Some time during the War, it’s not clear exactly when, Suggia met a man who was to become a very loyal friend and protector: Edward Hudson. Some sources describe Hudson as a member of the British aristocracy – as “Lord Hudson.” In fact, he was solidly middle class in origin. He inherited a printing business from his father, and on the basis of that he built a small publishing empire that brought him great wealth. Hudson was a friend and patron of the architect Edwin Lutyens, who was commissioned to design several projects for Hudson, including renovations of Hudson’s home at 15 Queen Anne’s Gate in London and his castle Lindisfarne on Holy Island off the Northumberland coast.
Today Lindisfarne is a National Trust Property in England – a museum, essentially.
Aside from being a successful businessman, Hudson was an amateur cellist. He owned a 1717 Stradivarius cello that he gave to Suggia when they became engaged in 1919. It is sometimes reported that Hudson also gave Lindisfarne to Suggia, but I’ve never seen any evidence of that. It seems unlikely. It is a huge historic property, undoubtedly very expensive to maintain, and it is hard to imagine how Suggia could have taken on the responsibility of managing it.
In the end Hudson and Suggia did not marry, but they remained close friends, and she was a very happy visitor at Lindisfarne. By most accounts the castle wasn’t a very comfortable place to stay in, but Suggia loved it. She loved the ocean and the wildness of the place. It was a quiet haven for her, where she could get away from the noise of the city and the stress of the war and just play her cello.
At Lindisfarne there is a room called the Upper Gallery, where a stage-like platform was installed so that Madame Suggia could play for other houseguests at Lindisfarne. One such houseguest was the Bloomsbury writer Lytton Strachey, who met Suggia at Lindisfarne in 1919 and wrote a very memorable account of his time with her. Suggia was also known to other members of the Bloomsbury Group; both Virginia Woolf and Dora Carrington mention attending her performances in their diaries. One whole chapter of my book is on Suggia and Lindisfarne. I call this chapter “The Lady of the Castle” because that is what Lytton Strachey called her.
Anita Mercier
Publicado por vm em abril 18, 2007 12:00 AM