FAMOUS MODERN HERMITS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1136, 8 December 1893, Page 12

FAMOUS MODERN HERMITS.

GREAT MEN WHO, LEAD, SQLI- ' tarX'LJW / Yerdi, the ppmjppser, rs perhaps the iqos/t prominent of the present flay his fel(oTym e q>, wheu such PU pvept, happens, it is only during thp/fev days preceding the production of some new Opera. His favourite rosidenoe, says an authority, is his country aoat at Busseta. It is a considerable distance from any railway station, and situated in the midst of a wild and desolate landscape. A lofty wall and a triple row of walls surround the grounds, which are of great extent. The house is further guarded by two enormous dogs of the famous Pyrennean breed, which are Verdi's great pets and constant companions'. The porter has orders to admit no visitors except those who come by special invitation from the master of the house, so that often a distinguuhed personage will make his way out to this guarded castle only to be met by the information that its master uw#y from home. . “But cannot \Yesee the house ?’ is the next query. ‘ “Impossible, we have not got the keys.”> P * ■' • ■ *' 1 c ! i Whilst this conversation is proceeding j Verdi will be enjoying stroll 'in thW garden, where he i laughs' at itatrUderfc,” When busy Composing Sn ou'erd, 1 th(S i maestro frill' rarely !to eat and sleep. A' ” '* /’M'

Perhaps 1 it is 4n an endeavour to escape from 'the 1 tob-'presslng aflmirition of his countrymen thAt Verdi lives his present retired' life. When lie ■ “ Etncini,’,’ every ’bight the public api plauded with frdnzy certain pieb'es. (Lie | ni'ghti M. Pfingin relates, a person ft* I costume of 'the Rational up, iq tUU gallery, ojie (ha pfrfte having been already repeated, kept on Bhputin?, “ Bis ! Viva Italia, Viva Pio Nino.” Others joined in chorus, and the curtain rose a- third time. Still the fellow waß hot satisfied ; he continued shouting, so that/at last the public lost patience and hissed him. At that, redoubling his noise, and reoching the paroxysiq of his patriotic fury, he took off hiß shako and threw it into the pit; to his shako succeeded his tunic, then his waistcoat,; the occupiers of the pit began to be tiervoqs, that he might throiy hirnself oyer qext,. but he sie( wo.rse ih,an that 1 he ffrew hi* styord and hurled it with aucli violence that it embedded itself in the stage, two steps from the footlights, in the midst of general alarm. At this moment an officer made his way to this madman, seized him, not without difficulty, aud turned him out of the theatre. Verdi's love of peace and .

initialed With a business common sense—lead him to preserve the music of his operas within the walls of the theatre before production by refusing to allow newspaper critics ah entrance to rehearsal. He further imposes upon hia singers the strictest injunctions of secrecy. An example of this occurred during the rehearsals for the first production of “ Rigoletto,” in 1851. When they came to study the fourth act, hia biographer remarks, the tenor, Mirate, cast for the part of the Duke of Mantua, perceived that a piece which he had to sing alone was wanting in his part. “ There is a piece missing,’’ said he to the composer. “ There is plenty of time : I will give it you,” replied the latter. Every day the same demand was repeated, and every day the same reply was given. Mirate begau to be anxious and out of patience, when at last, the evening before the orchestral rehearsal, Verdi ; brought him a paper on which was the famous canzone “La donna h mobile.” “ Stop ! Read this,” he said. Mirate opened the paper, saw that the music was easy, and appeared enchanted. “Mirate,” then added Verdi, “you give me your word of honour that you will not sing this melody at home, that you will not hum it, that you will not even whistle it—in a word, that you will - allow no one whatever to hear it.” * “ I promise,” answered Mirate ; and Verdi became easy. This is the reason of the mystery made- by Verdi on this oc -a sibn. The master, counted m tch, and with reason, on the effect of this canzone, of so new a rhythm, and so full of elegant ease. He knew, besides, thaG it was a melodic turn easy to retain, and being aware of fhe powers of the, Italians in this respect, he feared not only lest they should carry off his melody, but lest they should spread it abroad in Venice beforo the performance, and thus when it was heard in the theatre everyone would accuse him of plagiary instead of applauding his invention. The day of the full rehearsal he addressed not only the orchestra, but the whole of the staff of the. theatre, begging each person to keep it the most profound secret. The secret was well kept, and thus the effect of the song was prodigious. In this country Mr Ruakin may be regarded almost as much a hermit as Verdi is in Italy. Except for a few relatives and friends, he now rarely sees anyone, and is quite a recluse in his home at Coniston. The lake country has sheltered many desirous of escaping from the turmoil aud worry of the world to the quiet haunts of Nature. One of these was Wordsworth, wh.se sojourn at rt ßydal Mount” is well known ; while AM far away fr»-m the poet once dwelt Ttaowas de Quinsey, who narrates his experiences as a hermit in the “ Confessions ’ of an Opium Eater.” While spine men prefer solitude, others are compelled to leave their native land and seek quiet to prolong their lives, If the gifted writer of essays and romances, Robert Louis Stevenson, had his will he would doubtless be found at work In the busy world of London rather than the salubrious and beautiful SarUoa. The loss of a lung compelled Mr Stevenson to seek warmer and less changeable latitudes than he could find in Great Britain. He chose Samoa as his home, and there he lives comparatively lonely. Gounod, like Verdi, delights in quiet when at work. To secure this end he bids farewell to all society, rents a small lodging in some out-of-the-way town, and there for a time vegetates. The story is told—perhaps it may fit most £9 mposers that when Gounod once {fnifgfrf. yeclusion in this way, an organgrinder amgjd.^ntally heard of the composer’s secret resftng-place. He had one or two of Gounod’s “ ” tunes on his organ, and he nade the maestro. Gounod hearj tflej, music, and, little suspecting a plot, fhrhw j fpvgral coins from the window. Thei jpe£t mopping appeared the same organ.grinfler Jtbe same tunes. 'Gounod, 1 wihdow aud threw more ,francs. A* he said. “Disturb me np more.. foth week j this little comedy went on, until j, ■ rendered desperate, made a hurried flight f, jl pm the town, and was seen no moVe.

Duke of Portland was re/nr flis aversion of all living ■ Syferfiig from a complaint which hi m > he desired to be alqpe. Many typ told of his life at ,his nne cqjjntry hpppe, beck Abbey, and at his town house. fto al ways took hjs meals alone, had bqt ,ppe sev va nt to yrait upon him. yfflother recluse who l{ved about the jCMp^e;was Mr George Blamire, who cut ihimaejf /off from the world in apartments in A4aw Street,' Adel phi. His housekeeper prepared flis meals, which were left on a tray at tfl,e door of the ante-room and then taken in. ft® fljapy times suffered from ill-health, but refused to have a doctor called in. For more than twelve months he is said to have never left the house. He died as he had lived—alone. When his housekeeper and the police broke into the apartments, they found the floor of the ante-room strewn with newspapers, chairs, tables, and other articles. In the room in which Mr Blamire lay dead in an arm-chair, there was neither bed nor bedding, everything in the apartmen was in a state of complete disorder. The dust lay upon every article, being in - some pisses ■-< an inch. ‘ thick. Although \

living in such a state, this queer type of recluse was a man well-to-do. Besides other property, he had large estate? in Cumberland aud Cardiff. He possessed at Carlisle unequalled wine .cellars ; and his spirits were so good that some of the rum sold at 02s a bottle.— The Million.