Imagine: you’re in the kitchen, with fresh ingredients laid out before you. The fragrances of spices fill the air, rhythmic chopping keeps time with a lively pizzicato, and bubbling soups simmer like a gentle nocturne... Is your mouth watering yet?
This is the magic of cooking with classical music.
Much like a gourmet dish, classical music is the result of many individual elements coming together. The composer, like a chef, must know the distinct flavor profiles of each instrument and how they complement each other.
Which key signature invokes empathy? How can a single note be used to achieve different effects?
A properly crafted work of music holds many parallels to a great dish, from the process of creation to its effect on the intended audience.
WFMT has curated a special playlist to elevate your kitchen experience by combining both the culinary and musical fine arts. What’s more, all of these pieces have been specifically inspired by food! Whether meticulously cooking a masterpiece, or enjoying someone else’s creation, turn up the volume, grab your utensils, set the mood with a symphony of scents.
Start your food journey with an invitation from Verdi: his famous drinking song “Brindisi” from the opera La traviata. Venture into well known comfort food like Tchaikovsky’s Sugar Plum Fairy or Schubert’s Trout Quintet. Drool over the “Vanilla Ice Cream” found in musicals. Sip some java from Bach’s Coffee Cantata. Laugh and wince when the “Lime Jello Marshmallow Cottage Cheese Surprise” makes an appearance. Most of all, explore lesser known tastes, from the work of Bernd Johannes Wolf, to Malcolm Arnold and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich.
So, put on your apron. Crank up the classical tunes. Celebrate the transformation of raw ingredients into culinary masterpieces. Remember, the kitchen is your stage, and every dish a masterpiece waiting to be composed...
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