Symphonie Fantastique Drinking Game

This is part three of a series on Hector Berlioz.  Check out the other parts here:

A completely scientific and formal biography of Hector Berlioz

A completely factual, honest, and true list of real information and data about Hector Berlioz


So, it's looking like a little while until the next International Hector Berlioz Appreciation Day wanders around, so most of you probably haven't listened to Symphonie Fantastique for a few months... but, why?  Why should your appreciation of Jesus Chuck Norris Morgan Freeman Optimus Prime Aragorn son of Arathorn Hector Berlioz, man among men, be confined to a single day?  After all, was Berlioz's deep, passionate longing for one Ms. Smithson confined to a single day?  Of course not, it was all-encompasing and eternal.  As one who knows a touch of that bitter taste of unrequited love, we must of course pay our respects to the absolute master of unrequited love, and his Holy Graile of a worke that confined it so perfectly:  Symphonie Fantastique.  So, while you should of course listen to it on his holiday, feel free to invite friends over to listen to Fantastique on any day of the year!  To make this more appealing to those who haven't seen The Truth, I've made a nifty little drinking game to gather their attention.

Now, of course, the first thing you'll need is a recording of Fantastique.  I'll provide a pretty good one here, though my favourite (as usual) is Chicago... I'm such a huge Herseth fan.  Though ironically, I'm not too fond of his solo recordings.  It's his recordings in symphonies as a principal where he really shines, and Fantastique is no different.

Pay close attention to the theme that starts at 5:34.  That's the Beloved's theme, the object of our protagonist's affection.  It'll be a central part of this game.  Now, here are the rules:


+ Off the top... take a drink!  After all, you're the lonely bachelor... and we might as well get this party started with a bang.

+ Singing along will be required in certain passages, but is encouraged throughout.  There is no penalty for not singing along in areas not covered by the rules, but the other participants are allowed to make fun of you for it.

+ For every movement besides the first, take a drink when you hear a new timbre.  For example, the harp entry in the second movement, the English horn in the third (I believe), and the tubular bells and the col legno in the fifth.

+ If anyone makes a sound during a Grand Pause, take two drinks.

+ THE GOLDEN RULE:  Every time the Beloved's theme enters, the first person to yell "THEME!" gives a drink to the rest of the players.  Then, after drinking or yelling, everyone must sing along with the theme, or take two drinks if they stop or ignore it.  If you falsely called for the theme, take five drinks.  Use your discretion for the fragments in the first movement (most of them wouldn't count as a full entry).  The snippet in the fourth movement counts, and is in fact one of the most important ones.

+ NEW RULE ADDED MARCH 2013:  This is a direct corollary to the Golden Rule, and completely changes the way the game is played.  When a player activates the Golden Rule, if there is another player whose real life idée fixe is a mutual friend of them and the THEME-yeller, and the THEME-yeller doesn't know it, that player may elect to publicly reveal the identity of their idée fixe to all present. Everyone avoids their drink, and the THEME-yeller must finish their drink and get a new one. If the idée fixe is present in the game, they must finish their drink and get a new one as well, regardless of whether they knew or not.

+ If you get bored during the third movement, take a drink to make the time pass faster.  You can do this multiple times.

+ There are two shepherds at the start of the third movement.  At the end, there is only one.  The usual interpretation is that the other one left to escape the rain on the horizon, but I've always found this passage unnecessarily eerie, and interpreted it as the other shepherd having passed away.  Everyone takes a drink in his honour.

+ In the fourth movement, everyone cheers and drinks a toast during the two brass fanfares.

+ THE GALLOWS:  Another super-important rule, near the end of the first movement, the Beloved's theme returns.  After/during that, everyone must yell "BANG!" in sync with the guillotine, or else finish your drink and get a new one.  This stacks with the Golden Rule, so be quick about it so as not to miss the guillotine!

+ During the second entrance (first full entrance) of the Beloved's theme in the fifth movement, anyone in the room who has ever played an E-flat clarinet can elect to either finish their drink and get a new one, or get slapped in the face.  I hope you didn't miss the guillotine, because those stack!

+ During the fifth movement, everyone must sing along with the Deis Irae, using the lyrics "Deis Irae."  No penalty, but just... do it.  It's fun.  Especially if you sing it in as deep a voice you can for the low brass entrances.

+ And, of course, cheer, applaud, and toast for the grand finale!