The amusing reason why Verdi hijacked 95 barrel organs
One hot Italian summer, Verdi rented a large cottage to write music during the holidays. Days after arriving, he got one visitor who was taken aback by the fact that the famous composer was inhabiting just one room in the large house, using it as a studio, bedroom and lounge, all at the same time. “Why don’t you use the rest of the house”, the visitor asked. Verdi smiled, and invited the man to tour the house. The man was baffled to see every room literally filled to the ceiling with barrel organs, those amusing boxy pipe instruments that street entertainers ... [keep reading...]