PADEREWSKI AT HOME.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1925, 6 December 1913, Page 11

PADEREWSKI AT HOME.

Riond-Bosson, Padcrowski's beautiful, placo at Morges, on tho Swiss side of Lake Geneva, has becotno ono of tho show-places of Europe, not only on account of its famous owner, but also for its orchards, greenhouses, and' tho chicken farm, which is ono of Mine. I'adorewski'-s chief cares.' From a description of it given in tho October ''Century" wo gather that it is simply a comfortable modern .'house,, standing at tho top of a large, sloping, green field., -It commands a lnagnificent pros'pcct, first of a rose-garden, then of the wido sweep of green, bordered by huge trees—lindens, chestnuts, and; evergreens (states the "Westminster Gazetto"). Farther 011 is-the lake, with a splendid view of Moht Blanc for a background. Flowers abound: orangetrees in tubs, geraniums, heliotrope, mignonette, and chiefly roses, all in bloom in July. Paderowski spends most of tho morning and afternoon in his own . study. Her finds somo time for exorciso during the day, grass-cutting on lawn and fields being his favourito.outdoor work; and although his priceless hands liavo to bo protected by gloves, he gets a good deal of fun as well as benefit from being a "farm-hand." At luncheon-iimo 110 appears,-after a hard morning's worlc, looking well, happy, and boy'sh, dressed like Mark Twain, in pure white, and ready to chat fightfully on any subject. There aro many portraits of Paderowski at RionBosson, but llono oxcopt tho pencilsketch by Bnrne-Jones' has represented both tho strength and tho spirituality of his head. This- portrait hangs in the salon, surrounded by old prints, which are ono of tho master's hobbies. There are seven pianos in tho house, two being in tho drawing-room; but it is in-his'own study that Paderowski does all his practising and composing. His practising would bo both an encouragement and a discouragement to students. Hour after hour ho works, with tho patienco that nono but tho greatest possess, polishing and repolishing phrases that sound perfect even to a practised ear, but which do not satisfy his critical judgment. Only occasionally does he allow himself the . relaxation of playing even a pago of music; after this he returns relentlessly ' to octavo work, to taccato finger-pas-sages, to separate phrases from Liszt's snup.tns, to tho mnro difficult portions of his own magnificent ."Variations et fugue," to snatches of Chopin, or to hits of Debussy, whoso piano-music lie likes.