An Italian culinary + musical adventure
by Ben Edwards
Vivaldi’s dining habits as imagined by Stefano de Pieri
Antonio Vivaldi died a lonely, sick old man with no money in Vienna, but if he could have chosen exactly how he was to pop off this mortal coil, then it may have been with Stefano at the helm, ensuring he would meet his maker with a contented belly full of Venetian-inspired food and music penned by his own hand. Rapturous applause for his masterpiece of “Four Seasons” would have ensued and the last breath would have easily passed his lips. Stefano sees this production as a tribute to a great composer, who unfortunately fell out of favour late in his career and has been appreciated more in death than in life.“Pure fantasy,” said Stefano, “is bringing together the two greatest passions of my family: food and music.” His brother Sergio is a concert organist and played alongside L’Orchestra delle Quattro Stagioni while Stefano whipped the attending crowd into a frenzy of appreciation for the refined and beautiful flavours of Venice.
A native Venetian himself, Stefano hales from the town of Treviso, right in the heart of Prosecco production in Italy’s northeast. For many years he was an ambassador of Venice, travelling to the city of canals more than 32 times from Australia as a duty to the role. Today Stefano calls Mildura home and his fame as one of Australia’s great chefs is duly acknowledged by regularly receiving awards from the country’s top publications and from his peers.
Venice, however, is never far from his heart. The title of his first book and television series, A Gondola on the Murray, is testament to that, tying in the unforgettable and iconic image of Venice with the lifeblood of produce in Australia: the Murray River. So the inspiration for an extravaganza of celebration of food and music was never far away. “The reality of the show was that it was about a lot of music, a few dishes, and lots of fun for the crowd,” Stefano said. “You know, we never get too serious with these events, as they are meant to be light-hearted celebrations of the good things in our lives.” What Stefano does take seriously, however, is the environment and the produce that he uses. It may seem simplistic to say great food is just about good ingredients done well, but very few people know how to use and adapt this philosophy the way in which Stefano does. Purity of flavour is something he strives for and his success in achieving this difficult, yet straightforward goal makes it seem all the more attainable.
The choice of Hamer Hall at the Arts Centre, a distinctly large and rather beautiful venue, to showcase this collaboration was a bold move by Stefano to present Sergio’s widely recognised and appreciated talent for playing the concert organ. Sergio de Pieri’s pedigree stretches across the globe, with concerts performed in Venice, the rest of Europe, the USA, Canada, and of course Australia, where he emigrated to in the 1960s. The lavish undoubtedly added a depth to Stefano’s food that needed to be experienced to be believed. The music of Vivaldi and other leading Italian composers such as Albinoni stood elegantly beside such strong and wilful personalities. Performed by L’Orchestra delle Quattro Stagioni and conducted by Maestro Guy Noble, it fed the soul while the experience of watching Stefano and Sergio work their magic nourished the body. Stefano is currently conjuring up another television show for your enjoyment, Stefano’s Cooking Paradiso. His enthusiasm for Australia, Italy, food, wine and music is boundless and you are sure to be ensnared by the magical journey he will put on the plate before you.
Forza Italia!