Talk:List of patter songs

Old comment

There are no sources for any of these songs indicating that they meet the requirements of a patter song. Not even the G&S songs. I suspect all the G&S songs listed are patter songs, but not every G&S song was. Gavroche42 (talk) 12:12, 21 April 2008 (UTC)

What is a patter song?

I notice that there is a bit of an 'edit war' going on over this article. I have been collecting G&S related material for over 30 years and performing the operas for as long, and I can state that "Rising early in the morning" from The Gondoliers is regarded as a patter song. Please do not revert where there is a dispute without discussing on the talk page. That's how things are done here. Thanks. Jack1956 (talk) 07:07, 24 April 2009 (UTC)

I concur with Jack. A metronome or stopwatch and a representative sample of recordings would show that "Rising Early in the Morning" contains more syllables to the minute than many of the other patter songs listed in the article, including “Bin Akademiker, Doktor und Chemiker”; “Well, you're a pretty kind of fellow”; “At the outset I may mention”; “When I Was a Lad”; “If you give me your attention”; “Henceforth all the crimes that I find in The Times”; “When I; good friends; was called to the bar”; and “I've wisdom from the East and from the West”. Tim riley (talk) 13:41, 24 April 2009 (UTC)

Based on a review of recordings, I agree with Jack1956 and Tim riley. After its introductory section, "Rising Early in the Morning", launches into two speedy verses of classic patter. -- Ssilvers (talk) 14:04, 24 April 2009 (UTC)

Can we get a consensus on whether any of the other songs on the list should be deleted? Please see the criteria at Patter song. I would keep "When I was a Lad", Gama's song and Judge's song, since they are classic "catalogue" numbers that recite the character's rise to power, and they have a steady, sustained rhythm, even though not blazingly fast. As for "Henceforth all the crimes", I have to disagree: that is super fast if sung correctly. Also, there are a lot of rather obscure numbers listed here that I have never heard: are they all patter songs at all? -- Ssilvers (talk) 14:07, 24 April 2009 (UTC)

The pre-Savoy ones: the Cornelius, Donizetti, Mozart and Rossini all qualify, in my view. I don't know the Glinka and could very easily be persuaded that the Schubert isn't patter. The Savoy list seems right as it is. Of the post G&S numbers, I am familiar with the Coward, German, Lehrer, and Weill which I think are rightly included. The Fauré comes as a surprise - I must go and check it: he wasn't usually an up-tempo man. I cannot offer any opinion on the others. Tim riley (talk) 17:07, 24 April 2009 (UTC)

Regarding "Rising Early in the Morning", I'd make a couple of points since people seem fixated on claiming it as a patter song. Mainly, they're derived from the definition at the main article. In the intro paragraph, the article claims that:
1. It is characterized by a moderately fast to very fast tempo. At best, this is a "moderately fast" tempo, certainly in comparison with other G&S patter songs such as "My Eyes are Fully Open" or "I am the Very Model". When compared with the other G&S patter songs here, though, I'd venture that it's by far the slowest on the list, so perhaps "moderately fast" is incorrect.
2. a rapid succession of rhythmic patterns in which each syllable of text corresponds to one note. True.
3. The lyric of a patter song generally features tongue-twisting rhyming text...intended to be entertaining to listen to at rapid speed. With the exception of some parts of the chorus, this simply isn't the case for "Rising Early".
4. the musical accompaniment is lightly orchestrated and fairly simple, to emphasize the text. Borderline. Again, in comparison to more obvious patter songs as listed earlier, the orchestra does a heck of a lot more.
5. often intended as a showpiece for a comic character. "Rising Early" is patently not. The two gondoliers are the heroic characters, with the comic relief being provided by the Duke and Duchess of Plaza Toro.
6. usually a bass or baritone. Prove me wrong, but surely both gondoliers are tenors.
So, of the six criteria outlined in the article, "Rising Early" scores full marks on one of them (the second). Part marks awarded on numbers 1, 3 and 4, although two of those criteria are couched only in relative terms. In other words, our definition is going to exclude it quite easily.

Don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful song and a wonderful operetta overall. Knowing that it's not a patter song has never diminished the enjoyment I get from it. BigHaz - Schreit mich an 23:48, 25 April 2009 (UTC)

• To answer your Point 6, Marco Palmieri is a tenor while Giuseppe is a baritone. See here [1] Jack1956 (talk) 16:36, 26 April 2009 (UTC)

BigHaz: I basically disagree with 1 above, agree with 2, strongly disagree with 3, disagree with 4. Basically agree with 5, although the two gondoliers are certainly comic characters as well as romantic characters. 6 shows that you have no idea what you are talking about. Giuseppe is a baritone, and rising early is a baritone song. -- Ssilvers (talk) 20:31, 26 April 2009 (UTC)

OK, so your opinion is that it meets the criteria. Mine is that it does not. At this point, we need sources to include something as a fact, since that's the way these things work. And if you want to repeat that claim that I don't know what I'm talking about, then go right ahead. Given that there is a dispute about whether it's a fact or not, the song shouldn't be in the list. BigHaz - Schreit mich an 21:22, 26 April 2009 (UTC)