| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Jan Gundlach |
After a gruelling day in the kitchen as an apprentice, Jan Gundlach’s masterchef would often drag his team to the opera, and follow up the experience with an elaborate (“and always very late”) dinner.
So while he was learning how to julienne vegetables and flambé dishes, Gundlach was also gaining a deep appreciation and understanding of the performing arts.
“What good fortune it was for me. Now culinary consultant to the Arts Centre, it has become the centre of my universe!”
While the Michelin-starred chef might ultimately prefer to listen to the “sizzle of a roast” than a full scale opera, he admits being quite partial to Verdi. “Verdi hits the right tone for me: think Nabucco, think Rigoletto. Imagine how controversial and revolutionary his compositions were. Music is like great food to me, it should be a bit controversial, exciting, thought provoking. Standard stuff – people can cook at home.”
A deep immersion in the arts world has given the chef a new understanding of his own motto: “art is essential to the enjoyment of food”.
Dining out at the opera is more than a pleasurable indulgence, Gundlach argues. “It is an expression of life. It’s nourishing, it adds to a more complete experience. To use opera’s own language, it adds to a Gesamtkunstwerk.”
Which brings him to Wagner. Gesamtkunstwerk is a German word for a complete work of art, and it is the artistic philosophy that Wagner aspired to in his creation of the Ringcycle.
As part of his role as culinary consultant for The Arts Centre, Gundlach is the man charged with designing dining packages to complement the Melbourne Ringexperience. It’s not just about fine dining – Gundlach has to make sure Ring patrons are well prepared to sit through operas up to six hours long.
“The ambition for all of the Ring cycle menus was to imagine what our discerning clientele expect and appreciate, and to showcase the finest ingredients Australia has to offer. Freshness and lightness of cuisine is imperative. With such a program, who wants to eat haxen (pig leg) with sauerkraut and huge dumplings?”
Today, food is a big part of arts culture, and Melbourne has become a city where fine food, wine, coffee and culture intersect. But it’s not a new phenomenon. Jan points out that the famous French steak dish Tournedos Rossini was created for the composer Rossini (the prolific opera composer once said: “I know of no more admirable occupation than eating”).
“I think of the Peach Melba, created for Nellie Melba by Auguste Escoffier, the chef of kings and king of chefs,” Gundlach says. “That’s not only mouth-watering, it reflects how food relates to the arts and the arts to food!”
For Gundlach, food is life, perhaps in the same way Rossini thought of it. “It is a great way to share, to spoil family and friends, a topic to satisfy soul and intellect!”
