Olga Rudge & Ezra Pound: "What Thou Lovest Well..."

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A Piece of Ginger
1956–1962
‘‘Between presumption and despair’’
While Olga’s personal life su√ered and her talent diminished, she
still held a respected position at the Accademia Chigiana. For the twentyfifth
anniversary celebration in May 1956, Arthur Rubinstein came to
perform the works of Chopin. The summer session enrolled a number of
promising young people. Zubin Mehta, a former student, came from India
for an all-Tchaikovsky evening. Daniel Barenboim conducted Beethoven
in August, and the versatile Claudio Abbado led a program of Wagner,
another of Bach. Count Chigi disdained contemporary composers (and
shut the door to the salottino to block out the sound), but he did not allow
his prejudices to influence his sta√ when Olga invited violinist Yvonne
Astruc to perform works by Aram Khachaturian and Igor Stravinsky.
She remained in Siena over Christmas to see the lights go on again at
the Teatro dei Rinnovati for a program of Basque music and dance, and
tried, unsuccessfully, to put Ezra out of her mind. For the first time since
their ‘‘argyment’’ at St. Elizabeth’s, she sent a New Year’s message: ‘‘Bear
no grudge, to the Rudge!’’ Ezra did not reply.
The Accademia year began with the Kammerchor Philharmonia
di Vienna. Soprano Elizabeth Schwarzkopf arrived in March, violinists
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