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

277 Olga Triumphant
monde qui gouverne (Canto 77): the best society that reads the best books,
possesses a certain ration of good manners, of sincerity, frankness—
modulated by silence.’’
The Vivaldi research in the National Library in Turin was bearing fruit
in the unusual popularity of the once almost forgotten Red Priest; his
works were being performed at major venues throughout the world, the
Four Seasons included in the standard repertory of classical music. At the
Goldoni Theater in May, his mandolin concerti: ‘‘beautiful orchestral
e√ects and very fine ensemble, all Italian.’’ Again at La Fenice in September,
the Manchester Chamber Trio performed the violin sonatas, a violin
solo with cello and cymbals. At San Giorgio Maggiore in October, the
acoustics were ‘‘splendid for pianissimo play, but loud playing re-bombate
eat one another.’’
Lawrence Pitkethly came with a camera crew from the New York
Center for Visual Arts to interview Olga for a documentary film, Ezra
Pound: An American Odyssey. The Irish-born American Pitkethly won
Olga’s a√ection by telling stories of his uncle, a painter known for his
portrait of an Irish harper. After the director left, she sent a postcard of
Blarney Castle ‘‘to me darlin’, the Irish harper, who can charm tough old
women, even down the garden path,’’ signed with the inimitable ‘‘Olga
O’Connell Rudge.’’
Walter’s wife Brigit was delivered of a son by Caesarian section on
April 21 (missing Olga’s birthday by only one week). ‘‘banzai! Will go and
lay [the] news at San Michele instanter!’’ Olga journeyed to Brunnenburg
at Pentecost for the baptism of Michael Ezra with water from ‘‘the Castalian
Spring’’ at Delphi. At last she had a great-grandson named Ezra.
The family had been working on the farm with students from St. Andrew’s
College at the castle for a summer seminar. Another film crew had
been there and departed, and ‘‘for one beautiful day there was peace’’
(Canto 17).
A call from Fifi Drummond announced the death of Olga’s friend and
confidant Ronald Duncan on June 5, a great loss. She suggested to Mary a
memorial mass in the courtyard at Brunnenburg (a ‘‘fallen away’’ Roman
Catholic, in later years Olga often observed the rituals of the church).
Sadly, news of Böski Antheil’s death in California arrived a week later.