Atoms and Arias

A Portuguese professor explores the poisons and potions of opera.

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WIKIMEDIA, ANDREAS PRAEFCKEJoão Paulo André went to his first opera as a third-year student studying chemistry at the University of Coimbra in Portugal. “I saw La Traviata, and I was so impressed,” he says. Since then he has faithfully read about and attended operas while pursuing his chemistry career.

In November 2011, André combined his two passions creating a multimedia lecture that explores the roles of chemical compounds and practitioners of the science in opera plots. To his surprise, he has now given the lecture six times at Portuguese museums and universities, as well as at schools for younger students. “I never expected such a wonderful response,” he says, adding that both chemistry and opera can be tough sells for audiences.

In a paper published earlier this year (January 14) in the Journal of Chemical Education, André, who is now a professor at the University of Minho in Portugal, described his strategy for exploring the links between chemistry and opera for educational purposes.

According to André, the pairing is a natural one, as opera ...

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