I title this blog post in honour of our latest recipe book – Food for Opera Thought – and also in honour of the new Zooming Shakespeare course U3a is offering next term. For those who weren’t with us in earlier (lockdown) days when we softened the blow of losing our lunch celebrations with recipe books, the two we produced then are at the end of this post.
Here’s a nice connection to our English opera term – Purcell nicked Orsino’s line from Twelfth Night for his song – here are the lyrics, and here’s a great countertenor performance.
Opera and Food
“Opera, of all the art forms, is singularly associated with food, whether because of the appetites of well-girthed singers or the sensual pleasures celebrated in its rich ragout of music, emotion and stagecraft.” - Daniel J. Wakin, The New York Times.
So begins the list of operas featuring food on the wonderful Opera and Feasts site – a gem for a good read and listen - and cook! It offers summaries of why food matters to the plot, videos of performances and fine analysis of the food – and even recipes. Read how to cook the pheasant Don Giovanni had prepared for the Commandatore before he was committed to hell!
The Taste of Italian Opera
Thanks, Angela, for alerting us to this twopart special from BBC, screened here on SBS. It’s no longer on SBS but I found it on Opera on Demand – here. A great hour’s entertainment (accompany it with pasta).
Rossini is quoted as declaring: ‘The stomach is the conductor, who rules the grand orchestra of our passions, and rouses it to action. The bassoon or the piccolo, grumbling its discontent or shrilling its longing, personify the empty stomach for me. The stomach, replete, on the other hand, is the triangle of enjoyment or the kettledrum of joy.’
More about Rossini here, with great recordings and this splendid image.
The feasts of Saul
A new post is coming on Handel's Saul, which ends our term in a full opera recording of the brilliant performance from Glyndebourne. Featuring Barrie Kosky's idea of the perfect celebratory feast - including a swan and the head of Goliath.
Food for Opera Thought
A collaborative recipe book
to accompany and enhance
the viewing of opera online
The booklet provided below is inspired by the many months of Zooming into Opera in the Tuning into Opera Course, for Nillumbik U3A. Defying those who dreaded virtual courses, we have enjoyed the different ways of connecting online and relished the safety from Covid. Not to mention the ability to discuss, debate and enjoy refreshments during a performance!
All we needed to enhance the last mentioned advantage was a source of ideas for good food to accompany our long conversations and operatic travels So to celebrate the end of our second term, 2022, and midwinter, we contributed recipes for food to accompany opera-viewing.
Here it is! This collection is freely available to the world.
You weren't with us during lockdown? Here are our previous recipe book publications, from 2020 and 2021.
Lyn, 18/6/22
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