Bach wrote the Coffee Cantata, “Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht”, to show how much coffee meant to him. At the time, coffee was a drink for men, and women had to make do with tea. Twice a week, Bach went to Zimmermann’s for a cup.
Beethoven and Mahler couldn’t do without it either. For Beethoven, coffee was part of his creative process; for Mahler, it was a source of inspiration. Making and drinking it, the taste and smell, and perhaps the caffeine gave these composers a pause in which to gather energy and ideas.
Voltaire said coffee was a great power in his life. Kant limited himself to one cup a day, and Kierkegaard made a show of drinking his. Many philosophers were regulars at coffee houses.
Next time you drink a cup, think of the composers and philosophers who drank theirs while they worked.
