. There must be a great feast with enough wine for everyone to get drunk on, and dancing that will last all night long.<\/p><ul><li><strong><em>Don Giovanni <\/em>made it onto our list of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/20-greatest-operas-all-time\">greatest operas of all time<\/a>…<\/strong><\/li><li>… <strong>and Mozart onto the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/the-greatest-opera-composers-of-all-time\">greatest opera composers<\/a>!<\/strong><\/li><\/ul><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-pietro-mascagni-intanto-amici-qua-viva-il-vino-spumeggiante-from-cavalleria-rusticana\">Pietro Mascagni – \u2018Intanto, amici, qua\u2026Viva il vino spumeggiante\u2019 from <em>Cavalleria Rusticana <\/em><\/h3><p>\u2018Hail to the bubbling wine!\u2019 Amen. It seems at this point in <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/pietro-mascagni\">Mascagni<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s <em>verismo<\/em> opera <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/recordings\/cavalleria-rusticana-best-recordings\"><strong>Cavalleria Rusticana<\/strong><\/a><\/em> that all will be well. Sadly that isn\u2019t quite the case (due to a somewhat overdramatic bite on the ear) but it doesn\u2019t diminish the sheer joy of this party scene.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-and-an-imposter\"><strong>And an imposter\u2026<\/strong><\/h3><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-georges-bizet-votre-toast-from-carmen\">Georges Bizet – \u2018Votre toast\u2019 from <em>Carmen<\/em><\/h3><p>This is often called a drinking song, despite only one tiny reference to booze! Still, a more rousing ode you will not find – the perfect tune for an indulgent evening. Well done, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/georges-bizet\">Georges Bizet<\/a><\/strong>. Next round is on you.<\/p><ul><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/bizet-s-carmen-what-listen-next\">Bizet’s <em>Carmen<\/em>: what to listen to next<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Published: Monday, 24 June 2024 at 19:48 PM Here are some favourite pieces of classical music with somewhat bibulous associations. Yes, it’s our list of the best classical drinking songs. Cheers! Classical drinking songs Henry Purcell – various, actually Locked out of the house by his wife after a drunken night at the theatre, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":44104,"template":"","categories":[1,17],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"4"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/06\/the-best-classical-drinking-songs-eight-bibulous-masterpieces-and-one-imposter.png",1188,888,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/06\/the-best-classical-drinking-songs-eight-bibulous-masterpieces-and-one-imposter-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/06\/the-best-classical-drinking-songs-eight-bibulous-masterpieces-and-one-imposter-300x224.png",300,224,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/06\/the-best-classical-drinking-songs-eight-bibulous-masterpieces-and-one-imposter-768x574.png",768,574,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/06\/the-best-classical-drinking-songs-eight-bibulous-masterpieces-and-one-imposter-1024x765.png",800,598,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/06\/the-best-classical-drinking-songs-eight-bibulous-masterpieces-and-one-imposter.png",1188,888,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/06\/the-best-classical-drinking-songs-eight-bibulous-masterpieces-and-one-imposter.png",1188,888,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Published: Monday, 24 June 2024 at 19:48 PM Here are some favourite pieces of classical music with somewhat bibulous associations. Yes, it’s our list of the best classical drinking songs. Cheers! Classical drinking songs Henry Purcell – various, actually Locked out of the house by his wife after a drunken night at the theatre,…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/44103"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}