The unknown face of Ezra Pound

Have you ever heard the phrase poetry is the music of language? Well, it seems like poetry wasn't enough for the eccentric Ezra Pound who also always wanted to play the role of a musician.

In 1911, before being well known worldwide as one of the pioneers poets of the post-moderninst movement, Ezra worked as a music critic writing reviews for numerous local publications in London. One day when he attended one opera in order to write his next review he was stunned by the performance. In that moment Pound came up with the idea that he could also compose an entire opera. Poetry and music joining forces.

Pound asked his friend George Antheil who was a young composer to work together in the project. Antheil agreed immediately and they started working on Le Testament de Villon an opera inspired by poet Francois Villon's Le Grand Testament. The opera premiered in 1926 and in the audience were friends of him such as T.S. Eliot and Ernest Hemingway.

Many people feared Ezra Pound would left his poet career after entering the musical world; however, unfortunately for Pound, the reviews for his musical project were not good at all. An United Kingdom newspaper stated that the opera was one hour of clotted nonsense. Pound tried to write another opera but the lack of motivation due to his previous failure didn't allow him to finish it.

We don't know exactly why his musical career is rarely known. Maybe Pound didn't get the recognition he deserved as a musician, or his music was buried and left behind by his poet career. Judge yourself.

           Ezra Pound - Le Testament De Villon - Opera