Tragicomedy “The Fateful Choice”
play: Adrians Briedis — Makovejs
director: Dmitrijs Ščegoļevs
multimedia tragicomedy
The 15th Student Corporations Theater Festival “The Intrigues of Courts” 2011
There is nothing more difficult than making a choice, especially if the choice is fateful. We offer a prize-winning cinicly — ironic multimedia play “THE FATEFUL CHOICE” for your consideration. A story with its intrigues and twists that will keep you wondering till the very end. Watch, enjoy but remember — “not always a right choice in the beginning is leading to the right choice in the end”.
com! Dmitry Trofimov I (Frat! Arct!)
What is it – Krambambouli?
Krambambouli – a type of punch, which is normally brewed from wine, rum, sugar, fruit juice and\or fruit, and spices. Its name is believed to derive from the name of a strong alcoholic drink which was produced by a liquor factory “Isaak Wedel-Links und Eydam Dirck Hekker” which was situated in Danzig (nowadays Gdansk, Poland). The word itself was combined from the words “Krandewitt” (one of the names of juniper) and “Blamp”, which was a slang name for alcoholic drink. The drink (though of different compoundings) is still produced in Poland (by “SOBIESKI” company) and Byelorussia (by “БЕЛПИ” company).
But nevertheless, it was the punch which became especially popular, and which in Russia was known as zhzhjenka (жжёнка in Russian or, 
hot punch). Among famous admirers of the hot punch Krambambouli were poets Nikolai Jazikov and Alexander Pushkin, as well as Nikolai Gogol, who liked to prepare it for his friends. But very special popularity Krambambouli gained among students and officers. Every regiment and every student organization had its own unique recipe of the drink. As a rule, preparation of Krambambouli was followed by a whole ritual. For example, hussars of the 10th Ingermanlandian hussar regiment were singing a song «Где гусары прежних лет» (“Where are the hussars of past times”) by Denis Davidov, while members of student fraternities were singing a song by Kristof Vedekind, which, in its extreme variants, consisted of 106 (sic!) couplets. This song had been translated into various languages including Russian. It was done by Nikolai Jazikov, who was a member of a student fraternity “Ruthenia” in Derpt (nowadays Tartu, Estonia).
Recipe of Krambambouli from a cook-book “Batman instead of a cook”, 1914:
Ingredients:
Champagne – 2 bottles
Rum – 1 bottle
Sauterne – (white sweet wine) – 1 bottle
Sugar – 1 kilo
Pineapple – 1
Big piece of sugar – 1
How to make it?
Pour two bottles of champagne, one bottle of best rum and one bottle of good sauterne (white sweet wine) into a casserole, put a kilo of sugar, cut pineapple and boil it on a stove; pour it out in a porcelain vase, put on its edges two forks or swords crosswise with a big piece of sugar on top, pour it with rum, then light the sugar and continue pouring it with rum, so that the sugar would start burning and melting, then take the hot punch with a silver soup spoon and start pouring sugar with it, so that the fire would not stop, also adding some fresh rum, while pouring the drink into scoops or cups.
Another recipe: http://wiking.at/bilder/rezept.htm
Translation from russian: Nikolaj Putilin
Images:
1. “Maibowle”, painter: Georg Muhlberg, http://www.humanflowerproject.com
The second part of the multimedia DVD “Krambambouli” had been made in co-operation with Riga Motion Pictures Studio. And thus, we would like to offer you a musical short film, based on an old student song “Krambambouli”, as well as music video of this song.
We have restored authentic tune of this old German song (which differs from its contemporary variant). Here it is (performed by Sniedze Prauliņa):
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
From this day forward (20.12.2010 at 19.05 – premiere) it will be possible to watch the video on Latvian Music Channel (LMK).
But it is not all! The disc will include karaoke version of the song in 5 languages.
The official release of the disc will happen soon – the DVD will also be available for downloading starting from this Wednesday – 22nd of December.
Musical “Krambambouli”:
Gallery “making-of”: here
Music video will follow!
Good news! The work on multimedia DVD “KRAMBAMBOULI” is close to its end. From this day forward it will be possible to take a trip into the history of korp! Fraternitas Arctica. Soon new works will be published.
Студенческие корпорации. История и современность. - PDF presentation
