Libiamo ne'lieti calici is the most famous duet from Verdi

Giuseppe Verdi

Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...

's La traviata

La traviata

La traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La dame aux Camélias , a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The title La traviata means literally The Fallen Woman, or perhaps more figuratively, The Woman...

, one of the most well known fragments of opera

Opera

Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...

 around the world, and an obligatory performance (as is this opera itself) for any great tenor

Tenor

The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...

. The song is categorised as a Brindisi

Brindisi (music)

A is a song in which a company is exhorted to drink, a drinking song.The word is Italian, but it derives from an old German phrase, – " offer it to you", which at one time was used to introduce a toast...

, which encourages alcoholic drinking. Those who have performed it include Luciano Pavarotti

Luciano Pavarotti

right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...

, Giuseppe di Stefano

Giuseppe Di Stefano

Giuseppe Di Stefano was an Italian operatic tenor who sang professionally from the late 1940s until the early 1990s. He was known as the "Golden voice" or "The most beautiful voice", as the true successor of Beniamino Gigli...

, Teresa Stratas

Teresa Stratas

Teresa Stratas, OC , is a retired Canadian operatic soprano. She is especially well-known for her award-winning recording of Alban Berg's Lulu.-Early life and career:...

, Nino Machaidze

Nino Machaidze

Nino Machaidze is a Georgian coloratura soprano.Her breakthrough came after being spotted as Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi at La Scala, leading to the opportunity to play Juliette in the Salzburg Festival in 2008 in Gounod's Romeo et Juliette opposite Rolando Villazón.Discography:* Opera Fedora,...

 , Plácido Domingo

Plácido Domingo

Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...

, Raimo Sirkiä

Raimo Sirkiä

Raimo Sirkiä is a Finnish operatic tenor whose repertoire ranges from spinto to dramatic. Mr. Sirkia's most famous roles are Otello, Calaf, Tannhäuser, Siegmund, and Lohengrin....

, José Carreras

José Carreras

Josep Maria Carreras i Coll , better known as José Carreras , is a Spanish Catalan tenor particularly known for his performances in the operas of Verdi and Puccini...

, Enrico Caruso, Andrea Bocelli

Andrea Bocelli

Andrea Bocelli, is an Italian tenor, multi-instrumentalist and classical crossover artist. Born with poor eyesight, he became blind at the age of twelve following a soccer accident....

, Angela Gheorghiu

Angela Gheorghiu

Angela Gheorghiu is a Romanian soprano opera singer. Since her professional debut in 1990, she has sung as soprano leading roles at New York's Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden's Royal Opera House, the Vienna State Opera, Milan's La Scala, and many other opera houses in Europe and the United States...

, Violetta Villas

Violetta Villas

Violetta Villas is a Belgian-born Polish and international singer, actress, composer and songwriter. Her voice is characterized as coloratura soprano, she has five-octave vocal range and absolute pitch. Villas can play the piano, violin and trombone...

, Anna Netrebko

Anna Netrebko

Anna Yuryevna Netrebko is an Russian operatic soprano. She now holds dual Russian and Austrian citizenship and currently resides in Vienna. She has been nicknamed "La Bellissima" by fans.-Biography:...

, Tarja Turunen

Tarja Turunen

Tarja Soile Susanna Turunen Cabuli is a Finnish singer-songwriter and composer. She is a full lyric soprano and has a vocal range of three octaves....

 and many others. The words were written by Francesco Maria Piave

Francesco Maria Piave

Francesco Maria Piave was an Italian opera librettist who was born in Murano in the lagoon of Venice, during the brief Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy. His career spanned over twenty years working with many of the significant composers of his day...

.

The scene

The duet is performed in the first act of the opera, at Violetta Valéry's house, and it is sung by Alfred Germont and Violetta. Alfred is a young man in love with Violetta. The scene is a late-night party at Violetta's house. Alfred is convinced by Gastone (Alfred's friend) and Violetta to show off his voice. He sings this drinking song.

Libretto

Old Italian (spoken by the upper social class of the 1850s)	Translation to Modern English
[Alfred]	[Alfred]
Libiamo, libiamo ne'lieti calici	Let's drink, let's drink from this merry chalice Chalice (cup) A chalice is a goblet or footed cup intended to hold a drink. In general religious terms, it is intended for drinking during a ceremony.-Christian:...
che la bellezza infiora.	that beauty so truly enhances
E la fuggevol, fuggevol ora s'inebrii	And the brief moment will be happily inebriated
a voluttà	with voluptuousness
Libiam ne'dolci fremiti	Let's drink for the
che suscita l'amore,	that love arouses
poiché quell'ochio al core onnipotente va.	Because this eye aims straight to the almighty heart
Libiamo, amore, amor fra i calici	Let's drink, my love, and the love among the chalices
più caldi baci avrà	will make the kisses hotter
[Coro]	[Chorus]
Ah! Libiam, amor, fra' calici più caldi baci avrà	The chalices will make the kisses hotter
[Violetta]	[Violetta]
Tra voi tra voi saprò dividere	With you all, I can share
il tempo mio giocondo;	my happiest times
Tutto è follia, follia nel mondo	Everything in life
ciò che non è piacer	which is not pleasure is foolish
Godiam, fugace e rapido	Let's enjoy ourselves
e'il gaudio dell'amore,	for the delight of love is fleeting and quick
e'un fior che nasce e muore,	It's like a flower that blooms and dies
ne più si può goder	And we can no longer enjoy it
Godiamo, c'invita, c'invita un fervido	So enjoy; A and
accento lusinghier.	voice invites us!
[Coro]	[Chorus]
Godiamo, la tazza, la tazza e il cantico,	Be happy; The wine and singing
la notte abbella e il riso;	beautify both the night and the laughter
in questo, in questo paradiso ne scopra il nuovo dì	Let the new day find us in this paradise
[Violetta]	[Violetta]
La vita è nel tripudio	Life means celebration
[Alfred]	[Alfred]
Quando non s'ami ancora	Only if one hasn't known love
[Violetta]	[Violetta]
Nol dite a chi l'ignora,	Don't tell someone who doesn't know
[Alfred]	[Alfred]
E'il mio destin così...	But this is my fate...
[Tutti]	[All]
Godiamo, la tazza, la tazza e il cantico,	Be happy; The wine and singing
la notte abbella e il riso;	beautify both the night and the laughter
in questo, in questo paradiso ne scopra il nuovo dì.	Let the new day find us in this paradise

External links

• Plácido Domingo and Teresa Stratas singing "The drinking song"
• Traviata music score