“Como agua para chocolate” is a Mexican idiom: translating to “like water for chocolate” in English, it essentially means “your emotions are in danger of boiling over,” referring to the repetitive process of bringing water to the brink of boiling before it can be used to make hot chocolate. Inspired by Laura Esquivel’s novel of the same name, the title phrase of Christopher Wheeldon’s full-length ballet, Like Water for Chocolate, alludes to the intense emotions simmering just beneath the surface in a tale of family saga and forbidden love set on a Mexican ranch during the Mexican Revolution. In this modern classic of magical realism, cooking and the kitchen’s heat suffuse the production, transforming rising passions into balletic movement set to music of a distinctly Mexican essence.

When composer Joby Talbot undertook the monumental task of scoring Like Water for Chocolate, his goal was clear: to infuse the score with a “DNA” of Mexican sound, rather than merely imitating it. Just as Mexican cuisine is rich and varied, Talbot’s score is seasoned with various rhythms from traditional Latin dances to trace the emotional turmoil of the lovesick central character, Tita, and the dramatic influence her impassioned cooking has on those around her.

In Act I, Tita prepares a dish of quail drizzled in rose petal sauce to the slow tempo of a danzón, a sensual dance rhythm that originated in Cuba at the end of the 19th century and later spread to Mexico. This amorous musical tone parallels Tita’s physical desire for her neighbor, Pedro, which manifests as an aphrodisiac in her cooking and consequently has an erotic effect on her sister, Gertrudis.

In another scene, alongside a climactic encounter between Tita and Pedro, Talbot recreated a sentimental petenera, one of the most melancholic and romantic styles of flamenco music. The origins of the petenera are older, dating back to the 17th century with ties to the zarabandas, another dance form popularized in Spain and the Spanish colonies.

The joropo, a much livelier Latin rhythm, provides a festive melody to which the troops commanded by Gertrudis energetically dance around a fire at the conclusion of Act II. A grand mixture of African, Indigenous, and European roots, the joropo is a traditional couple’s dance from Venezuela characterized by quick turns and jaunty footwork. According to Mexican conductor and music consultant Alondra de la Parra, Talbot’s musical arrangement for this scene aligns more with cumbia, known for its percussion-heavy, upbeat rhythm with Afro-Colombian roots.

While the blend of diverse Latin rhythms in Talbot’s score brings the characters’ earthly passions to life onstage, the mystical fusion of pre-Hispanic instruments with the orchestra introduces a new musical texture that embodies the essence of magical realism. Playing an indispensable role in the compositional process, de la Parra suggested incorporating the ocarina, a type of Aztec ceramic flute that lends the work a deep, ethereal quality reminiscent of birdsong. The percussion section of the orchestra expanded greatly under de la Parra’s guidance, with the inclusion of two types of Aztec drums—the teponaztli and the huéhuetl—as well as the marimba, featured in a challenging solo piece. Talbot’s complex yet whimsical compositions for the harps further amplify the thread of magical realism that reverberates throughout the work.

The main characters in the ballet are meaningfully tied to specific instruments in the composition, akin to a leitmotif: Tita with the delicate ocarina, Nacha with the warm cedar flute, Mama Elena with the tempestuous wooden rattles and chimes, and Pedro with the sultry guitar. Perhaps at the core of this entrancing whirl of sound is the guitar, strummed by Mexican musician Tomás Barreiro to the beat of Mexican sones and other Latin rhythms, both as a solo performance onstage and in the orchestra pit.

For the final pas de deux between Tita and Pedro, Talbot turned to an unconventional musical source, rarely found in the classical ballet repertoire: the human voice. Composed for a mezzo soprano, Talbot’s vocal piece features Spanish lyrics from the 1957 poem “Piedra del Sol,” or “Sunstone,” by Mexican Nobel Laureate Octavio Paz. The soaring soprano section brings the passionate tale of Like Water for Chocolate to a close, delivering a powerful performance about the cyclical nature of time and the transformative power of love, reserved only for those who recognize its constant return.

Sources:

Azar Boldo, Lázaro. “A Well-Seasoned Composition…” Program for Christopher Wheeldon’s Like Water for Chocolate, London, The Royal Ballet, 2022.

Royal Ballet and Opera. “Insights: Like Water for Chocolate – Music and Design.” YouTube, 27 May 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrWsYo8fU9g.

The writer, Jackeline Fernandes, was an ABT Press Intern for Summer 2024.