Bach’s Cantata No. 211, “Coffee”

I couldn’t find a suitable MP3 link, so I won’t use background music. It’s on YouTube, so I’ll paste it here to share.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzX2LBfVcUg
The following introduction is reprinted from http://www.yyjy.com/yybk/mqhc/qt/200601/12945.html
     《“Coffee” Cantata》 was written in 1732 for the “Music Society” in Leipzig. In Bach’s time, drinking coffee was fashionable in German cities; coffeehouses became social venues, bustling with activity and also offering musical performances. However, coffee was expensive, and ordinary citizens often restricted the young people in their households from indulging in coffee. Bach set this social trend as the backdrop and composed this “Coffee” Cantata. The whole piece has three roles and no chorus.
     In the first number, the tenor solo takes the role of narrator, and his recitative introduces the characters and the beginning of the plot to the audience: “Quiet, don’t say a word. Look, here comes Schlendrian, and his daughter Lieschen is with him. Schlendrian looks rather downcast; let me tell you what’s going on…”
     In the second number, the bass sings the role of the father, Schlendrian, and his aria goes: “Children these days are really disobedient. I have to scold her every day, but she never listens…”
     In the third number, the soprano sings as Lieschen: “Drinking coffee is the greatest pleasure; coffee, coffee, it is sweeter than wine!” In this section, the strings and harpsichord weave a lively accompaniment supporting the soprano’s singing, and the flute obbligato adds even more brilliance to the music.
     The fifth and seventh numbers are a dialogue between father and daughter. The father says that if his daughter insists on drinking coffee, then he will not let her go out, nor will he buy her pretty clothes and knitting needles; but the daughter wants nothing except coffee. The sixth section is an aria sung by Schlendrian, unable to persuade Lieschen. At the end of the seventh number, the father produces his last resort: if his daughter will not give up drinking coffee, then he will not let her get married!
     In the eighth number, Lieschen’s aria. She gives in, and asks her father to quickly find her a suitable husband.
     In the ninth number, the narrator tells the ending of the story: Lieschen’s only requirement for her future husband is that whenever she needs it, he must immediately bring her a delicious cup of coffee! (–Is that surrender?)
     In the tenth number, the final trio: “Just as a cat must catch mice, everyone must drink coffee. Since father and mother like to drink it, and grandmother likes it too, why not let the daughter drink it?!”

Translated from the Chinese original with AI assistance. The original text is authoritative.