MUSIC OF THE WEEK

New Zealand Listener, Volume 1, Issue 15, 6 October 1939, Page 27

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

Peasant-Composer The mixture of farmer and composer is a rare one in musical history. Yet when young Guiseppe Verdi earned a little money by his early operas the first thing he did was to buy houses and land in the country near his native place, and establish a property that afterwards became a magnificent estate. He once said: "I am and always will be a Rancole peasant." When he became old Verdi probably thought more of feeding and tending his own cattle and keeping a sharp eye on the workman than he did of his music. Verdi made an adventurous start in life. In 1814, the immense struggle of Europe against Napoleon was approaching its end, The territory around Verdi’s native village, Rancole, was invaded by the Russians and Austrians. The soldiery butchered as many of the villagers, including women and children, as they could lay hands on. Some of the women, running into the church for refuge, were killed even there. But one of them, Luisa Verdi, rushed into the sacristy, and from there, by a narrow staircase, to the belfry. In her arms was a child a few months old-the future composer of Aida, Rigo-

letto, and La Traviata, Mother and child escaped the slaughter, and Verdi was saved for the world. Verdi grew up a serious, music-loving child. At an early age he became an acolyte in the village church, and one day he became so wrapped up in the musical part of the Mass that he quite forgot to hand to the priest the water, whereupon the saintly man booted him down the altar steps, and he went home pale and bruised and bleeding; but when his parents asked what was the matter he only replied, "Let me learn music." Learn music he did, and he also made it. One of the most popular of his operas has always been "La Traviata," which is to be presented at 9.5 p.m. on Sunday, October 8, from 2YA, Wellington. The opera was a failure on its first performance in Venice in 1853-owing largely to the size of the soprano, who tipped the scales at about 300 pounds. The audience held its sides with laughter when the doctor gravely announced that she was in the last stages of consumption and had only a few hours to live. Listeners to 2YA will be spared any incon- gruous spectacles, and will be free to enjoy an excellent presentation.