Reykjavík Grapevine - mar. 2023, Síða 24

FOOD FEATURE
Learning
When to Clap
Tertulia x Reykjavík combined
the diverse and delicious
Words: Shruthi Basappa & Josie Anne Gaitens
Images: Laimonas Dom Baranauskas
Music and dining bring to mind
bored jazz bands playing to an
equally uninterested audience —
or worse, solo crooners trying to
focus in a cutlery clattered hall.
Still, when I first heard about
Tertulia coming to Iceland, I was
intrigued. Chamber music and
dinner? I had to see this for myself.
Tertulia is a concept developed
in New York, aiming to “place
chamber music back where it
belongs — in a festive, inviting
atmosphere.” After many success-
ful events across the U.S., the
Icelandic edition is a first attempt
to bring the project overseas. Over
the course of a weekend in January,
Tertulia treated Reykjavík diners
to concerts big and small across
various locations, from an open-
ing night at Safnahús to coffee
mornings and fledged dinners at
restaurants. Boasting an impres-
sive lineup of musicians from the
U.S., Iceland and Spain, American
guests mingled with locals,
swapped stories and ate and drank
(a lot).
I will admit, I am not a regular
classical music ‘stan’ (I believe this
is the correct terminology), and
often feel quite nervous in these
sorts of environments. Above all
else, this is born out of a deeply
held fear of never quite under-
standing when exactly it is I’m
supposed to clap. Is it now? The
musicians have stopped playing
and are holding their bows aloft —
nope, they’ve moved straight into
the next piece and now I have to
pass off my premature applause as
just being like, really into Bach. So
it was with great interest but some
trepidation that I accepted an
invitation to experience Tertulia,
with its promise of inclusivity and
a relaxed introduction to chamber
music.
Opening act
Tertulia x Reykjavík’s opening
night found me rushing from the
bustle of a Friday workday through
the snow and slush towards an
evening promising charm, music
and magic — and, most impor-
tantly to me at that moment, wine.
Walking into Safnahúsið delivered
a whiplash-inducing change of
atmosphere. I was enveloped
into a world of calm and focus.
An otherwise staid venue, the
museum, incidentally, has consis-
tently hosted events where food
and music commingle. So it wasn’t
surprising that the stately room
turned out to be the perfect first
taste of things to come.
A grand piano held centre stage,
while chairs were arrayed around
in rows three-deep. The tall arched
windows, spanning the height
of the room, made for an elegant
setting. Local bar and natural wine
ambassador Vínstúkan Tíu Sopar
played host, with a delectable
spread of hummus, cold cuts,
crusty bread and plenty of natural
wines spanning mineral-y whites
to crisp oranges and smooth reds.
Their signature dish, a raw Jerusa-
lem artichoke carpaccio drenched
in parsley oil and toasted almonds,
held centrestage, to everyone’s
delight.
I was curious how the robust
pre-concert bar vibe would work
in such a ceremonial setting, but
as Tertulia host and oboist James
Austin Smith explains, “It’s this
kind of serious listening experi-
ence in a casual environment.
We think those things can exist
side by side. It’s also about shared
spaces — we don’t need there to
be a stage, where the audience and
the musician are separated.” Two
performances are separated by
lengthy intermissions, allowing
uninterrupted enjoyment of both
the music and the food. One does
not supersede the other. “There’s
some expectations, because we
want everyone to really enjoy
this experience,” James clarifies.
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“It’s also about shared
spaces — we don’t need
there to be a stage, where
the audience and the
musicians are separated.”
FOOD24 The Reykjavík
Grapevine 2/23
Best before:
March 2, 2023