L'orgie

The text paints a vivid picture of a joyous, perhaps slightly wild, banquet. The singer relishes the revelry, the flowing wine, the scattered fruits, and the general disorder. He looks forward to a future reunion, even in old age, with his friends, still toasting Bacchus, the god of wine. The music is for solo tenor and bass voices, sung in French. It is a secular aria, celebrating the pleasures of the table and good company with an almost defiant hedonism. The words urge indulgence, suggesting that even in old age, the spirit of youthful celebration can be rekindled with wine and song, symbolized by ivy covering old trees.