Mobile Opera Intermezzo Season
Coffeeb y J.S.C Bach antata
Libretto
Featuring Mollie Adams, Thomas Rowell and Patrick Jacobs Eric Andries, Accompanist Libretto by Scott Wright
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NARRATOR: Attention. If you will but listen. As the scene unfolds. Here comes old Schlendrian with his daughter Lieschen in tow. He growls old like a grizzly bear. From himself his complaint you will hear.
SCHLENDRIAN: Everyone knows that with children, they will never listen, they will never learn. Anything I tell my Lieschen, to my pleading she a deafened ear will turn. Or she listens like her mother, in one ear and out the other. In one ear and out the other! What to do when sage advice is offered freely and with caring? Yet it all amounts to nothing. She disdains all wise endeavor, while she thinks herself so clever, and it all amounts to nothing, to nothing much at all. She disdains all wise endeavor, while she thinks herself so clever, and it all to nothing comes. She has coffee every morning, every afternoon and evening – coffee! Oh! Too much, too often; yes too much and far too often. She will drink it by the gallon, ‘til her nerves are set on fire! Everyone knows that with children, they will never listen, they will never learn Anything I tell my Lieschen, to my pleading she a deafened ear will turn. Or she listens like her mother, in one ear and out the other. Might as well be said to her while she isn’t even here for all she hears!
You wicked girl, rebellious maiden. Ah! When will you listen me? Stop drinking coffee now!
LIESCHEN: Dear father, oh don’t be so hard. I have to have my coffee or else my mood is not so nice. In fact, I could be cold as ice and I would be so hard to live with!
Ah! Such sweetness coffee lends to life. Lovelier than thousands of kisses – Smoother than muscatel wine! Ah! Oooh! I love my coffee. Oh-yes! Such guilty pleasure! Ah such sweetness coffee offers, Lovelier than thousands of kisses – Smoother than muscatel wine! Smoother than muscatel wine! Coffee, coffee, coffee I must have every day. For rich coffee is comfort in every way. Ah! Mmmmm! Give me my coffee. Ah, so dear that coffee mine! Coffee, French press, freshly ground espresso! Even cinnamon cappuccino! Ah! Sweet! Oh just give me my coffee, dear coffee mine! Coffee, coffee, ah so sweet my coffee. Ah just give me my coffee now! Ah! Such sweetness coffee lends to life! Lovelier than thousands of kisses – Smoother than muscatel wine! Smoother than muscatel wine!
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Yes! Please! One cup of coffee! One more, oh just one more. More coffee, yes coffee. Ah, the sweetness, elixir mine; oh coffee, rich and fine, Lovelier than thousands of kisses – smoother than muscatel wine! More satisfying than all the other drinks combined!
SCHLENDRIAN: If you won’t give up coffee now, you won’t be going anywhere. No gatherings, no more parties.
LIESCHEN: So what. I’ll stay here by my coffee pot.
SCHLENDRIAN: She’s even getting more defiant! Then you’ll be out of fashion; choose your coffee or your shopping.
LIESCHEN: I have enough until next season.
SCHLENDRIAN: Then I shall take your phone and laptop and the account at Verizon.
LIESCHEN: Okay, then, just leave me my coffee. Take what you will but coffee stays.
SCHLENDRIAN: No TV, car or phone for one so obstinate and headstrong. Now you’ll forfeit every pleasure.
LIESCHEN: Yeah, yeah. At least I’ll have my treasure
SCHLENDRIAN: I find it far too strange you’d give up everything for coffee. Women of a stubborn mind set. So difficult to reason with, agreement you can never get. Women! Women! Daughters drive their fathers round the bend. Who knows how this will end? She will constantly defy me to get her way every day. Daughters drive their fathers mad. If just this once she’d listen to an opinion of her crazy dad. But if I could find the right thing, one thing to change her mind. Oh! ‘twould be the pot of old, o! ‘twould be the pot of gold! The thing to change her mind. The thing to change her mind. But what could be that one thing? The thing to change her mind, O! The thing to change her mind. The thing to make her think about the way to kick her caffeine habit. Her caffeine habit, her caffeine habit! What could do the trick? Yes, what could do the trick? I know the thing that can do the trick.
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SCHLENDRIAN: Now daughter, do as I say!
LIESCHEN: In all things…..except coffee.
SCHLENDRIAN: Well then! You shall not date nor shall ever find a young man for a husband.
LIESCHEN: Oh yes! Dear father find a man!
SCHLENDRIAN: I swear that will never happen.
LIESCHEN: Until my coffee habit’s broken? No coffee from now on. Then listen father, dear, I’ll never touch the stuff.
SCHLENDRIAN: My dear you’ve made me very happy!
LIESCHEN: I know that there is one for me. Oh, Daddy happy we will be! The very one! You’ll have a son and you will have a happy daughter. Ah! A man! Oh yes! A man! Yes that’s just what I need. Find me a man! Hurry please! Do not tease. My dearest father set my poor heart at ease. Ah! Ah! Ah, a man! Just what I need to help me understand. Give me your hand. Won’t this be grand! Dearest father find me a man! Hurry up please! Do not tease. Father set my mind at ease, Find me a man, fast as you can Make it your plan. Go out and find me a wonderful man. Ah! Ah, ah! I won’t take another sip. No more French press, no more drip, ‘til you find my heart’s desire. Ah, ah, coffee no, no. I won’t with that coffee bother Now my nights will be hot, not with coffee but with a lover
Why do men think (if you can call it thinking) Women need refrain from drink? If you have for something a taste, don’t let any time go to waste. Whatever vice, wine, whiskey or toffee. Take my advice and savor the coffee! Like what you do and do what you like. Dream your dreams and live your life. Sip the cup, don’t guzzle too fast, for you know that the mood doesn’t last. So let’s savor it; all the flavor of it. For I have it on best advices, we should all enjoy our vices.
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NARRATOR: Some pity show for poor old Schlendrian. He has been bested by his daughter. For any man will fail the test. For Lieschen has this fact made known, no suitor will be entertained unless the man has first proclaimed, to interfere he always will abstain. If e’er her love he hopes to claim, her coffee she’ll always retain.
TRIO: Now let this truth be ever told. Forever one may criticize and scold But one can never force change on another. For all it gets is frets and bother. The moral which we give for free - forget the fighting, listen to me. So little time we have to spend here, so let all the argument, contention and trouble end here. And from now on, savor the coffee.
Now let this truth be ever told. Forever one may criticize and scold But one can never force change on another. For all it gets is frets and bother. So live your life, enjoy your simple vice. Since life is short, let’s take this sage advice. Before you fault the habits of another, think twice before you criticize and maybe try it on for size. So little time we have to spend, let the trouble end. So then, wake up and smell the coffee!
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