The Art of Listening

Of course, one of the things that make any celebration (secular celebration, that is, of course) with a swing is the frequent application of alcohol.

And where would drink be without song?

Here are a few famous examples:

Mozart’s Don Giovanni does some party planning:

… while at chez Verdi the party is already in full swing:

… and it’s not just the upper-crust of Paris with their wine who can throw a great get-together – Weber’s huntsmen manage a jolly beer-swilling singsong in Der Freischütz (here played by the completely sober – as far as one can tell – horn section of the Berlin Philharmonic):

… the Czechs, like the Germans, are (mostly) beer drinkers, but in their case it’s not song that (slight?) inebriation brings on but dance – the almost inevitable Polka:

… finally, post-party, the hair of the dog (though the liquid that Verdi’s poor old Falstaff had over indulged in was Thames water!)

---

Pontarddulais!

Any copyrighted material on these pages is included as “fair use”, for the purpose of study, and critical analysis only, and will be removed at the request of the copyright owner(s).