The New York Times has a delightful
article, Don't Sing
With Your Mouth Full, discussing how tightly entwined the
worlds of opera and food are. As they write, "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."
Besides the mouth-watering descriptions of some of the meals described in the operas, the article goes into detail on how to prepare food for the on-stage scenes. We loved that the Met orders from KFC for the chicken required in Bohème. And it's a major timing challenge for the singers to both swallow a bite and begin an aria.
Of course, we'd be remiss not to mention perhaps the most famous recipe associated with opera - Peach Melba - named for the Australian soprano, Nellie Melba. Here's a collection of recipes from books in our library for this notable dish.
For opera lovers, this is a must-read. And even if you're not, it's a fun insight on combining food and theater production.