Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-11
A RIPE OLD AGE.
Verdi, Master of Music, Completes His
Eighty-Fiflh Yenr.

Musicians everywhere, in every country
and under every condition. have anticipated
for some time with feelings of anxiety the
death of Giuseppe Verdi, one of the world s
greatest masters of music. Yesterday that
feeling was turned into pleasure at the
news that Verdi had safely passed his
eighty-fourth birthday and, while the i'm
pending end seems very close, indeed, its
bitterness will be tempered by a knowl-
edge of the fact that the great musician
was spared through the whole of eighty
four years to delight and instruct the world.
Verdi has been the one exception with
regard to long life among majority of
the worlds famous musicians. Mozar.
died at thirty-five. four years after Don
Giovanni was first performed and two
years after the production of THE Magic
Flute" Won Weber died at forty, after hav
ing produced Der FreischuetZ" at thirty
thirty-seven and died at thirty eight; Schu-
bert died at thrty-one and Schumann at
forty-One.
Verdrs first opera, "Oberto," was produo-
ed in 1910, SO that his career since has been
longer than the entire lifetime of any of
the great masters mentioned.
Verdi was born October 8, 1913, two years
before the fall of the great Napoleon,
Venice produced his "Tancredi,' which
carried the fame of the Swan of Pesaro''
throughout Europe. Like Haydn, Handel,
Mozart. Rossini, Weher and most of the
eminent composers, Verdi very early in life
manifested passion for music. 1t is said
that as little CHILD he followed itinerant
organ grinders with tireless perss tency,
and when he was just seven his father
bought him. a spinet, which instrument,
stringless and worn with age. is still cher
ished by the master AT eight he began
his first musical studies with the organist
of the little church at Roncole. the hamlet
w he. In on he AS =
of the church. He then studied for a time
at Brusseto and later went to Milan. Gu
riously enough, he was refused a scholar
ship on the ground that he displayed mo
natural aptitude for music" Nevertheless,
he studied for five years and then COM
Inenced his career as writer of opera.
The development of the lyric drama from
the old forms into the new, which has gone
On uninterruptediy In Italy, is illustrated
in tue brilliant succession OF the Verdi
opera, from ''Oberto. which strongly
shows the influence of Bellini; Il Lem
bardi" which gave him his first substantial
Traviata," in which Patti. when she was
scarcely but child, scored her great tri-
umph In Paris; the immortal I'll Trova-
tore, II Ballo in Maschera,'' with Its
laughable circumstance of first production;
Aida" which marked a departure from
the conventional Italian forms and Verdi's
recognition Of the growing Wagnerian in
iiuenee, to "Oteilo," which is really the
model of the new Italian school, and the
lyric comedy, 'Falstaff,'' which was writ
ten when Verdi was eighty years Of age.
Although Verdi himself has declared. II
shall not write another bar for the theater.
emphatically, not another bar" the resol,,-
ton may not. after ALL prove irrevocable.
The latest cable messages report the mas
ter as still vigorous and busy at work on
new pieces"
Should the master be spared for suff1cien,
time the musical world will doubtless vet
be RECALLED with another Verdi opera