Speranza

 



THE
REIGN OF PATTI




MME. PATTI AS ROSINA
From a painting by Winterhalter



REIGN OF F&TTI



BY



HERMAN KLEIN



OF THE INSTITUTE OF JOURNALISTS,
AUTHOR OF "THIRTY YEARS OF MUSICAL
LIFE IN LOSTDON," ETC.



ILLUSTRATED WITH
PHOTOGRAPHS




NEW YORK

THE CENTURY CO.

1920



Copyright, 1920, by
THE CENTURY Co.



IN MEMORY OF
THE GREAT SINGER

I DEDICATE THIS BOOK OF HER LIFE
TO HER HUSBAND

BARON ROLF CEDERSTROM



PEEFACB

THE Kelgn of Patti should be dated from her conquest of
the London public at the Royal Italian Opera, Covent
Garden, in May, 1861. It ended, properly speaking, with her
final appearances in opera at the same house in 1895, a period
covering thirty-four years. But if we include her subsequent
labors as a concert singer, until her ultimate farewell at the
Royal Albert Hall in December, 1906, her reign must be said
to have lasted for more than forty-five years.

Again, if we reckon the interval precedent to the actual
"reign," from the date when she made her New York debut as
a child prodigy (cetat 7) in 1850, it will be seen that the total
length of Adelina Patti 's active and unbroken career as a pub-
lic singer extended over no fewer than fifty-six years. In
any or either case, she beat every record for legitimate artis-
tic longevity known to musical history, including those of
John Braham and Sims Reeves.

Her preeminence as a vocalist was no less pronounced,
Catalan!, Pasta, Malibran, Jenny Land, Grisi, may have been
singers as great as Patti. That no critic now living is in a
position to determine. But, at best, those famous artists only
divided between them the honors due to " queens of opera'*
during the first half of the nineteenth century. The honors
of the second half were wholly and exclusively monopolized by
Patti. Alike as to the particular quality of her genius, its
versatility, the natural beauty of her organ, the perfection of
her technique, the universality of her fame, and the undying
strength of her popularity, she stood alone, utterly beyond the
pale of rivalry. The " Queen of Song," as she was commonly
called, was equally the solitary " Queen of Opera" of her time.

For the suggestion of the title of this book I am indebted

vii



viii PREFACE

indirectly to my friend Mr. H. E. Krehbiel, so long the emi-
nent musical critic of the New York Tribune. In the course
of an " Appreciation of Patti" not the least eloquent page
in his interesting * ' Chapters of Opera, 7 ' I he speaks of a
"period which ought to be referred to for all time in the
annals of music as the'Eeign of Patti." The hint has been
taken with thanks.

Many years ago, during one of my earlier visits to Craig-y-
Nos Castle, I asked Mme. Patti whether she meant ever to give
to the world the story of her life. "Yes," she said, "I am
going to do so very shortly"; then added in one of her quaint
whispers: "I will tell you in confidence that our friend
Beatty Kingston is going to help me to write it. ' '

Time went on. Beatty Kingston died ; and there came no
sign of the autobiography. So far as I could ascertain, he
had never written a line or even begun to collate his material.
One day I put the question anew: "What about this story
of your life f " " It is not yet written, ' ' answered Mme. Patti,
"but I am determined that it shall be done, and now I am
going to ask you if you will be my collator at eur? 3) Unhesi-
tatingly and with alacrity I Accepted a task that I regarded at
once as a duty and an honor.

Notwithstanding this, delays occurred, and the work still
remained unstarted. First there was the illness and death of
Nicolini Not long afterward came the nuptial event related
in the twentieth chapter of this book; and from that day
there was no further chance of writing a life of Patti from
her own notes and personal recollections. These would as-
suredly have constituted a precious fountain of biographical
detail, anecdote, and incident. On the other hand, her letters,
penned in an Italian hand of characteristic neatness, while

York: Henry Holt & Co., 1909. See Appendix U.



PEEFACE ix

remarkable always for their depth of cordial sentiment or their
affectionate warmth, reveal no features of absorbing interest.

It was not only because lime. PattI tad designated me as
her " ' collaboratewr" that I decided six years ago, on my own
initiative, to undertake this_ work. It was also because I had
In my possession much of the material essential for It ; because
I had closely followed the course of her unique career from
its zenith to its close ; because I had been her friend as well
as her critic, had listened "many a time and oft" to her own
viva-vace remarks about the people and the events of her
epoch. Thus I have quoted her ; I have quoted the men who
wrote of her; I have even ventured to quote myself. Not
least of all, where opinion or statement has been controversial,
I have carefully weighed the evidence on both sides and
striven to arrive at a true and impartial judgment.

Only two serious difficulties beset me in the fulfilment of this
* 1 labor of love." One was the sparseness of either authentic
or reliable information concerning Patti's childhood and her
juvenile career. The whole story has never been set forth in
coherent form or with the minuteness of detail that it deserved.
The aseertainable facts had to be pieced together for the
first time.

The other difficulty was to limit the use of superlatives and
avoid the semblance of hyperbole in writing about the life
and achievements of a most extraordinary artist. In this re-
spect she was the despair of every journalist who tried to do
her justice during her crowded half-century of public tri-
umphs. Repetition has In the circumstances been inevitable.
To a charge of exaggeration, however, the author would refuse
to plead guilty. The reader of these pages who is too young
to have heard Patti in her best days, and who cannot conceive
the wonder of the miracle that she was, must be content now
to "mark, learn, and inwardly" believe.

LONDON, November, 1919.



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Mme. Patti as Rosina, Frontispiece

FACING
PAGE

Adelina Patti at the Age of Nine 32

Adelina Patti at the Age of Ten 36

Adelina Patti with her Father 45

In London, 1861 56

Amina, 1862 56

Rosina, 1861 80

Violetta, 1862 _ 80

Dinorah, 1862 97

Martha, 1863 . . 97

In Paris, 1862 112

Lucia, 1863 129

Nbrma, 1863 --....' 129

Marguerite, 1864 148

Patti, Mario, and Faure in "Faust" 157

La Caterina, 1866 . 161

Leonora, 1866 161

Adina, 1866 . ,-.-' 164

Patti and Mario 164

Mario as Faust 168

Linda Di Chamouni, 1867 173

Giovanna D'Arco, 1868 173

In St. Petersburg, 1869 176

In Paris, 1869 - - 180

La Reine, 1870 184

In Paris, 1870 . .189



ILLUSTRATIONS

FACING
PAGE

Desdemona, 1871 193

Marie, 1871 196

Aida, 1876 205

Ernest Nicolini, 1887 208

At Craig-y-Nos 224

Mme. Patti with her Niece Carlina, 1S87 241

Juliette, 1888 256

Craig-y-Nos Castle, Mme. Patti's Welsh Home 273

The "Lost Ganisborough" 296

Line of Music Improvised by Mme. Patti ....... 309

In the Late Sixties 316

The Elixir of Youth, 1898 336

Casket Presented with the Freedom of Brecon 353

Casket Presented "with the Freedom of Swansea .... 353



THE REIGN OF PATTI



THE REIGN OF PATTI



CHAPTER I

Parentage and Birth (1 843) Story of the Patti Family Hereditary
Vocal Influences "Norma" and Her New Baby The Opera and Its
Sequel The Fiction of the Green-Boom The Madrid Baptismal
Eegister A Call to America The Patti Family Emigrates Italian
Opera in New York (1845-47) Max Maretzek Managerial Fiasco
The Child at the Opera



was a Sicilian; my mother a native of Rome; I
saw the light of the world in Madrid, where they were
both singing during the Italian season, and I was brought up
in New York. 7 '

Here, in her own words, uttered in 1877 to her friend
Eduard Hansliek, the famous Viennese critic, 1 stands the brief
record of the nationality and p&rentage of Adelina Patti, the
greatest singer of her time, and, as many have thought, the
greatest operatic soprano of all time. It was her fortunate
destiny to be able to look back upon a half a century of tri-
umphs more brilliant, more numerous than ever before fell to
the lot of prima donna. Her public career, which began in
1850 and terminated in 1906, has had no parallel in the annals
of musical history.

The story of the Patti family reads like a romance. Its
main interest starts, of course, with the epoch-making event
that occurred at Madrid in the spring of 1843. Still, it is
worth tracing a little farther back, if only for the sake of
noting the source of those hereditary influences which played
so important a part in the growth and development of a very

i "Musikalische Stationen," Berlin, 1880,

3



4 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

remarkable genius. One hears commonly enough the term * c a
born singer." As a matter of fact, the singer to whom it can.
be justly applied is a rara avis indeed; and the particular
gifts that warranted it in the ease of Adelina Patti must be
attributed to an especial degree to causes with which heredity
and family surroundings are intimately connected.

To what extent her ancestors were musical there is no
evidence to show. All we know is that her parents were of
pure Italian blood Sicilian on the paternal, Eoman and
Venetian on the maternal side. It has been stated, with ap-
parent good reason, that through the mother's family there
had descended a strain of decided artistic temperament; but
whether tending in the direction of the theatre it is hard to
say. Enough that in the generation which concerns us
namely, those two worthy opera singers whose chief claim to
distinction in this world lay in the fact that they were the
father and mother of Adelina Patti musical talent revealed
itself with unmistakable opulence.

Salvatore Patti was a native of Catania. Trained for the
operatic stage, he became an acceptable ienore robusto and
found plentiful occupation in the principal Sicilian towns.
There, in 1837, he fell in love with the leading prima donna
of the troupe in which he was singing. Dark, good-looking,
not yet out of his twenties, a first-rate hand at love-making
both on and off the stage, he seems to have proved quite irre-
sistible to Ms fair colleague. Indeed, everybody liked Salva-
tore Patti. Forty years later Dr. Hansliek, speaking of him
to Ms famous daughter, described him, on the occasion of her
first visit to Vienna, as "the calm, good-natured chairman,
serving out the soup at the head of your small family table." 1
Only then he was a " tall -and stately man with long white hair
and black eyes." Here in Catania he was the young, hot-

i "Musil?aliscli



THE EBIGN OF PATT1 5

blooded Sicilian tenor, courting a proud Boman matron upon
Ms native heath.

Truth to tell, Signora Caterina Barili, nee Chiesa, was no
longer in the first flush of youth, but a widow with three boys
and a girl. These were the children of her brief but happy
marriage with a well-known singing master and composer
named Barili. He had seen her one day when, like another
Eebecca, she was drawing water from a well (otherwise a
Roman fountain) and singing blithely over her task. Struck
by her voice and good looks, he married her and trained her
for opera. She quickly made her debut and won an emphatic
success.

Then Barili died, leaving behind him only a name and the
aforesaid children, Ettore, Antonio, Nieolo, and Clotilda.
With such a burden upon her shoulders, the widow was only
too glad to continue the pursuit of her profession. Fortu-
nately, hers was an increasing reputation, especially in south-
ern Italy. In Naples she was a favorite; so much so that (ac-
cording to a proud family tradition) she made even the
illustrious Grisi jealous, and the latter, "having on one occa-
sion been thrown into the shade by her, would not again ap-
pear in the same town with her." Be this as it may, history
vouches for the fact that when Donizetti produced Ms opera,
"The Siege of Calais," at Naples in 1836, he wrote the part
of the heroine for Signora Barili, who duly created it.

In the following year she married Salvatore Patti. The
two artists continued their careers for three or four years in
Italy, where their first two children, Amalia and Carlotta,
were born. Later they began an annual engagement for the
season of Italian opera at Madrid ; and there, in 1842, Signora
Barili-Patti gave birth to her son Carlo, 1 who, with the four

i Destined to become a violinist and conductor of some repute in the
United States. After 'many wanderings he settled down at Memphis,
and died at St. Louis in 1873.



8 THE REIGN OF PATTI

small Barili children and the Pattl girl babies, brought the
juvenile family up to a total of seven.

4 Happily, the tale was not to end at the magic number. In
February of 1843 this industrious mother was again singing
in opera at Madrid, and even now another addition to the
growing circle was known to be close at hand. However, little
affairs of this kind seem to have made no difference to her;
so long as her voice remained in good order and evidently
it did nothing else mattered. The shadow of the coming
event did not deter her from undertaking, on the evening of
the 9th T the tolerably exacting role of Norma.

Otherwise the appropriateness of the character was beyond
question. Norma is essentially a motherly sort of person;
albeit at one moment of the opera an unkind fate well-nigh
impels her to the desperate expedient of taking her children's
lives. Whether the latter were represented in this instance by
a couple of the Barili boys or by the usual borrowed mites
(Amalia and Carlotta being still too tiny for the purpose),
history does not relate. But it is certain that the excellent
prima donna went through her part with courage and her
wonted energy to the end or very nearly to the end of the
opera. It was only then that trouble began.

Many pretty variations have been invented to lend color to
a sufficiently interesting episode. One of these, which ob-
tained considerable currency in the sixties, declared that
"the diva was actually born in the green-room of an opera-
house. Her mother, a prima donna of some talent, was sing-
ing with the celebrated Signor Sinico, when she was suddenly
taken ill and carried to the green-room, where Adelina Patti
was born. Sinico has related how in haste he tore up his
wardrobe to find wraps for the infant, little guessing it would
be the greatest singer in the world. ' '

It is scarcely necessary to say that the " celebrated" author



THE REIGN OF PATTI 7

of tliis story evolved it from what Americans call "whole
cloth"; and, for a person of such, vivid Imagination, it Is a
wonder his ^ guessing" powers were not yet more enterpris-
ing. When he related this version of the occurrence Signor
Sinico 1 had for some years been a teacher of singing in
London, and possibly Ms memory had begun to play Mm
tricks. The legend at the wraps, apart from its Inherent im-
probability, was as far from the truth as the statement re-
garding the locale of the event itself.

For, to be strictly accurate, the baby was not born until
four o'clock on the following afternoon. That "Norma" was
first of all carried to the green-room, there is no reason to
doubt ; but it passes the limits of ordinary credence that she
should be allowed to remain there for some sixteen or seven-
teen hours, even with the resources of Signor Sinico and his
wardrobe at Imnd. As a matter of fact, the worthy
Salvatore was also on the spot, and lost no time in having Ms
wife removed to their lodgings a proceeding fraught with
little risk in the case of so robust a mere de famille. And
there, on the afternoon of the 10th of February, the tiny
stranger duly made her first appearance and improvised her
first cadenza on the world's stage.

Naturally, an event of such engrossing interest and im-
portance, taking place under unusual conditions, was narrated
in after years by others besides Signor Sinico. His account,
however, is noted here not merely because of its picturesque-
ness, but because he, of all men, was most under a moral
obligation to state the exact facts and not glorify himself at
the expense of truth. The reason for this is that some two
months after the birth of the wonder-child whose future he
could not "guess," Sinico and his wife were standing as spon-
sors for her at the baptismal font of a neighboring church.

i He was the father (by a second marriage) of the well-known so-
prano, Madame Sinico, who sang in London for many seasons under
Mapleson's management at Her Majesty's and Drury Lane.



8 THE REIGN OP PATTI

The date of Adeiina Patti 's birth was for many years In-
correctly given In every published musical dictionary. In the
earlier editions of "Fetis" the name of Patti was not even
included among existing singers. The second edition, printed
In 1868, still Ignored an artist who had for seven years been
creating a sensation all over Europe, yet spared thirteen pages
for a biography of Paganini ! In the first edition of " Grove "
the date was wrongly stated as February 19, 1843 ; and, curi-
ously enough (thus perhaps accounting for the mistake), the
13th was the day of the month which for a long while Mme.
Patti herself observed as her jour de fete. Others have men-
tioned April 8; but that was the date of the ceremony of
baptism.

Dr. Hugo Riemann, In his Dictionary of Music, was the first
authority to give the correct date, namely, February 10. It
may be assumed that he derived it from the copy of the bap-
tismal register which was made In Madrid and first published
some five-and-twenty years ago. Anyhow, a translation .of
this unimpeachable document shall be given here :

BOOK ov BAPTISMS, ISFo. 42, page 153. In the City of Madrid, Prov-
ince of the same name, on April 8, 1843, I, Don Josef Losada,
Vicar of the Parish of St. Louis, solemnly baptized a girl, born at
four o y clock in the afternoon of the 10th February of fhe current
year, the legitimate daughter of Salvatore Patti, professor of music,
born at Catania, in Sicily, and of Caterina Chiesa, born in Rome.
The paternal grandparents were Pietro Patti and Concepcion
Marino, and the maternal were John Chiesa, born at Venice, and
Louise Caselli, born at Marino, in the Pontifical States.

The child was given the names of Adela Juana Maria.

There assisted at the baptism as godfather Giuseppe Sinico, of
Venice, professor of music, and, as godmother, his wife, Eosa Monara
Sinico, born at Cremona, in Lombardy, whom I have warned of the
spiritual duties they have contracted to fulfil by this act; and as
witnesses Julien Huezal and Casimir Garcia, born at Madrid, sacris-
tans of this parish.



THE REIGN OF PATTI 9

In witness whereof I have signed and delivered the present cer-
tificate, 8th April, etc.

JOSEF LOSADA.

The Madrid opera season terminated at Easter, when the
Patti family went back to Italy and settled down for a time
at Milan. There the tiny Adelina grew Into a strong, healthy
child, developing fresh, lung-power every day, though not as
yet with tonal results indicative of the voice that was soon
to delight the world. - It was, however, the New "World, not
the old land of song, that was to have the privilege of furnish-
ing the cradle and home for the rearing of the new prodigy.
How this came about must now be told.

In the early forties New York was fond of flirting with
opera. Its citizens still preserved the taste for it that the
incomparable Gareias had some twenty years before inoculated
them withaL But their support was rather capricious, and
when, in the winter of 1843-4, a ci-devant restaurant-keeper
named Palmo, built a small opera house in Chambers Street,
in which to give Italian opera on a modern scale (it only held
eight hundred persons), he found it more than he could do to
make it pay. The first season saw him a heavy loser; the sec-
ond was disastrous. In January, 1845, the theatre closed and
was taken over by one Sanquirico, a buffo singer but not
alone. It occurred to this enterprising artist to ask his old
friend Salvatore Patti to come over to New York and join him-
self and another Italian named Pogliagno in the exploitation
of Palmo *s opera house.

The Pattis do not appear to have hesitated. Sanquirico
used powerful arguments, and the economy of the arrange-
ment was a recommendation in itself. The husband a tenor ;
the wife a prima donna; two of the Barili children already old
enough to be in the company it was like securing the best
part of a troupe, to begin with. The important step was
quickly taken, and, almost before they knew it, Salvatore



10 THE REIGN OF PATTI

Patti and Ills family were landing on the dock at New York,
ready to start their new lives in a new country. 1

The exact date of this emigration to America is not on rec-
ord. According to 31r. H. E. Krehbiel, 2 the Sanquirieo-Patti
season at Palme's came subsequently to the closing of the
house in January, 1845. On the other hand, an article printed
in Harper's Weekly Journal of Civilization in 1860 -asserts
that Adelina Patti J s parents brought her to America in 1844;
and there are reasons for concluding that this was the actual
year. It is more than likely that Sanquirico was able to fore-
see and inform his friend in good time how things were going
to end at Palmo's.

The idea of living in the United States was exceedingly
attractive to the Sicilian tenor; still more so was the anticipa-
tion that when his voice gave out he could make a good living
as an impresario. It seems practically certain, therefore,
that by the time the crisis came at the little opera house in
Chambers Street, Salvatore Patti and his family were already
permanently installed in their new dwelling, not far from
that spot.

But neither there nor elsewhere was his venture into the
domain of operatic management destined to be crowned with
good fortune. The season at Palmo's was a failure. Nothing
daunted, Messrs. Sanquirico and Patti undertook, in 1847, the
direction of the newly erected Astor Place Opera House, which
seated eighteen hundred people and was intended to accom-
modate the aristocracy of New York. For a time all went
well, and the operas mounted during the season included
Verdi's "Ernani" and "Nabueco," Mercadante's u n Grara-
mento," Bellini's "Beatrice di Tenda," and Donizetti's
"Lucrezia Borgia."

i According to one account, Amalia and Carlotta Patti were left be-
hind and placed in a boarding-school at Mian.
' 2 "Chapters of Opera," by H. E. Krehbiel, 1909.



THE REIGN OF PATH 11

Before the end, however, troubles arose (of the usual pecu-
niary description ), for which the easy-going Salvatore was
in no way responsible ; and eventually the new managers gave
way to a Mr. Edward Fry (brother of the then critic of the
Tribune), who directed the Astor Place opera season in 1848,
and afterwards in turn retired in favor of his conductor, Mr.
Max Maretzek. The advent of this gentleman was of interest
for reasons that will become apparent later on. He was to
devote himself to the cause of Italian opera in New York for
the next five-and-twenty years, and with more satisf aetory re-
sults than had attended the efforts of Ms predecessors.

Thus terminated the vocation of Salvatore Patti as an oper-
atic manager. Who knows but that it was for the best! Had
fortune smiled upon him, the whole history of his remarkable
family would probably have been different. His daughters
might never have become professional singers, and the won-
drous Adelina might have blossomed into a brilliant amateur.
As it was, the performances during that season of 1847 at
the Astor Place Opera House were to shed a strange and last-
ing influence upon the mind and disposition of the future diva.
She was then only four years old, but, as she herself will tell
us, she was taken to the opera every night her mother sang.
Can we not picture her, a raven-haired child, gazing at the
stage with her sparkling black eyes, taking in every feature
of the scene, listening with wide-open ears to the singers, and
drinking in, for the first time, the Italian melodies that were
to come to her as naturally as speech? What an education
for a baby ! How little did the father and mother dream what
they were doing what germs of precious talent and vocal
genius they were nurturing when they took that little girl to
the theatre, instead of leaving her at home in bed !

But the story of Adelina Patti 's childhood is an extraordi-
nary one, and far too important to be started at the end of a
chapter.



CHAPTER II

Childhood in Xew York (1847-50) Home Life and Influences The

Patti Sisters Amalla and Carlotta A Vocal Nest Little Adelina's
Voice Discovery of the Prodigy An Autobiographical Fragment
Her Musical Ear and Imitative Faculty Arditi's Visit with Bot-
tesini Tears of Emotion

AMONG the Influences that go to the forming of character
and the development of artistic tendencies, none are
stronger than those derived from home surroundings. In the
case of Adelina Patti it would be difficult to overestimate their
potency. From the time she was old enough to "take notice,"
music was the all-pervading atmosphere of her daily existence.
Almost as soon as she could babble words she could warble
tunes.

Never before, surely, was there such a musical, or rather
such a vocal menage. From mom till night this Patti dwell-
ing resounded with the echoes of operatic study, with the prac-
tice of scales, trills, and cadenzas. To the ears of the young-
est member of the family there must have come a continuous
outpouring of Italian cantilena from the throats of father
and mother, brothers and sisters. Like the Joey Ladle of
Dickens, she must have literally " taken it in at the pores."
Dolls and singing were her chief delights.

Let us glance briefly at the individual members of the house-
hold. The parents we already know. By the year 1849 their
singing days were nearly over; they were beginning to look to
the elder sons and daughters for help to meet the growing
family expenses. Ettore, the eldest of the Barili boys, had
begun his vocal training before they left Italy. He was now
a highly promising baritone, capable of earning something on

12



THE OP PATTI 13

Ms own account. Both of the younger brothers also had good
voices Antonio a deep bass, XIcolo a M$so cantante.

Their sister, Clotilda Barili, had been for some time on the
concert platform, having- sung in public before the family emi-
grated. She appeared once at Yieenza in the very year Ade-
lina was born ; and the occasion is noteworthy because it was
at a concert given by a young pianist named Maurice Strakoseh
the man who was destined to become the brother-in-law and
impresario (or, as we should now say, manager) of the illus-
trious singer. It was at this same concert, moreover, that
Strakoseh and Salvatore Patti first become acquainted. 1

Amelia, the eldest of the three Patti girls, also sang in pub-
lic at an early age. She is said to have had a fine organ, but,
unlike her sisters, had to work hard to attain whatever facility
she possessed. The shake gave her no end of trouble. She
devoted so much time to it, practising two notes slowly up and
down, In order to get them perfectly even ? that t at last her
prolonged study of this one thing attracted the attention of
the observant Adelina, now some five or six years old. ""Why
do you do it like that?" she demanded of Amalia, at the same
time imitating her laborious effort. 'Why don't you trill
this way!" Whereupon the tiny maid executed without diffi-
culty a faultless natural shake. Unstudied and unprepared,
it came to her, she said, as "a gift from heaven." 2

According to Maurice Strakoseh, Amalia was already a
favorite with American audiences in 1848, when, escaping the
revolutionary troubles in Paris, he crossed the Atlantic and
gave a "festival," as he termed it, in New York in October of
that year, for which the Patti opera troupe was engaged. But
Amalia was then only about twelve and without reputation as a

1 "Souvenirs d'rai Impresario," Maurice Strakoseh, Paris, 1887.

2 I heard Mme. Patti tell this story herself more than once at Craig-
y-Nos Castle, and have related it in my "Thirty Years of Musical life
in London' 5 (New York: The Century Co.; and London: W. Heine-
mann, 1903).



14: THE REIGN OP PATTI

prodigy; and, as the new-comer was Immediately smitten with
her charms (so much so that he married her two years later),
his evidence regarding the young lady's popularity must be
received, like many other of his "Souvenirs" above all when
dates are concerned with the greatest caution.

The matter of Amalia's public career is, however, of no par-
ticular moment. It lasted a comparatively brief space. Soon
after her marriage her voice began to lose its pftwer, and in
a few years it had gone almost entirely.

With Carlotta Patti, the second daughter, it was exactly
the reverse. Her fine high soprano voice did not develop un-
til she reached womanhood, and she remained a famous con-
cert singer for more than twenty years. But of her more
anon. At the period now referred to Carlotta was a girl of
eight, learning to play the piano and working hard at her
dementi and Czerny. Later she was to study to be a pro-
fessional pianist, with the well-known virtuoso, Henri Herz,
for her master. Thus her unfortunate lameness did not pre-
vent her from adding appreciably to the aggregate of sweet
sounds produced by this extraordinary family.

Lastly, there was the merry, raven-haired, pert little enfant
gaUe herself, divided between her passion for dolls and her
love of music, imitating every singer and repeating every note
she heard, from an Italian aria to a Southern plantation ditty,
taking it all in and giving it all out again in that sweet child
soprano which, it is said, her mother took an especial delight
in encouraging.

But the " entire Stimmung of the Patti household," to
quote Hanslick again, was singularly calculated to foster the
growth of an incipient vocal genius. What a nest wherein to
rear the infant nightingale who was to be the greatest song-
stress of them all ! It, was when she was nearly six years old
that they first began to notice the exquisite timbre of Adelina's
voice, its bright, clear tone, the unusual accuracy of her ear,



THE EEIGX OF PATTI 15

the sureness and ease with which she would plirase a melody.

A graceful and vivacious child she was at this time. Her
pretty face, when in repose, had in it a strangely mature, often
thoughtful look. Its contour was almost that of a woman's;
its expression, when it lighted up, full of character and energy.
The dark eyes could sparkle with mischief or quickly blaze
with the fire of momentary anger. But then, she was the
baby ; her ways were very winning ; she was so unlike ordinary
little girls, save in her aforesaid devotion to her dolls, and,
perhaps, a penchant for pretty frocks.

A simple tune or a broad strain of melody, given out by
the human voice, would instantly rivet her attention. For
instrumental music she did not then betray much liking,
though the fact that it was music at all sufficed to make it at-
tractive to her. But her chief joy lay in opera and everything
connected with it the singing, the acting, the dresses, the
make-up, the scenic effects, the chorus and orchestra includ-
ing the whole personnel, from the conductor to the call-boy.
Nor was there a single thing done upon the stage that she
would not or could not mimic.

Another year slipped by a year of diminishing prosperity,
of growing care -and worry for Adelina's father. Then, in
what was perchance their darkest hour, came the incident
that was to reveal the means for present relief, and with it,
incidentally, the unfolding of a talent that was to astonish
the world. I give the story as it was told me more than forty
years afterward by the heroine herself.

She was barely seven. Every member of the family and
not a few of their friends knew that Adelina could sing ; but
what they did not know was that she could already, without
having had a lesson in her life, sing like an artist.

One day they thought they would make her go through a
whole piece, dnd, in order to see her the better, they made her



16 THE REIGN OF PATTI

stand upon a table. She began without hesitation, not know-
ing the meaning of the word nervousness. They had no idea
what she was going to sing. Imagine their wonder, not un-
mingled with, amusement, when she started the long sustained
note and "turn 77 that form the initial plirase of "Casta
diva" I It was to be nothing less, if you please, than that
most exacting of arias the noblest of Bellini ? s inspired melo-
dies the sublime prayer uttered by Norma just before she
severs the sacred mistletoe from an oak with her golden siekle.

Amusement at the little singer's daring quickly disappeared
and left a feeling of amazement. For even to those of her
flesh and blood who listened there was something strange, ex-
citing, uncanny, in the marvellous intuition that enabled her
to go through both verses of "Casta diva" wholly by ear and
without a mistake. Is it surprising that the good Salvatore
and his wife should have wept tears of joy over their darling
'bambinckf If the father's eyes had not been opened before,
they were now. Adelina was a real prodigy, and one that
might help them out of all their troubles.

That she should know the air was not astonishing. Norma,
as we have reason to remember, was one of her mother *s favor-
ite parts, and the child had often heard her sing it at the
Astor Place Opera House. Besides, Clotilda Barili and
Amalia were constantly practising it. No ; the marvel lay in
two things : the singularly mature and beautiful quality of the
voice; and the no less surprising grace, accuracy, and charm
of the rendering. Her abnormal imitative gift enabled her
not only to learn every bar, every fioritura, every note and
syllable of the Italian music and text by heart, but to control
her tone, to sustain it without effort through the long canti-
lena, and to deliver the phrases just as she had heard them
sung, with natural expression and balanced suavity of style.

Herein was something that the father knew to be more than
an ordinary child's performance. It was the revelation of the



THE REIGN OP PATTI 17

born singer. It was the bringing to light of tiie true vocal
genius a kind of super-woman of the singing universe in
whom tiie lives, habits, and dispositions of this family had
(for two generations at least) been preparing and building
up a wonderful manifestation. Happily for every one, the
"discovery' 7 was not to lead to an overworking of the gold
mine. The resources of the juvenile artist were not to be
abused, but, on the contrary, carefully guarded and pre-
served from now onward. They were to develop with the
normal growth of the girl and the woman, and to serve
her in good stead throughout a career that was as unex-
ampled for its duration as for its distinction.

The events leading to this "discovery" were also related 1
by the great artist to her Viennese critic and friend (in
May, 1877) in course of the following interesting descrip-
tion of her childhood in America:

"A musical ear, as well as an aptitude for and great
love of singing, was developed in me at an extremely early
age. Even as a little child, I was madly fond of music
and the stage. I went to the opera every evening my
mother appeared; every melody, every action, was impressed
indelibly on my mind. "When, after being brought home,
I had been put to bed, I used to quietly get up again,
and, by the light of the night-lamp, play over all the scenes
I had witnessed in the theatre. A cloak of my father's,
with a red lining, and an old hat and feathers belonging
to my mother, did duty as an extensive wardrobe, and so
I atted, danced, and twittered barefooted but romantically
draped all the operas. No, not even the applause and
the wreaths were wanting; I used to play audience as well,
applauding and flinging myself nosegays, which I manufac-
tured by no means clumsily out of large newspapers crumpled
up together.

i "Musikalische Stationen."



18 THE BEIGN OF PATTI

"A heavy blow now overtook us. The manager became
a bankrupt, and disappeared without paying the arrears
of salary. The company dispersed, and there was an end
to Italian opera. My parents found themselves without
the means of livelihood. "We were a numerous family, and
so want and anxiety quickly made their appearance. My
father took one thing after another to the pawnbrokers,
and frequently did not know one day how we were to live
the next. I, however, understood but little of this, and
sang away merrily early and late.

"My father now began to observe me, and conceived the
notion that with my childish voice I might extricate the
family from their distress. Thank heaven, I did. When
I was seven years old I had to appear as a concert singer,
and I did so with all the delight and simplicity of a child.
In the concert-room I was placed on a table near the
piano, so that the audience might see as well as hear the
little bit of a doll. People flocked in, and there was plenty
of applause. And do you know what I sang? That is
the most remarkable part of the business; nothing but
bravura airs, such as c Una voce poco fa,' from the *Barbiere,'
with precisely the same embellishments which I sing at present,
and similar florid compositions. I had the joy of seeing the
articles of clothing and the valuables which had been pledged
find their way back, one by one, and quiet and comfort once
more reign in our house. ' '

This interesting bit of autobiography takes us somewhat in
advance of our story. It is impossible to assign an exact
date to the "discovery," but there can be little doubt that
it occurred during the winter of 1849-50. Some time then
elapsed before Salvatore Patti was in a position to carry out
his idea of bringing out his youngest daughter as a vocal
prodigy. In the meantime, however, she was encouraged as



THE REIGN OF PATTI 19

mucli as possible in the family circle. They constantly put
her on the table and made her try over everything she knew/
1 showing off " ' her marvellous talent before friends until very
soon It became second nature to her to sing before an audience.

Among these friends was one who was to know her inti-
mately In after years. This was the celebrated operatic
conductor, Luigl Arditi, who In 1845-50 was touring In the
United States with the no less renowned double-bass player
and composer, Bottesinl. They visited the Patti home in New
York, and there, for the first time, saw and heard the
enchanting little Adelina. The episode made its mark upon
both musicians, and the pen-picture in which it was described
by Signor Arditi 2 throws a valuable light upon the personal-
ity of the little singer at this momentous period :

"The first time I ever set eyes on Adelina was in New York,
when she and her mother visited the hotel at which I lived,
in order to eat the macaroni which was always excellently
prepared by an Italian chef of renown, and her determined
little airs and manners then already showed plainly that she
was destined to become a ruler of men. . . . Adelina 's mother
was anxious that I should hear the child sing, and so she
brought her little daughter to my rooms one day.

"Bottesinl and I were highly amused to see the air of
importance with which the tiny songstress first selected a
comfortable seat for her doll in such proximity that she was
able to see her while singing, and then, having said: 'La,
ma bonne petite, attends que ta maman te ehante quelque
chose de jolie,' she demurely placed her music on the piano,
and asked me to accompany her in the rondo of ' Sonnambula. '

1 Including several of the popular old ballads which it was such a
delight to hear her sing. Now was probably the time when she first
began to learn "Home, sweet home," "The last rose of summer," "Comin'
thro' the rye," and "Within a mile o j Edinboro' Town." Anyhow, she
sang them all as a child.

2 "My Reminiscences," by Luigi Arditi. London, 1896.



20 THE EBIGN OF PATTI

"How am I to give an adequate description, of the effect
which that child's miraculous notes produced upon our en-
chanted senses? Perhaps if I say that both Bottesini and
I wept genuine tears of emotion, tears which were the out-
come of the original and never-to-be-forgotten impression
her voice made when it first stirred our innermost feelings,
that may, in some slight measure, convince my readers of
the extraordinary vocal power and "beauty of which little
Adelina was, at that tender age, possessed. We were simply
amazed, nay, electrified, at the well-nigh perfect manner In
which she delivered some of the most difficult and varied arias
without the slightest effort or self -consciousness. ' '

Such was the adorable little creature whom Arditi and
Bottesini became acquainted with on the eve, so to speak,
of her extraordinary career. Little did they dream then what
a privilege was theirs. Still, they wept ; and more than that
they could not well do to manifest the sensations that the
child's singing aroused in them. Nor can we doubt that
those kindly tears did more even than words to strengthen
the father's resolution in the plan of action which he had
determined to pursue.



CHAPTER III

Adelina's First Teachers Ettore Barili and Signora Paravelli What
They Taught Her Liili Lehmann's Tribute D^but as a Wonder-Child
Advent of Maurice Strakosch First Concert Tour Ole Bull
Early Vocal Training Her Own Evidence The Barili and Strakosch
Claims Compared A Discussion in the Times An Episode of Patti's
Childhood.



XACTLY how old or rather how young Adelina Patti
was when she began to take lessons can only be surmised.
Her own records of the matter mention no date. 1 She simply
says: u While still a little child I had lessons in singing- from
my step-brother, and pianoforte lessons from my sister
Carlotta." It is more than probable that these lessons were
started immediately after the * diseoYery" chronicled in the
preceding chapter.

Anyhow, it is absolutely certain that Ettore Barili, "an
excellent singer/' was her first teacher. "He gave me my
first lessons in singing, doing so quite systematically, and not
as a mere amusement or by fits and starts."

"It was my half-brother, Mr. Ettore Barili/' she once told
an American writer, "who laid the foundation of my singing.
My brother-in-law, Mr. Strakosch, taught me certain embel-
lishments and cadenzas, but it was to Ettore Barili that I
owed the foundation as well as the finish of my vocal equip-
ment. With Mm I studied solfeggi, trills, scales; the chro-
matic scales came naturally. I think I was trilling when I
came into the world." 2

1 "Musikalische Stationen," Eduard Hanslick.

2 From an article by William Armstrong, quoted later at length,
which appeared in the Saturday Evening Post (Philadelphia.), August
8, 1903, under the heading "Madame Patti's Advice to Singers/* and
now reprinted by permission.

21



22 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

She also received vocal instruction in those early days
from an Italian opera singer named Paravelli, who visited
regularly at the house and was an intimate friend of the
family. This lady was desirous of taking in hand Adelina's
general education, and her offer was accepted.

SIgnora Paravelli seems to have been an efficient accompan-
ist as well as a capable singer. Consequently, under her
guidance the child was able to make rapid progress. She
added a number of operatic arias and show pieces to her
own little stock, her memory being as phenomenal as was her
faculty for imitation. At the same time she gained notably
in poise and aplomb. No matter who was listening, she never
betrayed a scintilla of self-consciousness, but sang as a bird
would with the keenest sense of enjoyment and freedom in
the act of using her voice and warbling her melodies.

Did she go through a regular course of technical training in
the art of voice-production? This question has been asked.
a thousand times, and the answer she herself always emphat-
ically gave was, ct No !' J Nature had taught her nearly every-
thing that the average student has to strive laboriously to
acquire. To put it still more precisely, she went through no
regular course, but was carefully trained to do everything
well.

Both Ettore Barili and Signora Paravelli seem to have
acted in this matter with the utmost common sense. They
merely filled in the gaps that nature had left. They taught
her how to breathe, how to sustain tone with what Italians
call the messa di voce (swelling and diminishing on single
notes), how to execute scales and runs in fact, all the exer-
cises for agility, the ornaments and embellishments, that form
the foundation of the old Italian school.

Happily, too, they "let well alone." (And would that all
who teach this art would do the samel) They made no at-
tempt to interfere with her manner or method of emitting her



THE OF PATTI 23

voice. Its delicious purity and extraordinary volume fur-
nished a sufficient warning against any attempt to improve
upon what, they must have recognized as nature's perfect
model. They doubtless realized that she was a genius one of
those * * fortunately gifted geniuses in whom are united all the
qualities needed to attain greatness and perfection, and whose
circumstances in life are equally fortunate ; who can reach the
goal earlier, without devoting their whole lives to it." *

The accomplished artist who wrote the words just quoted
understood the nature of this phenomenon. Referring to it
again, Mme. Lilli Lehmann says: "She possessed, uncon-
sciously, as a gift- of nature, a union of all those qualities that
all other singers must attain and possess consciously. Her
vocal organs stood in the most favorable relation to eael"
other. Her talent, and her remarkably trained ear, main-
tained control over the beauty of her singing and of her
voice. The fortunate circumstances of her life preserved
her from all injury. The purity and flawlessness of her
tone, the beautiful equalization of her whole voice, constituted
the magic by which she held her listeners entranced,"

Once more, then, all praise to Ettore Barili for his masterly
policy of non-interference! Taking Ms little step-sister in
hand at the tender age when a fundamental mistake or a
suspicion of undue "forcing' 5 might have ruined her organ,
he trained her with the utmost gentleness and discrimination.
The more she sang, the better she sang. She never complained
of the slightest fatigue. If she left off singing it was because
they stopped her, or because she wanted to get back to her
dolls. "

Such was the wonder-child of seven whom Salvatore Patti
desired to bring to the world's notice in the early spring of
1850. His mind made up, he knew quite well to whom to

i "How to Sing/* by Lilli Lehmann. London, 1903.



24 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

apply to cooperate with him in the execution of his plan.
No one was likely to do better than. Max Maretzek, his old.
conductor at the Astor Place Opera House in 1847, and subse-
quently the manager of that establishment. So in due course
he went to Maretzek and asked Mm to hear his little girl
sing-. Of course Max did so.

To the last day he lived, the New York impresario was never,
so proud of anything as of his share in that transaction.
Delighted beyond measure with Adelina's precious gifts, he
promised that she should appear at a concert that was about
to be given under Ms direction for a charity. It was an
excellent opportunity, and arrangements for the debut were
forthwith concluded. Of the actual date on which it occurred
no reliable record is to be found. The affair had no import-
ance at the time, and it is doubtful whether it was noticed in
the press beyond the extent of a paragraph.

Nevertheless, certain details survive. For instance, that
the concert took place in a small New York building known
as Triplets Hall; and that "little Miss Patti 77 sang on this
memorable occasion two pieces, namely the final rondo, Cf Ah!
non giunge," from "La Sonnambula/' and the "Echo Song"
by Eekert, which was then one of the chevaux de bataille
of Jenny Lind. Her rendering of these selections standing
upon a table, that the audience might be able to see her well
created a most extraordinary sensation.

Begarding this impression I have listened to the evidence
of an eye-witness. In 1902, not long after the beginning of
my seven years' sojourn in New York, I presented a letter
of introduction (it was from Mme. Patti herself) to a lady
who told me she had been among the audience at the Tripler's
Hall concert.

"Never shall I forget," she said, "the perfect coolness and
equanimity with wMch that child stood before a staring crowd,
for the first time in her life, and sang with astounding ease



THE BEIGN OF PATTI 25

and grace the different pieces that they iiad put her down
for! The beauty of the fresh young voice was thrilling

enough, but the "brilliancy of her execution was something
the like of which people had never heard from the lips of
a girl before; and the combination simply took their breath
away. I certainly thought they would never leave off ap-
plauding. We left the hall with the feeling- that Mr. Maretzek,
[a relative of the speaker], had discovered the greatest vocal
prodigy of the age. 7 '

And so he had; but at the moment lie seems not to have
realized the fact. Anyhow, Max Maretzek was not destined
to be the man who should profit by it. The gains to be
harvested through the golden throat of Adeilna were to be
shared by Salvatore Patti for many a day in association with
his lucky son-in-law, Maurice Strakoseh.

Concerning this clever and wide-awake young musician,
who had not been long married to Amalia, the eldest of the
Pattl girls, it will now be necessary to give a few particulars.
His age in 1850 was twenty-five. Born In a small town in
Moravia, 1 he was brought up as a pianist, made Ms debut
when eleven years old, and won considerable fame in Austria
and Germany. He aspired, however, to be an operatic tenor,
and sang for a year at Agram for thirty francs a month!
After that he was fortunate enough to secure a chance of
studying for a while under the great lime. Pasta, who had
retired from the stage and was then living on the Lake of
Como.

Strakoseh says he studied with Pasta three years, but this
has been contradicted on good authority. "Whether he did
or did not matters little, except as a test of Ms veracity. The
point is that Ms "Souvenirs" teem with doubtful statements

i In his "book he mentions neither the year nor the name of the town.
But the latter was not Lemberg, as has been stated.



26 THE REIGN OF PATTI

and leave a series of lacund which, had they been truthfully
filled in, would have furnished material of the utmost value
and interest. The accuracy of the assertion that he was three
years with Pasta is at once impugned by his "boast, in the
same sentence, that he was "learning that science which
enabled him in turn to form a pupil like lime. Adelina Patti."
How mueh he had to do with "forming" of the famous
singer will be shown in due time.

In any case, the privilege of being taught at all by Pasta
the renowned soprano for whom Bellini wrote 4i La Sonnam-
bula" and "Nonna" does not seem to have fitted Maurice
Strakosch for his coveted operatic career. He abandoned the
idea, resumed work as a solo pianist, and, after winning fur-
ther success in that capacity, made his way (as already stated)
to the hospitable shores of America and the susceptible heart
of Amalia Patti. 1 There it was not all quite plain sailing;
for his prospective mother-in-law strongly objected to the
match and very nearly succeeded in preventing it. The fa-
ther, however, proved less awkward to manage. He liked
Maurice Strakoseh from the first, and their long family and
business relations appear to have always existed on a mu-
tually satisfactory footing.

Thus, at the moment when the possibilities, pecuniary and
otherwise, of little Adelina 's prodigious talent stood fully
revealed at Tripler's Hall on the day of the charity concert,
Amalia "s newly wedded husband had just returned from a
two years' tour of the States. "Whether he was present at
the concert he does not state. He merely mentions that the
child "made a sensation," and adds that she was eight years
old a mistake arising from his impression (never altered,
by the way) that she was born in 1842.

Yet Maurice Strakoseh must either have been on the spot

i Mme. Maurice Strakoseh lived during tlie later years of her life in
Paris, and died there December 16, 1915, at the age of seventy-seven.



THE OF PATT1 27

or very near at hand ; for immediately after the debut we find
him proposing to undertake the management of an extended
provincial tour, with Adelina as the "star." The expenses
were to be kept as low as possible, so that, at the outset at
any rate, the uniform price of half a dollar might be charged
for seats. The arrangements were quickly completed, and
late in the spring of 1850 the tour, which was to last for
nearly three years, made a start at Baltimore.

Now was witnessed a strange spectacle strange even for
the land of Barnum and (as it was then) the paradise of show-
men ! A child of some seven summers was to inaugurate her
unparalleled career by visiting every town worth going to
in every Eastern, Middle, and Southern State of the Union ;
to stand upon a table every night for astonished multitudes
to gaze upon and listen to ; looking, perchance, like a delicate,
fragile piece of Dresden china, but singing with the moving
appeal, the executive brilliancy, of a very wonderful little
human being in all vocal attributes a woman long before her
time.

At the opening concert at Baltimore 1 only one hundred
persons paid for their seats. But the hundred went away
amazed and talked. At the second concert the total rose
to three hundred; and so the tale grew until, at the sixth,
every seat had been sold before the doors opened. The room
was capable of holding two thousand people, so the receipts
mounted quickly and the prospects of the tour became very
rosy indeed.

At this juncture Strakoseh came across an old friend, Ole
Bull, the Norwegian violinist, who was also paying Baltimore
a visit. For once the latter had noted a falling-off in bus-
iness. "What is the cause?" he asked. "Little Miss

i The date is not on record, but it must have been in the autumn of
1850.



28 THE REIGN OF PATTI

Patti," they told him the phenomenal child soprano. Ole
Bull went to hear her, and instantly perceived that there
would be wisdom in converting so powerful a competitor into a
partner. As a matter of fact, it was Strakoseh who proposed
the deal. Ole Bull accepted, and the joint tour began with-
out delay.

The Norwegian was a virtuoso of the Paganini school.
Exceedingly popular in the United States, he was just the
right kind of attraction to make the ensemble irresistible. It
did splendidly. Month after month, year after year, the
sweet little singer and the bluff Scandinavian fiddler went
on traveling through the United States, Canada, Mexico,
and Cuba, revisiting most of the larger towns and cities, and
making money everywhere.

They got on well together, for Adelina had an affectionate
disposition in spite of her caprices and her occasional dis-
plays of temper. One of these (related by Strakosch) was
quite characteristic of her. She had a decided liking for
champagne. Ole Bull, her neighbor at table d'hote, thought
fit on one occasion to refuse to give her any. Another child
would have cried. Adelina adopted her own method of show-
ing her annoyance. With her pretty little hand she admin-
istered a sharp smack to the cheek of the astonished violinist.

Again, one day at Cincinnati, she asked Strakosch to get
her a doll. He paid no particular attention to her request
and forgot all' about it. When the concert was about to begin,
Adelina declared that she would not sing unless she had her
doll. The hall was crowded; but nothing could alter her
decision nothing but the doll. The manager was compelled
to run out and buy one at the nearest toy store. When it
was handed to her, Miss Patti dried her tears., then ran
on to the platform and created the usual enthusiasm. 1

She was like most little girls of her age, apart from her

1 "Souvenirs of an Impresario/ 3 by Maurice Strakosch.



BEIGX OF PATTI 29

singing and her exceptional facility for speaMng languages.
At this time she could converse with equal fluency in English,
Italian, Spanish, and French ; later in life she added to these
German and some knowledge of Russian. The tliunders of
applause and the personal attentions evoked "by her juvenile
achievements never turned her head. Ske took them for
granted, and then, as thereafter, would no doubt have won-
dered greatly if they had not been forthcoming.

The fact that she had begun to earn large sums of money
made no difference whatever to her. 1 She remained true to
her dolls and playthings, and "enjoyed the companionship
of the children whom she met at the different hotels. She had
often to be taken away from her games to practise her scales
and exercises; which," observes her manager, '"he was very
particular that she should not be allowed to neglect. ' ?

Here the question fittingly arises, what part did Maurice
Strakosch take, both during and immediately after this lengthy
tour, in the vocal education of Adelina Patti ?

The point is of importance, because in after years Strakoseh
put forward a definite claim to be her " first and only mas-
ter." This was met by Mme. Patti with a no less unqualified
denial. 2

"When Hanslick put the question to her point-blank in 1877,
she answered: "Certainly not. Strictly speaking, Strakoseh
taught me only Rosina in I1 Barbiere/ and subsequently,

1 According to an article in Harpers "Weekly, when this tour ended
Adelina Patti's share of the profits amounted to twenty thousand dol-
lars, "which her father invested in a country seat, the summer residence
of the family."

2 On this suhject Kuhe says in his "Reminiscences" : "I spoke just
now of Adelina Patti's brother-in-law as her singing master. But did
she ever require one? I maintain that Adelina Patti would still have
heen all that she was thirty years ago, and is now, even if no one had
trained her in voice production scales, shakes, and all the other depart-
ments of vocal tuition. In her all accomplishments of that kind were
inborn."



30 THE REIGN OF PATTI

when I was travelling about Europe as a regular singer, lie
went through my characters with me." On the other hand, al-
though the Strakosch claim was excessive, it ought not to be
dismissed as utterly groundless. Let us endeavor to arrive at
the truth.

He was, of course, neither her " first " nor her "only"
teacher. The first, as we know, was Ettore Barili, who was,
moreover, to teach her again after she had returned home to
New York. But it will be readily perceived that, during a
concert tour extending over three years, the little Adelina's
repertoire of pieces must have needed occasional replenish-
ment. No matter how regularly she might practise scales and
exercises, she could hardly be expected to continue picking up
arias and ballads "by ear ?? during the whole tour without
some sort of individual instruction.

The arias that she sang in public during the period under
discussion included several that had been made familiar in
America by Jenny Lind, Henrietta Sontag, Bosio, and other
shining lights of the vocal firmament. Those that she learned
during the long peregrination from town to town she can
have studied with no other person than Maurice Strakosch.
He, likewise, must have tried over with her the popular
ballads she is said to have " warbled so deliriously to English
words/' Her father never gave her a singing lesson in his
life.

Maurice Strakosch was sufficiently well equipped for the
task. He had had lessons from Pasta and heard her teach.
He had listened to most of the famous singers of his time.
He was well acquainted with the principles and traditions of
the old Italian school. True, he was not a recognized maestro
di canto. But who, at any period of musical history, has ever
required a special certificate to entitle him to be called a
teacher of singing? If the gentleman had not "protested too
nraeh" he would have been credited with more.



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 31

What lie could show to the quick-eared Adelina In the way
of adornments, variations, cadenzas, and all the elaborate
ornamentation essential for the operatic morceaux of that
time, she would doubtless learn with her customary facility.
How he managed to show her the proper pronunciation of
the words in the ballads is not quite so evident. He had an
accent that you could Si eut with a knife, " and, had she repro-
duced it then as she mimicked it in after years, the people
would have gone into fits of laughter.

Strakosch, it would seem, had an idea much later in life
that he could teach English oratorio with all the purity of
accent which he had admired in Lemmens-Sherrington and
Sims Beeves. His ambition was to make a great Handelian
singer of Mine. Patti, and, according to her own graphic
description, this is how he would have had her pronounce
the words of the air "Thou didst blow with the wind," from
"Israel in Egypt":

"Zou dids* blow, viz-ze-vint;
Dey zank, ass lett in-de-mighty-vatters," etc.

Needless to say, her ear was far too sensitive English
being practically her mother-tongue for her seriously to
imitate this kind of accent in the songs she learned as a
child. "When she grew up and came to live in England, her
pronunciation of the language, if not free from Americanisms,
very quickly improved. She occasionally sang a song in the
vernacular, to the great delight of British and American
audiences; but, beyond appearing at some of the Handel
Festivals, and filling the Centre Transept of the Crystal Pal-
ace with penetrating birdlike tones, she evinced no desire to
shine as a singer of oratorio.

How much or how little she acquired from Strakosch it is
not now easy to state. If he incurred the punishment of being
denied credit for what he actually did, the fault was his own.
He paid the penalty for grasping at all the honors. His



32 THE REIGN OF PATTI

bump of "love of approbation/' as the phrenologists term it,
was a great deal too large. In Ms "Souvenirs" lie does not
even mention the name of Ettore Barili ! He spares a passing
word for SIgnora Paravelli, but merely to say that she "took
great pleasure In making Adelina sing to her accompani-
ments." 1 His one glimpse of modesty Is when he limits his
sole pedagogic activities to a period of about ten years. It
was his privilege, he says, to be for "plus de dix annees le
seul professeur et Impresario d 7 Adelina Patti."

But there were other claimants besides Maurice Strakosch.
to the honor of being Patti's teacher. The question arose
in the columns of the Times in September, 1884, in conse-
quence of a remark made by Dr. Franz Hueffer, who had
not long succeeded James Davison as the musical critic of
that paper. The correspondence 2 excited some interest
chiefly on account of Strakosch 's reply, which, by the 'way,
is mentioned in the meagre account of Patti given in the
revised edition of Grove's Dictionary.

These various claims, however, were of an extremely
shadowy kind. No doubt several of her conductors performed
the more or less mechanical duty of "coaching" Patti in cer-
tain of the operas she sang under their batons ; and the fact
that she rarely, if ever, attended a rehearsal rendered this
peculiarly essential. But coaching and teaching are two
widely different functions. The present writer did not call
himself one of Mme. Patti's "teachers" because he once had
the privilege of helping her to master the original text of
some Wagner pieces the only German, by the way, that she
ever sang in public.

There is plenty of evidence that she was a child with a

1 True, lie also mentions that she taught her to read and write. Pre-
stonably, therefore, Signora Paravelli was responsible for that exqui-
sitely neat Italian hand which always aroused the admiration of Mme.
Patti's correspondents.

2 See Appendix A.




A33ELINA PATTI AT THE AGE OF NINE
From a. cLagruerreotpye



OF PATTI 33

inlnd of her own; that she was something more than the
mere ordinary little girl with a precocious vocal gift. Her
wilfnlness and her occasional fits of temper quickly sub-
sided under soothing and kindly treatment. And of this
there was no lack, for every one but her father spoiled her.
Yet she was not exactly a "spoilt child," If her nature
was to fight for her own way, she was ait fond obedient;
and even at this tender age she seems to have had an extra-
ordinary realization of her duty as an artist. Tt was enough
for her to know that certain things were forbidden because
they might injure her voice or were not good for her singing.
She would grumble, perhaps, but immediately yield.

It is not difficult to visualize her expressive Italian face
at the age of nine or ten. Happily, there is the now well-
known photograph (which she lent to the writer for repro-
duction as a frontispiece to his b,ook "Thirty Years of
Musical Life") taken of her seated at a table between two
of her youthful friends, who have been eliminated from the
picture. What a remarkable little face it Is ! How sedate
and calm, how full of thought and contemplation, how
strangely mature for her years ! Yet it is not sad. It bears
only that quiet, serious expression, already natural to her,
which she ever wore when face to face with the camera. The
most photographed woman of her time, there is not 'extant a
picture of her that shows her fine teeth or the smallest sem-
blance of an artificial smile. And yet her smile when her
countenance lit up with animation most of all when she was
singing was one of her greatest charms.

Another picture (in words, this one) of the child Adelina
has, by a fortunate chance, come into the writer's possession.
It appeared in an American magazine nearly forty years ago,
with some quaint pencil illustrations that unquestionably
enhance the value of the story, the authenticity of which
(having regard to the source whence it came, if for no other



34 THE REIGN OF PATTI

reason) there is not the smallest ground for doubting. The
excerpt bears date "March, 1881, " and from that time to this
has probably never appeared in print. It throws a profoundly
Interesting light upon the character of our heroine at this
concert epoch of her juvenile career, and is therefore repro-
duced here in its entirety:

RECOLLECTIONS OF A LITTLE PRIMA DONNA

By AUGUSTA BE BUBNA

A number of years ago, certain placards and programs, posted
and distributed upon the walls and streets of a small Southern city,
heralded the coming of a wonderful entertainment.

Among the artists announced upon the glaring red, yellow, and
blue bills there were two old and renowned names Ole Bull, the
celebrated violinist, and Maurice Strakosch, the brilliant pianist; but
the largest and leading letters spelled out the name of the youngest
and tiniest member of the concert troupe : "MADEMOISELLE ADELINA
PATTI; AGED ELEVEN YEARS. THE WONDERFUL CHILD PRIMA
DONNA!"

Tickets for the grand concert sold very rapidly, and there was
every promise that a crowded house would welcome to the town the
young singer and her veteran companions.

Adelina Patti and Ole Bull Welcome Their Visitors

The day was dreary and dismal ; a sullen spring rain set in during
the morning, and gave evidence of lasting many hours.

Upon the arrival of the troupe at the hotel, the business manager,
together with Mr. Strakosch, came over to the music store in the
place to see about the sale of seats and tickets, and, while here, the
pleasant musician discovered, playing behind the counter with their
dollies, two little blonde-haired lassies.

He felt at once he would find relief for the dreariness of a whole
day indoors for his sister-in-law, whom he had left already fretting
and petulant.

He consequently at once made gentle advances toward acquaint-



THE REIGN OP PATTI 35

aneesMp, by telling the two maidens about the lonely little girl over
at the hotel, who was counting rain-drops on the window-panes, and
begging them to come and see the little Adelina. The children's
interest was at onee awakened. They obtained permission from their
parents to visit the little singer, put on clean aprons, and soon, with
their dollies in their arms, they skipped along in the rain beside
"the greatest living pianist" of the day.

When they reached the hotel and the room where the strange little
girl was to be presented, a curious tableau met the eyes of the
lassies, and the first sound which they recollect ever hearing from
that voice which has since sung "pearls and diamonds," was a merry,
tinkling, mocking laugh,

The room was a great, dull, dark place, scantily furnished, and
bare of comfort ; in the middle of the floor there stood a tall gentle-
man with long, thick gray hair, Ms eyes tightly bandaged by the
tantalizing sprite whose mocking voice had, for several minutes, led
Mm an elusive dance all about the room.

There was a sudden pause as the door opened. The gentleman
pushed up his bandage, and the little girl opened very wide a pair
of brilliant dark eyes. Mr. Strakosch came quickly forward, leading
the now timid strangers, and said kindly to the famous little singer:

"I have brought you a couple of playmates, Adelina; you will re-
lease Ole Bull, now, from Ms chase of you, and after you have enter-
tained the little girls, you are to go home with them to dine, and
play until tea-time."

The little girl came toward the shrinking lassies, smiled in their
faces brightly, and then kissed each on both cheeks, in a funny
foreign manner.

By this time, too, the tall old gentleman had untied his bandage,
and was also beaming down on the little strangers with a gentle,
kindly smile, kissing them as well, and saying in a soft, low voice:
"It is well for Adelina to have some little ones with whom to play
she tires quickly of us older children. I am too big and tall for
her, and I will leave you now to make friends and play together."
And he at onee walked to the door.

"Now? a Bright, Pleasant Expression, Please!"
But her imperial highness was not of the same mind. On the



36 THE REIGN OF PATTI

contrary, she insisted stoutly that "the more, the merrier," and again
the mild blue eyes of the Norwegian were blinded, and down upon
his knees knelt the famous artist, to "pick up pins and needles."

At the first symptoms of weariness on the part of the children,
however, the kind old gentleman quickly went his way ; and the little
girls, left alone now, looked gravely at one another, from top to
toe, with the curious, animal-like gaze with which newly acquainted
children regard each Other. Then the lassies offered the new friend
their doilies, which had lain upon the table during the game; but
such playthings were not in her line. She looked scornfully upon
their waxen loveliness, and snubbed the idea of "making believe
mamas."

"No," she cried, tossing back her long, blue-black braids. "No;
I am going to take your pictures. Come, sit down and allow me to
arrange you properly!"

Poor child! She had herself been posed and taken so often that
she was perfectly familiar with the whole performance. "Hold up
your chins. Ah, that is par fait! Now, if you please, look this way,
a trifle to the left. So; that is charming, my dears. Now! a
bright, pleasant expression, please." So she went on, as she ar-
ranged to her satisfaction her wonder-eyed and very willing little
companions. Then, taking a chair, she threw a towel over her little
shiny black head, looked at the children through the bars of its low
back, and then for the space of a few seconds was invisible. Pres-
ently she reappeared, looking very grave and mysterious, turned
her back, and then, with an imaginary negative in her little hand,
came toward her sitters, asking their opinion of the pictures. Over
and over again was this play performed, to an admiring and de-
lighted audience of two, though the actors were sometimes reversed,
and the strange little girl herself assumed the part of the sitter, and
threw into convulsions of laughter her amused little photographers,
by her sudden changes of face and position.

At noon Ole Bull and "Maurice/* as the little Adelina familiarly
called Mr. Strakoseh, returned to the room, and with them came a
dark-browed, foreign-speaking gentleman, of whom the child ap-
peared to stand in awe, calling him "Papa" with a more respectful
tone than that in which she addressed the other two gentlemen.




ADELINA PATTI AT THE AGE OF TEN



OF 37

Tills dark gentleman assisted her in putting on the little hat and
sack in which, she was to cross the street and accompany her visitors
home to dine, tying- a handkerchief around her throat, and, in a

sharp, severe tone, giving her a command which the lassies supposed
meant that she must "be a good girl."

They afterward discovered that his words were really a strict
injunction as to what she was not to eat at the strange table.

"Xo, thanks; I dare not taste it if there is any pepper in it Papa
would be terribly angry/' she said, when helped at table; and then
she told how beautifully they cooked macaroni at home, and wished
ever so devoutly that she could have some "that very minute," and
the lassies felt very badly indeed because a large dish of her favorite

food could not be procured at once for their charming little guest.

/
Playing at Opera Lucia and- Ed gar do

After dinner, a few delightful hours were passed in the play-
room; and such plays were never enacted before or since. Dishes
and doEs were swept aside witla scarcely a look; but, spying a
little tin sword and belt in one comer of the room, the little "born
actress'-' exclaimed:

"Come, we will play opera. I will be Lucia, you shall be Edgardo.
See, with this sword and belt you will look like a man; and you
must love me passionately and be killed; and I shall go mad and
rave over your dead body."

Then two little lassies were instructed in the art of killing and
dying, with stage directions for entrees and exits, while the little
Adelina unbound the glossy, long braids of her blue-black hair, and
went "mad and raved" over her lover with the tin sword and belt,
who lay dying before her.

Many years after, when the famous prima donna, then but a mere
girl, made her debut at the Philadelphia Academy of Music, the
opera was "Lucia di Lammennoor" ; but the Edgardo of the play-
room sat among the audience, not in a tin sword and belt, and
wondered if there came a recollection to the diva of her childhood's
performance in the old 'play-room.

But to go back to my story. That afternoon was all too short,
notwithstanding a full repertoire of operas was gone through with



38 THE REIGN OF PATTI

brilliant effect, and when the summons came for the little AdeHna
to return to the hotel to prepare for the concert, she was unwilling
to obey, protesting forcibly in her pretty, half-broken English, and
emphasizing her dislike with shrugs and stamps, and naughty sound-
ing French and Italian words, which made the lassies open their
blue eyes, quite shocked at their diva's temper. "Maurice/ 7 who
was very good-natured, listened laughingly to the tirade, and then
compromised by allowing his mistress to take back with her to the
hotel her beloved little friends, to see her dressed for the concert.

Oh, the wonder of it! To see the little pink silk robe, with its
graduated bands of black velvet and lace, spread out upon the bed,
not by a mother's careful touch, but by a father's hand; the tiny
boots laced up neatly, and the tumbled locks braided, looped around
the little ears adorned with velvet rosettes, and diamonds hung
therein; then a pair of kid gloves coaxed on the dark, lithe hands,
and by degrees, before their eyes, the lassies beheld their little,
frowsy, careless romp of the play-room transformed into a wonder-
ful young lady in silk and jewels a prima donna.

The Little Prima Donna at the Concert

"Now, be sure to sit in the very frontest seat, so I can see you the
whole time, and wait for me after the concert is over, so I can Mss
you good night, won't you?" she coaxed as the lassies were hurried
away to be dressed for the evening.

Was It "Addie," they wondered, when there was handed out upon
the stage, to a round of rapturous applause, a little, self-possessed,
low-eourtesying damsel, who scanned the house with indolent, haughty
eyes, until they fell upon the "frontest" seats, and then ought it to
be told of her? actually winked her recognition, as the bright eyes
discovered her playmates of the day looking up in adoration at the
marvelous creature before them.

Then, a pause, a prelude, and was it a lark or a nightingale?
"0 Luce di quest* Anima," "Cam aval de Venise," "Casta Diva,"
gushed out of that little brown throat, and the house rocked with
applause. It was exquisite, wonderful that voice as all the world
knows now.

The concert over, a low, sweeping bow, a bright smile, and a quick



THE REIGN OF FATTI 39

little nod toward the front row of seats ? and presently a whirl of
rose-colored silk came rusliing down the aisle, and half of the crowd,
remaining behind, belieid a pathetic little tableau.

"We are going away to-night, now, and I never knew it!" cried
the child, throwing her arms around her two little friends. "And
Maurice says I must say good-bye, and I shall never see you again.
Promise me you will never forget meP And, with a passion of
embraces and tears, she repeated over and over: "Promise me you
will never, never forget me I"

"Never! Never! 77 came back the sobbing* replies. Then a long
clinging of dark arms to two white little necks, a hurried snatching
away of the tear-stained, tragic little creature, and the carriage
whirled away far away upon the "flood of years" the much loved
and never forgotten little child prima donna.



CHAPTER IV

Girlhood to Womanhood Last Juvenile Tour with Gottschalk Ope-
ratic Yearnings Mother and Daughter Training for the Stage
Strakosch or Muzio? Ullmann Consents The Terms Preparing for
the New York Debut The Final Rehearsals The Great Event
The Criticisms The Season that Followed.

THE five years that followed upon the close of the first con-
cert tour marked an important period of transition.
The immediate object of exploiting the prodigy had been ac-
complished. Prom a position of pecuniary difficulty the Patti
family had been elevated to one of comparative affluence and
comfort. They continued to live in and near New York, and
the gifted girl carried out numerous profitable engagements
both there and in the large neighboring cities.

From time to time she met various artists of renown, all
of whom were much struck by her extraordinary talent and
predicted a brilliant future for her. Mine. Sontag told
her she " would be one of the greatest singers in the world."
Mme. Alboni said that "if she went to Paris she would
make a furore. ' ' Both predictions were to be fulfilled to the
letter.

But before that much was to happen. Now, to begin with,
there came the interval during which, by Strakosch 's sage
advice, it was decided that she should withdraw entirely from
the concert-room. This began in the summer or autumn of
1855, at which date Adelina had not quite entered her
"teens." 1 The exact duration of the period of absolute rest
cannot be stated with certainty. According to Strakoseh, she
was not to sing again in public until she was fifteen ; but there

i One of her last appearances as a little girl was at "a grand vocal
and instrumental concert in aid of the Hebrew Benevolent Societies,"
given at Mblo's Saloon, New York, on February 27, 1855,



OP PATH 41

is evidence that this understanding was not adhered to. Some
time during the latter part of 1857 the pianist Louis lloreau
Gottschalk was in New York, arranging a tour through the
Southern States, to extend to the West Indies. He proposed
that Adelina should go with him. She had already profited
by her "rest," and her voice was broadening out with every
promise of becoming a powerful, resonant organ. Her father
did not see any necessity for waiting longer. Gottschalk 's
offer was accepted and concert work was resumed.

In his letter to the Times, already referred to, Strakosch
states that this tour lasted two years; in his "Souvenirs"
he describes it as a petite tour nee. In either ease, it brought
the young singer's juvenile career as a concert artist to a
close. When she returned to New York, it was to pave the
way for her entrance into the branch of artistic life which it
had long been her openly expressed desire and ambition to
follow, namely, the operatic stage. How this was accom-
plished we shall now see.

From the strangely interesting little girl, Adelina had blos-
somed into a fascinating "maiden of bashful fifteen." "In
figure," she has said, "I was still a child. I was small and
rather delicate. 7 ' x But her spirit, her ideas, her aspirations,
were those of a woman who knew her own mind, and, it may
be added, who generally managed to have her own way.

Her notion of becoming a priina donna forthwith did not
command unanimous approval in the family circle. They
thought her much too young ; and, from their point of view,
they were undoubtedly right. The ordinary girl of fifteen
is often not mature enough to begin regular singing lessons,
much less undertake roles and perform the heavy physical
tasks inseparable from an operatic career. Her mother in-
sisted on her learning to make dresses and do all kinds of

i "Musikalische Stationcn," Eduard Hanslick.



42 THE REIGN OF PATTI

needlework. "The voice/' she assured her precocious daugh-
ter, "is soon lost, and the operatic stage is a most uncertain
means of livelihood. J ' x

The good lady spoke, alas, from experience ! But the con-
siderations that had been very real and definite in her own
case did not apply (never, indeed, were to apply) to her
youngest daughter; and, if she did not then know, she was
very soon to learn that Adelina was no ordinary girl. She
had made up her mind to go in for opera, and nothing on
earth would stop her. "What if the work were hard? It
would not be too hard for her, since it would cost her no
undue effort or strain either to sing or act. She could do
both with such ease and such pure sense of enjoyment that
what might be labor to others seemed to her merely recreation.

Her voice was now settling down into a rich, lovely soprano,
clear and vibrant as a bell, especially in the head register,
which had a range extending easily to the F in alt. The
tone of the medium was not yet fully developed, but made up
in sweetness for what it lacked in power. The timbre and
character of the whole organ were singularly mature, dis-
tinctive, and individual. It possessed a charm that must
even at this time have been strangely haunting.

It was not long after her return from the Gottschalk tour
that she began to study roles Lucia,, Amina y and Rosina
among the first under the guidance of Ettore Barili. She
learned with abnormal rapidity. No one but herself, how-
ever, was anxious to hasten her debut. There is no evidence
to confirm Strakoseh's assertion, 2 that' her parents were now
desirous for her to appear in opera as quickly as possible,
or that it required his permission to defer the event for
another year. 3

1 "Musikalische Stationen."

2 "Letter to the Times" see Appendix A.

3 The following incident (related in the London Figaro) took plac$



THE REIGN OP PATTI 43

To be exact, twelve months did not elapse before it occurred.
If, as he states, she was absent for two years with. Gottsehalk,
she must have been nearly sixteen (winter of 1858-9) when
she started her operatic training not fifteen, as he suggests.
Allowing that she was ready to come out by the summer of
1859, she did not actually do so until the following November.
The intervening period cannot, therefore, have exceeded four
or five months, during which were to come the "audition" and
the further preparation under the conductor Manzoeehi, men-
tioned hereafter. Once more the worthy Maurice was wrong
in his dates.

But what is of greater importance is to glance for a moment
at the horizon that was to witness the rising of the new star.
Its aspect at this period was assuredly clouded and dark.

Since 1854 the Astor Place Opera House had been replaced
by the more commodious Academy of Music, and toward
that establishment the eyes of the budding prima donna
naturally turned. The regime there of her good friend Max
Maretzek had ended in failure; but one of its present man-
agers was no other than Maurice Strakoseh, so that, if the

a year before Patti's appearance on the operatic stage. She and her
sister Carlotta were present one evening at a party. By some mis-
take it had been neglected to order a carriage to take the young ladies
home. It had been snowing heavily all day. The Misses Patti were
in evening attire, their feet protected only by white satin slippers. It
was two o'clock in the morning; no convenient way of getting a con-
veyance; the greater part of the guests had left. What could be done?
Finally a gentleman had the ingenious idea of procuring a sleigh which
stood before a grocery store at the corner. The Misses Patti, well
wrapped in shawls and covered with blankets, got in it. The clothes-
lines were fetched, fastened to the sleigh; a number of gentlemen
placed themselves in front of it, and drew the ladies to their home in
Twenty-second Street, between Ninth and Tenth avenues. This was
probably the diva's first triumphal car, and afforded her and those tak-
ing part in the occasion great fun and pleasure. "Never," she said after-
ward, "will I forget this incident, which I look upon, as a good omen
for my future career."



44 THE REIGN OP PATT1

latter were willing, there ought to be no difficulty about
arranging for her debut. Strakoseii, however, had a senior
partner an impresario named Ullinann who proved less easy
to deal with. 1

Ullmann was a manager with Barmim-like instincts. He
was on the lookout only for European celebrities. In the
previous year (1858), while Strakosch was turning his atten-
tion to the provinces, Ullmann was exploiting two artists of
renown, namely Thalberg, the pianist, and Mile. Piceolomlni,
the prima donna whose Yioletta in "La Traviata" had just
won her meteor-like fame in London at Her Majesty's Theatre.
Hence, when approached with a proposition to Include ic little
Miss Patti/ 7 the American soprano, .In his list of artists, his
first reply was a blank refusal. "He objected," she told
Hansliek afterwards, "to allowing a beginner like me to come
out in a leading part in New York ; and I would not listen to
anything about secondary parts. " 2

But Strakosch, who by this time had immense faith in the
abilities of his youthful relative, was not the man to take no
for an answer. He went at his partner again and again, and
at length, after much persuasion, that individual gave his
consent. It was definitely arranged that Adelina should make
her appearance at the Academy of Music before the end of
the year. Her delight knew no- bounds. Eighteen years
later she said to her friend Hansliek: "My passion for the
stage and my talent had waxed wonderfully. I was thor-
oughly up in several parts, and I did not know what stage-
fright meant." 3

iMr. H. E. Krehbiel, in Ms "Chapters of Opera/' says that "it was
under the co-consulship of Maretzek and Ullinann that Adelina Patti
made her debut at the Academy of Music." But according to Mme. Patti
and her brother-in-law, and also Signor Muzio, the conductor, the joint
directors of the opera house were Messrs. Ullmann and Strakosch.

2 "Musikalisehe Stationem."

3 tf Musikalisehe Stationem."




AjDELINA PATTI WITH HER FATHER



REIGN OF PATTI 45

But in which part should she make this all-important debut !
The question was BO doubt seriously discussed, though
Strakosch makes no mention of it. Stranger still his record
of the debut itself omits the name of the opera in which it
occurred. Strangest of all, lie even fails to include it in the
otherwise complete list of the operas in which she appeared
during- that memorable first season. 1

Why was tiiis? "We can arrive at only one conclusion:
Strakosch was in the awkward position of having called him-
self " Patti 's first and only master/' yet, tie was not the man
who prepared her in the opera wlierein she made her debut.
Either jealousy or diplomacy caused Mm to maintain silence
on this interesting point.

Some mystery envelops the whole situation at this juncture.
It is here that Signor Muzio appears upon the scene. He
was subsequently to become known as the intimate friend and
companion of Verdi, but just now he was the principal con-
ductor at the Academy of Music, New York, and in that
capacity was present at the " audition' 7 in the theatre when
Adelina Patti endeavored to convince Ullmann that, young
as she was ("half-grown girl/ 5 as she described herself),
she was quite woman and singer enough to make a success in
opera. According to Ms own account, Muzio played a very
prominent part in the business. 2

He declares that it was not Strakoseh, but the latter 's wife,
Amalia Patti, who encouraged the idea of Adelina going o$
the operatic stage. "Her husband was opposed to it, saying
she was too young. ' ' But unfortunately this statement differs
in tota from that made by Mme. Patti to Hanslick. She dis-
tinctly tells Mm that it was Strakoseh who "overcame Ull-
mann ? s scruples." Be that as it may and our inclination
is to believe the "little lady," as having the better ulemory

1 "Souvenirs d'un Impresario/ 3 pp. 16-17.

2 See Appendix A.



46 THE REIGN OF PATTI

of the two Signor iluzio also puts forward the claim that
he turned the scales in her favor. He was appealed to, he
says ? and '* having heard a single piece sung by her, I de-
cided [sic] on the debut."

"What he really meant, no doubt, was that his opinion
decided the question whether she should then make her debut
or not. A quarter of a century had elapsed when the old
maestro recalled, with a tone of lofty pride, the episode in
which he had taken part, and one can forgive him his extra
touch of self-importance. By then he was full of the dread
significance of hi^ decision, and probably convinced that but
for him the debut of Adelina Patti might have been deferred
for years, if not for ever I

The salient feature of the affair is that Muzio was the
person selected to coach the young soprano in the opera in
which she was to make her first appearance, " Lucia di Lam-
mermoor." Study it with him she did most diligently, too ;
but the circumstance mattered naught to any one then. It
was only in after years, when more than one man was clam-
oring for the distinction of being called " Patti 's teacher/'
that the question came up.

Hence the jealousy and friction between Strakosch and
Muzio and the subsequent correspondence in the Times.
Muzio, of course, declared that he alone "taught" her the part
of Lucia. Strakosch was no less positive that he had "al-
tered some passages in which her voice was too severely taxed,
and introduced cadenzas which enabled her to employ her
marvellous upper register."

Both statements were doubtless founded more or less upon
fact. So at that point the present writer is quite content
to dismiss the controversy with the award "honors divided."

During her initial engagement to sing in opera, Adelina



EEIGX OP PATTI 47

PattI was paid one hundred dollars for each performance.
Those, at least, were the terms agreed upon between Salvatore
PattI on the one hand and Messrs. Ullmann and Strakosch on
the other. But between father and son-in-law there already
existed a contract, to extend over five years, by which the
latter secured the girl's services at a much lower rate and thus
Insured himself a handsome margin of profit on her engage-
ments.

If we are to believe Ms own statement, he would have had
to pay her only two thousand francs a month for the first
year, three thousand for the second, four thousand francs
for the third, and five thousand francs for the fourth and
filth. But immediately after the debut this contract was
annulled and replaced by another, which remained in force
as long as Adelina sang under Strakosch 7 s management. In
virtue of the new agreement they simply divided all profits
after a liberal deduction for general expenses ; which made It,
as he truly adds, f4 much more like a partnership than an
exploitation. 7 ' x

Let us return, however, to the preparations for the great
event. They Involved ceaseless excitement and unremitting
hard work. Imagine the effect upon an impressionable and
Impulsive maiden of sixteen, of being within measurable dis-
tance of realizing her long-cherished ambition and blossoming
Into a real prima donna I No wonder she could " hardly sleep
at nights. 77 To superintend the making of the three cos-
tumes for the part of Lucia was far more exciting to her than
would have been the preparation of a bridal trousseau. Then,
moreover, every day there was the lesson with Muzio.

At length everything was ready. A stage rehearsal with
pianoforte was notified. Only people connected with the
opera house and one or two Intimate friends were allowed to

i"J3ouvenirs d'un Impresario," p. 17.



48 THE REIGN OP PATTI

be present. The whole company was pleased, and none more
so than the Edgardo, the popular tenor Brignoli. 1

In due course came the full rehearsal with orchestra. It
was felt desirable that this should be regarded as something
like a test of the young singer's capacity for satisfying an
operatic audience. Accordingly, hundreds of invitations were
issued, and the Academy of Music was half filled by a curious
and expectant gathering'. Several well-known musicians and
habitues were present. "We are told that the fascinating
debutante made a genuine sensation. Still, outside the opera
house no very notable degree of interest was evinced. There
was nothing in the nature of a "rush" at the doors when the
night arrived.

That night was the 24th of November, 1859.

In spite of the fact that it was an "off night," few of the
leading subscribers were absent, and- the house contained a
fairly brilliant audience. To some, of course, the new-comer
had from her childhood been a familiar figure upon the con-
cert platform. They had already admired her entrancing
voice and wondered at her precocious vocal talent. For them
the sole question was, has the prodigy gone on in the right way
and ripened into a grown artist ? The attitude of the audience
generally bespoke sympathetic encouragement, unmarked, how-
ever, by any artificial display of warmth or the persistent
attentions of a friendly claque. Such spurious devices were
never farther from being needed.

The story of that night of surprise and enthusiasm will
best be narrated in this volume by the pens of those who
were present. 2 The critics of the New York Herald and

1 Already a favorite witli the New York public, "who admired and
applauded him for many years. Brignoli sang in London later on un-
der Mapleson's management at Her Majesty's; but, although an excel-
lent Manrico, his voice was then beginning to show serious signs of
wear.

2 See Appendix B.



THE RE1GX OF PATTI 49

Tribune showed discrimination in their praise, but they were
obviously not less amazed at the extraordinary powers revealed
by "iliss Patti*' than the audience whose unbounded delight
and frantic applause they faithfully chronicled. They were
face to face with a phenomenon that was entirely new.
Fortunately, their experience of Italian opera in all its man-
ifestations from the first visit of the Garcia family to New
York thirty-four years before enabled them to appreciate
the marvel that had arisen among them.

One eye-witness, signing himself "S. H./ 7 thus described the
event in the Musical Courier:

The house was crowded to excess. Miss Patti's friends and ad-
mirers, who were very numerous at that time already, were of course
all present and full of hope; but great as their expectations were,
they were far surpassed. She took the house by storm ; she not only
sang as only she can sing, but looked lovely and acted well. Though
a little timid at first, she displayed her great dramatic powers in
the Mad Scene. She was simply dressed in gray silk trimmed with
plaid, looked beautiful and modest; Walter Scott himself could not
have imagined a more lovely or fascinating heroine whom he de-
scribed as the unhappy Bride of Lammermoor. The day after the
performance I called to see her; her parlour looked like a flower
garden, she had received so many floral tributes she was at a loss
where to place them.

Two points stand out clearly in the various criticisms:
first, a distinct realization of the fact that a star of the
highest magnitude had appeared upon the local horizon a
star worthy, perhaps, to shine side by side with those bril-
liant orbs which so frequently visited America in quest of
gold; secondly, the instant and very natural determination
to claim Adelina Patti as a "New York girl/' not on the
ground of birth (they knew better than that), but by right
of domicile, rearing, and education. 1

i Hence, no doubt, the Impression which prevailed for many year*



50 THE EBIGN OF PATTI

The Herald writer, in pronouncing the debut of Miss Patti
"a grand success/ 7 and predicting a career for her, further
hazarded a belief that the managers of the Academy of Music
might find in her " their long-looked-for sensation. " He was
not far wrong. The rare beauty of her fresh, girlish tones,
the exquisite grace and purity of her cantilena, the as-
tounding ease and sureness of her vocalization, the unaffected
charm and intelligence of her acting, the interest that her
natural genius for the stage imparted to this first essay in
a terribly hackneyed .role all these qualities combined to
spur an impressionable public to spontaneous and over-
whelming enthusiasm.

Messrs. Ullmann and Straboseh had found their long-looked-
for sensation indeed ! During the whole of the remainder of
their season the Academy of Music was crowded from floor
to ceiling every night the youthful prima donna appeared.

Soon, of course, she sang in other operas. And what a list
of them for a girl in her first season and as yet barely seven-
teen years old! After " Lucia" came "La Sonnambula";
next "II Barbiere di Siviglia" and "I Puritani," for which,
by the way, she was " coached " by another of the conductors,
Signor Manzocchi. Altogether, it is recorded, she appeared
during this memorable initial season in no fewer than fourteen
operas! Those not yet named comprised "Don Pasquale,"
"L'Elisir d'Amore," "Martha," "Don Giovanni," "La
Traviata" (a child Violetta!) "II Trovatore" (a dramatic
soprano^ part), "Eigoletto," "Ernani"; "Lind"a di Cha-
mouni," and, perhaps strangest of all, "Mose in Egitto."

Such a monumental achievement 'for a beginner was never
known before or since. What an exhibition of genius! what
determination to conquer all obstacles physical, musical, and

that Mme. Patti was actually an American. This impression her love
for and gratitude to that country did -not, during the early part of her
career, make her anxious to remove. In after years it was different.



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 51

histrionic alike! Naturally, some of these parts she had
already studied; most she had heard sung; but there were
others that she had neither studied nor heard. In any case,
the amount of labor involved in the preparation of so many
operas the coaching at home and the rehearsals at the the-
atre, while appearing in public twice and occasionally three
times a week must have been extremely heavy.

But apparently the effort did not impose an undue strain
upon this remarkable girl. For even then, as in her maturer
years, she demonstrated the possession, in a comparatively
petite, delicate frame, of a musical organization and a vocal
mechanism so exquisitely balanced that, where singing was
in question, she never knew the meaning of the word fatigue.



CHAPTER V

Waiting for the "Boom" Operatic Tours in the United States (1860-
61) Season at New Orleans A Valentino, and a Leonora at Eight-
een Avoiding Mexico and Trying Cuba Aspirations toward Eng-
land Conditions Then Existing in London Patti Engaged by Ma-
pleson for E. T. Smith Arrival and Disappointments How Covent
Garden Became Substituted for Her Majesty's Theatre The Luck of
Frederick Gye How He Advertised His Trouvaille

IN the western hemisphere the fame of the new operatic
star spread quickly. It took much longer to traverse the
Atlantic. In that respect conditions ruled almost the same
half a century ago as now. The advent of a great European
singer would quickly become known and talked about in the
United States; she might promptly cross the ocean, and,
aided by an adequate "boom," begin forthwith to gather in
the dollars. On the other hand, a prima donna starting upon
her career in America needed greater patience. Had she
been a second Jenny Lind, Europe would at that time have
evinced no curiosity on the strength of an American reputa-
tion.

Salvatore Patti and Maurice Strakoseh were well aware of
this. Confident now that they had become possessed of a
" gold-mine-' on a modest scale, they were content to wait.
They made up their minds, therefore, to refrain from any
attempt to attract offers from European impresarios until
"little Lina," as Maurice was wont to call her, had worked
for at least another year on American soil. So wait they did,
with the results that fully justified their policy. For, even
thus, the progress of the Patti triumph in an opposite direc-
tion to that of the ordinary solar orbit namely, from west

52



THE REIGN OF PATTI 53

to east, instead of from east to west furnished quite a new
and amazing record.

There was plenty of inducement, in a financial sense, to
remain for a while in America. Long before the season of
1859-60 at the Academy of Music had reached its close,
Strakosch had been inundated with offers of engagement,
some of them of the most flattering nature, from all parts
of the Union ; likewise from Mexico, Cuba, and the "West In-
dies, and even from South America. But in the choice of
these offers an important consideration had to be borne in
mind ; it was necessary that the strength of the young girl
should not, through constant singing, be put to too severe a
test. And here, again, a wise policy was adopted.

For after New York, in the spring of I860, they began a
tour of the Eastern States so as not to entail the fatigue of
long journeys between the various cities. The success achieved
everywhere was the same. In Philadelphia, Boston, Balti-
more, and other large towns the rush to hear C Miss Patti"
was tremendous ; and in each instance the New York verdict
was overwhelmingly confirmed. Philadelphia was particu-
larly enthusiastic. One of its journals contributed to the
vast army of provincial notices that appeared during the tour
an example worthy of publication. 1

After a judicious rest during the hottest summer weeks,
the tour was resumed. For Adelina now positively craved
for the excitement of appearing in public ; and, besides, it was
very pleasant to be able to count on full houses, thunders
of applause, and a constant flow of dollars into the family
exchequer. The next important move, however, took them
farther afield.

In the winter of 1860-61 we find the now-accustomed trio
father, daughter, and brother-in-law in the city of New

i See Appendix 0-



54 THE REIGN OF PATTl

Orleans, whose Southern community, with its large inter-
mixture of French blood, were keen lovers and supporters of
opera. There they made a stay of three months. Adelina
appeared in most of the parts that she had previously sung,
creating a sensation the like of which had never been experi-
enced in that emotional city ; she also added to her repertoire
one of her most famous roles that of Dinorah.

In New Orleans, too, she essayed a character apparently so
far beyond the physical capacity of a girl not yet eighteen
that one may well wonder how her advisers could have allowed
her to undertake it. It was nothing less than the role of
Valentina in "Les Huguenots. ' ' Imagine such a thing ! One
of the heaviest dramatic parts in the whole range of opera
as heavy, nearly, as the "Wagnerian type of heroine then
coming into existence sung by a girl who had been only a
year or so on the stage! How came she to be permitted to
burden her youthful voice and fragile physique with such a
tremendous task? From every point of view, it seems inex-
cusable, inexplicable!

That it did not overtax her resources and do irrep arable
damage stands to no one's credit but her own, or rather to
that rare instinct which nature had conferred upon her for
balancing big weights with such perfect poise that they could
neither crush her nor leave their mark behind. Still, the
experience may have taught a lesson ; for, even after she had
reached "years of discretion," Adelina Patti seldom attacked
the part of Valentina. She did so at Covent Garden later,
as a t our de force only to be attempted now and then, perhaps
on the occasion of her "annual benefit" ; but that was all.

Nevertheless, it is an undeniable fact that, whenever she
stepped out of her true line and sang an exacting dramatic
role, her art was so satisfying that the effort never left a
sense of insufficiency on either the vocal or the histrionic
side. Indeed, there were times when these very imperson-



THE REIGN OF PATTI 55

ations aroused wilder enthusiasm than those to which she was
more completely suited. At New Orleans they took their
place in the round of characters wherein she was delighting
a public agape with amazement not unmingled with pride.
So much may, at any rate, be gathered from the following
extract from the local paper published in February, 1861 :

It is now three months since Adelina Patti came amongst us. She
has appeared in "Lucia," "Martha," "Barbiere," "II Trovatore,"
"Kigoletto," "The Huguenots" (as Valentina), and in the "Pardon
de Ploermei" (Dinorafi). In each of these operas a new triumph
attended her. Adelina Patti may well be proud to have produced
such a great sensation here, and to have crowded our opera house
for three months every night she has appeared; and when she ap-
pears in London and Paris, and takes possession of the place left
vacant by Sontag and Bosio, whose legitimate successor she now is,
New Orleans will have the satisfaction of having first [sic] recog-
nized and appreciated the young artist. Miss Patti is, in our opin-
ion, the most extraordinary artist on the operatic stage. She unites
to a voice clear, powerful, always in tune, capable of expressing
every sentiment of the soul and of executing the most difficult and
intricate passages with the utmost ease, a chastity of style, a grace
of delivery, and musical accentuation perfectly marvelous.

Thus do we find New Orleans laying the flattering unction
to its soul that it "discovered" Patti. Seemingly her suc-
cesses at New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and elsewhere did
not count. Well, this was only one ' manifestation of the
struggle that was now going on in the United States for
the honor of establishing a direct claim upon the new star
and her services. But her manager was anxious that she
should proceed to Mexico; indeed, she was practically under
engagement to sing there. He has related how it came about
that this was prevented.

Almost on the eve of her departure from New Orleans,
Adelina met at the St. Louis Hotel (where they were staying)



56 THE EEIGN OP PATTI

two young girls who told her of some terrible experiences
they had recently encountered in Mexico. They had been
attacked by brigands, robbed of all their belongings, and
otherwise ill-treated. Indeed, they had escaped with their
lives and not much more.

This was quite enough for Adelina. She refused point-
blank to venture a yard into the neighboring territory then,
as now, tempting but troubled. So the trip had to be aban-
doned. But Mexico's loss proved to be Cuba's gain. They
went instead to Havana, where the youthful prima donna
had sung at concerts as a child when on her tour with
Gottschalk, Her present short but lucrative engagement at
the opera house there was to be the preliminary to the most
important step of her career her first visit to Europe.

For some time Maurice Strakosch had been turning longing
eyes toward England. The test made so far in America had
proved successful beyond his wildest dreams. In twelve
months they had made a great deal of money and demonstrated
beyond dispute that Adelina Patti was a genius lion ligne.
Would the colder and more critical public of London place a
similar estimate upon her powers? As to that, the younger
she was the more phenomenal must her genius appear.
Surely, then, the moment was propitious.

Truth to tell, the operatic situation in London at this par-
ticular epoch was far more favorable to the execution of the
Strakosch plan, than he could possibly have imagined. In
order to understand this and make subsequent events clear, it
will be necessary to describe in some detail how matters
actually stood.

In 1860 the long and bitter rivalry between the two opera
houses, Covent Garden and Her Majesty X had reached a cli-
max. The sudden and unexpected retirement of Jenny Lind
had plunged Mr. Benjamin Lumley, director of Her Majesty's





B
a

<!



THE REIGN OF PATT1 57

Theatre, into a series of difficulties from which the subsequent
successes of Piecolomini, Tietjens, Alboni, and Giuglini had
failed to rescue Mm. His downfall was now an accomplished
fact. On the other hand, at Covent Garden the Royal Italian
Opera, under the direction of Mr. Frederick Gye, was rejoicing
in a strong company of artists and had the cream of London
society at its back.

Nevertheless, arrangements were in progress for Her
Majesty's to reopen for the season of 1861 under the man-
agement of a well known entrepreneur, Mr. Edward Tyrrel
Smith, who was to inaugurate therewith his first operatic
campaign. His agent (or business manager, as we should now
say) was the versatile James Henry Mapleson. His princi-
pal stars were to be Mario and Grisi, who had been persuaded
to desert Mr. Gye in order to come under the new banner.
The expectation of a monopoly for Covent Garden seemed
once more doomed to disappointment. There was every pros-
pect of another stiff fight between the two houses.

At this critical moment, the tale of an extraordinary series
of successes achieved in America by a young soprano named
Adelina Patti began to arouse nascent attention in London
operatic circles. The musical papers had for some time been
supplied (we may guess by whom) with cuttings from the
columns of the American press; and these reports, if they
had failed greatly to interest the British public, had not
escaped the notice of E. T. Smith's agent. In short, Mapleson.
had already opened negotiations with Maurice Strakosch, and
by the end of the month of March he had, on his principal's
behalf, entered into a contract whereby Mile. Patti "under-
took to sing four nights on approval, when, in case of success,
she was to have a salary of 40 a week. ' ' x

i This is the amount mentioned by Mr. Mapleson in his "Memoirs"
(London, 1888) ; but Strakosch, in his rather earlier "Souvenirs," states
that the prima donna's salary was to be 10,000 francs (400) a month.
The smaller figure is probably correct.



58 THE REIGN OF PATTI

But the contract was not destined to be carried out. It
liad been signed by both, parties and copies exchanged through
the post. Strakosch lost no time in bringing the performances
at Havana to a conclusion. By the end of March he was
starting with his sister-in-law and her father on the voyage
to England. But, while they were on the ocean, things hap-
pened that were to alter the course of events entirely; and,
ts the days of wireless telegraphy had not yet arrived,
Atlantic crossings still occupied from twelve to fifteen days,
the travellers learned nothing until after they had landed in
London.

What had taken place was this: E. T. Smith, who was to
have been Adelina Patti's first English impresario, had got
into financial difficulties. Not satisfied with aspiring to the
direction of Her Majesty's Theatre, he had entered into a
number of outside speculations, some of which had turned
out badly and involved him in serious loss. As the date
for the opening of the season of 1861 gradually drew nearer,
it became increasingly difficult to discover the whereabouts
of- E. T. Smith. Even his own agent, James Mapleson,
usually an astute and active individual, found it harder and
harder to lay hands on him.

Tet his operatic venture wore at this time an extremely
healthy look. In fact, it promised so well that Frederick
Gye, his powerful opponent at Covent Garden, was beginning
to suffer considerable perturbation of mind. Then, one day,
a friend brought Mr. Gye information concerning Mr. Smith's
pecuniary straits. This was news indeed. Had he not been
the most calm and dignified of men, Mr. Gye must assuredly
have flung his " Lincoln and Bennett " into the air. Figur-
ative^y, no doubt, he did so. And then a brilliant thought
struck him; why not buy out E. T. Smith?

That gentleman may have been lying perdu. Be that as
it may, Frederick Gye promptly found means for comnmni-



THE REIGN OP PATTI 59

eating with Mm. Great secrecy was, however, observed on
both sides; so nmeh so that it remains to this day a moot
question which of the two managers visited the other, or
whether a personal meeting between tliem actually took place
at all. Whatever the nature of the negotiations, a bargain
was quickly struck, and one fine morning the news leaked
out that there was to be no opera season at Her Majesty's.
As a matter of fact, Mr. Gye had paid E. T. Smith a cash
sum of 4000, in consideration of which he agreed to abandon
his enterprise.

In such wise was the threatened competition averted; but
at the cost of disappointment, worry, and loss for every one
concerned except Mr. Gye and Mr, Smith. The latter 7 s
contracts became, of course, worthless. Mario and Grisi fell
between the two stools. They were too valuable, though, to
remain long "on the ground." Mr. Gye soon made up his
quarrel with them, and they duly restored their allegiance
to Covent Garden, where, by the way, Grisi was that year
(1861) to bid farewell to the British public.

James Henry Mapleson's road to operatic management on
Ms own account was no doubt greatly facilitated by the
collapse of E. T. Smith. At the same time, that collapse
robbed him, much to his subsequent regret, of something that
would have brought him lasting credit and incalculable profit
namely, the privilege of introducing Adelina Patti to the
operatic boards and the public of the British metropolis.

Such, then, was the situation in London early in April,
1861, when the expectant trio landed at Liverpool, took train
to Euston, and installed themselves at the Arundel Hotel,
on what is now the Thames Embankment, at the foot of
Norfolk Street, Strand. It took Maurice Strakosch less than
half an hour to acquaint himself with the prevailing state of
affairs. He perceived that his contract with Mapleson was



60 THE KEIGN OF PATTI

worth so zmicli waste paper, and that he would never get a
penny of compensation from E. T. Smith. His tactics tinder
these circumstances were masterly. First of all, he arranged
an interview with Mr. Mapleson, which that gentleman has
thus described : *

They wished to know when Mr. Smith's season was likely to be-
gin. I could give them no information beyond the current report,
which they had already heard themselves. The little lady, who was
then seated on a sofa at the Arundel Hotel, suggested that I should
try the speculation myself, as she felt sure she would draw money.
I thereupon asked her to let me hear her, that I might judge as
to the quality of her voice, to which she responded by singing "Home,
sweet home." I saw that I had secured a diamond of the first
water, and immediately set about endeavouring to get Her Majesty's
Theatre. But this was a hopeless business, as Smith, who still held
the lease, was nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile Strakosch had not the least intention of waiting
until Mapleson found a theatre or of going to law with him.
He went straight to Frederick Gye and asked him whether he
would take up the cancelled contract. At first the autocrat
of Covent Garden answered with a curt refusal. Who was
this Mile. Adelir.a Patti? He had never heard of her; or,
if he had, an American reputation meant nothing to him.
Strakosch, however, persisted with his arguments, and begged
Mr. Gye to at least grant her an audition. To this he ulti-
mately consented.

The result was satisfactory. The impresario carefully con-
cealed his admiration for the young girl's singing, and paid
Strakosch an advance of 50, for which the latter gave him
a receipt. A few days later, Mapleson, having secured the
Lyceum Theatre for his season, called at the Arundel Hotel
"to inform Miss Patti and Mr. Strakosch of my good luck.

i "Mapleson Memoirs," Vol. I, p. 33.



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 61

They did not seem overjoyed, or in any way to participate
in my exuberant delight." The explanation, as given by the
disappointed Mapleson, is rather curious. He says:

Maurice Strakosch told me that, as their last 5 note had bean
spent, he had been obliged to borrow 50 of Mr. Gye, which intelli-
gence at once reduced my height by about two inches; and after
a deal of difficulty I ascertained that he had signed a receipt for
the said loan in a form which really constituted an engagement for
the Royal Italian Opera, Covent Garden. In short, I found myself
manager "of the Lyceum Theatre, with an expensive company, and
with Mile. Patti opposed to me in the immediate vicinity at Covent
Garden. 1

Thus the Strakosch rase for getting rid of Mapleson liad
succeeded to perfection.

The new contract with Mr. Gye was, however, a rather one-
sided document. By its terms he ran no risk whatever and
stood to make a great deal of money. He was to allow Mile.
Patti three trial performances, for which no payment was to
~be made. In the event of failure at any of these, he was at
liberty to decline to ratify the engagement. If the new-
comer met with success, it was agreed that she should be
engaged for five years, at the rate of 150 a month for the
first year, 200 for the second, 250 for the third, 300 for
the fourth, and 400 for the fifth. And it was further stip-
ulated that she should sing twice a week. At this rate her
average fee for the five years worked out at the huge sum
of 32 10s. for each performance !

Still, no one has a right to blame Mir. Gye for making the
best terms he could. Who was to foresee that in less than
six weeks from the signing of that contract the merry, dark-
eyed little soprano from the United States would be the
operatic idol of the British, public, creating a furore that

i "Mapleson Memoirs/ 1 Vol. I, p. 36,



62 THE REIGN OF PATTI

was to cast even the famous "Jenny Land fever" into the
shade ?

Opera managers are essentially business men, and, fol-
lowing the commercial rule, so long- as they are driving their
bargain they will appraise at the lowest possible figure the
value of an artist's services, more particularly when that
artist is untried or practically unknown. Once the bird is
caught, however, they proceed to the opposite extreme and
do everything in their power to heighten the value of their
trouvaille in the estimation of subscribers, newspaper critics,
and the public generally. So, in his quiet way, the wily Mr,
Gye began to talk to people about Adelina Patti ; yet without
overdoing it, for he was much too clever a diplomatist to
arouse expectations to such a height that disappointment might
ensue.

In those days the vogue of the modern press-agent had
hardly begun. Even in America his prototypes of the circus
and the theatre had only just started their Barnum-like
methods of advertising talent in advance. ''Concert Direc-
tions," with their neat but expensive systems of scientific
puffing, were as yet non-existent. Musicians did not fill
whole columns of the daily paper with press quotations- that
cost a half a crown a line. The sandwich-man that curious
human vehicle for the display of the moving poster and
bill-board had still to emerge from his chrysalis state.
Hoardings in the streets, on the railways, in the " tubes,"
were not yet available for huge pictures of a certain vivacious
face that was one day to greet the world with a familiar query
concerning the matutinal use of a particular kind of soap.

The morning journals in the early sixties scorned the "puff
preliminary." Nay, they would sometimes refuse even to
insert the bare announcement in their news columns that an
unknown artist was about to appear upon the scene. The



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 63

weeklies were scarcely more obliging. There remained tlie
musical papers. Of these the Musical World seems to have
been best acquainted with the position earned in America
by Stile. Patti (the prefix "Miss" now disappears for good)
and most inclined to publish paragraphs about her. Some
that were quoted in the issue for May 11, 1861, received the
following editorial comment :

These extracts must, doubtless, excite curiosity in no ordinary
degree. Even allowing that one half of what the writers say be
true, it makes out Mile. Patti to be a. singularly endowed and accom-
plished artist. . . .

Shortly after writing the above, we learned that Mile. Adelina
Patti had been engaged by the director of the Royal Italian Opera,
and that she was to make her first appearance on Tuesday in "La
Sonnambula." The debut of a prima donna is always an interest-
ing event, particularly "when the character to be assumed is one
with which the memory of so many renowned artists is associated;
and therefore our preliminary notes may have some value. The
interest becomes deeper when the debutante is so highly recom-
mended, and expectation is elevated in proportion. "Shall we hear
and see a Malibran, a Persiani, a Lind, a Bosio 1" This question we
shall be enabled to resolve satisfactorily next week. In the mean-
while, we wish every success to the youthful and much be-pralsed
cantatrice, and trust that the result of Tuesday's performance may
realize the most sanguine anticipations of her friends on the other
side of the Atlantic.

In our later days of advance-heraldry, it is worth noting
that there was a total absence of noisy trumpeting to impart
fictitious eclat to what proved to be the most brilliantly suc-
cessful operatic debut of the nineteenth century. Beyond
the press extracts referred to- and some gossip in musical
circles, there "was absolutely nothing.

Signor Arditi makes the point clear in his " Reminiscences.'*
He observes, apropos of this event :



64 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

The reports which had reached the English public about her suc-
cesses in America were looked upon as exaggerated and extravagant,
and I really "believe that, on the occasion on which she laid the
foundation of the pedestal upon which she has reigned ever since,
there were not twenty people in the house who knew that Adelina
Patti was a singer of more than ordinary merit.

I, however, had heard her sing in. America, and had witnessed
the scenes of extraordinary triumph in which her vocal efforts had
been received, cheered, and clamoured for ; I had seen the child grow
up into a beautiful girl; I had noted the improvements which her
voice had undergone, and the rich and rapid development of her
faultless register that was about to come upon the British public
as a revelation. ... A very few people who had been present at
the hurried and shortened rehearsals knew what was to follow; but
nothing was known of Patti's antecedents, her name having ap-
peared only four days in advance of her debut, and without a single
remark in tJie advertisements.

Still, as has been said, Mr. Gye took care to let Ms friends
know that lie thought he had made a valuable discovery. On
the fateful morning itself he was visited by one of his devoted
supporters, the popular pianist William Kuhe, 1 who was
also destined to become one of Adelina Patti 's staunchest
friends. When Mr. Gye bade him good-bye, he said: ^Come
to Covent G-arden to-night and hear ' Sonnambula. ' A little
girl is to sing Amina, and I shall not be surprised if she makes
a big hit."

That day was the 14th of May, 1861.

i "My Musical Recollections," by William Kuhe. London, 1896.



CHAPTER YI

An Historical Coincidence The Mantle of "La Diva" Grisi and Patti
(1834 and 1S61) Operatic Criticism in the Sixties Hie Youthful
Singer's New Artistic Growth Her Triumphant Debut at Govent
Garden "La Sonnambula" on the first Patti jSTight The Story of a
Memorable Event Critics and Public Amazed The Reign of Patti
Begun Its Significance Her Personality and Genius

BEFORE coming to the actual incidents of the London de-
but, it will be worth while to dwell for a moment upon an
oft-noted coincidence, viz. : that the opera season of 1861, made
memorable through the advent in Europe of Adelina Patti,
also witnessed the retirement of Giulia Grisi, the great Italian
singer, after her career of twenty-seven years upon the Covent
Garden boards. It was Grisi who, ever since the premature
departure of Jenny Land from the operatic stage (1849) ? had
been the possessor of the much-coveted title of "La Diva."
And the question ""Who will succeed to it?' 7 was already
being anxiously asked.

Little did the cognoscenti of the period dream that it would
fall to a comparatively unknown girl of eighteen ! They were
probably ready to bestow it upon the gifted Theresa Tietjens,
upon whose shoulders the mantle of Grisi as the leading
dramatic soprano of her time seemed naturally destined to
descend. The mantle, indeed, did so descend ; but with it not
the exalted title, which was now to revert to a singer of the
lighter roles of the repertory. The fact that Tietjens was
not at Covent Garden had no bearing upon the verdict.
There was, however, something else which has been regarded
as curious, namely, a certain similarity between the circum-

65



66 THE KEIGN OF PATTI

stances attending the debuts of GMIa Grisi and Adelina
Patti, and which served to heighten the interest of the coinci-
dence above alluded to.

Each artist came upon the scene just when her predecessor
in public favor was quitting it ; and from neither, as a debu-
tante, was anything extraordinary expected. A contemporary
writer thus described Grisi J s first appearance at Covent Gar-
den in 1834 :

When Grisi made her debut Malibran was astonishing Europe;
Pasta's star had just declined; Sontag had not long withdrawn into
private life; the triumph of Catalani had not been forgotten. . . .
There was a poor attendance and no excitement. The first appear-
ance, however, of the new Ninetta (in "La Gazza Ladra") created
universal interest. At that time Grisi was about two-and-twenty :
she was eminently beautiful, with features as regular as if hewn
out of marble by Phidias or Praxiteles, an expression as various
and mutable as that of an April day. As she advanced to the foot-
lights she seized on every eye, on every heart. Her triumph was
to a considerable extent secured. But when she sang that transcend-
ent burst of love and joy, "Di piacer mi balza il cor," and revealed
a voice that for purity, beauty, and tender grace has never been sur-
passed, displaying, moreover, such infinite charm in her singing,
the effect may be imagined. The audience was intoxicated, and
Giulia Grisi became the idol of the day.

Beyond this, however, the resemblance did not extend.
Grisi had found herself confronted with the opposition of
Malibran ; a little later Jenny Lind was to appear. But P'atti
had no such rival stars to contend against. Bosio had last
appeared here in 1858, the season in which Tietjens first sang
in London. However, the latter and the celebrated French
soprano, Miolan-Carvalho, stood as dramatic rather than as
light or florid singers in a different category. Rivals in the
truer sense, such as Christine Nilsson and Pauline Lucca, were
near at hand, but they did not arrive until Adelina Patti



THE REIGN OF PATTI 67

had had ample time to establish herself in public favor as
by far the most popular and gifted cantatrice of her epoch.
It was rather in the degree that she awakened still vivid
memories of the great women who had preceded her, and
challenged comparison with their powerful traditions, that
she had most to overcome before attaining the goal of absolute
sovereignty. This process, as we shall see, was not achieved
without continued study and hard work. It was compelled
by good motives, the origin of which is also worth pointing
out.

Sixty years ago there existed a much wider disparity
between American and English standards of operatic criti-
cism. The New York critics of 1860 had pronounced Adelina
Patti an artist hors ligne and beyond reproach. That ver-
dict was not destined to be literally endorsed in London, even
in the face of the most brilliant debut on record. English
critics of that day were wont to judge singers from a far
loftier and more exacting standpoint. Since the period (in
the nineties) when the late Maurice Grau was assuming the
simultaneous direction of both Covent Garden and the New
York Metropolitan there has been less to choose between the
two opera houses. Each searches for the best procurable talent
and "strives to give opera in the finest possible manner. If
there be any difference in the strength of ensemble and the
average brilliancy of the vocal constellation, the advantage is
now on the side of New York, which commands (and empties)
by far the larger exchequer for the indulgence of its operatic
luxuries.

Half a century ago Americans spent their money liberally
on opera, as on every other form of costly amusement. But
their taste was then less cultivated, less fastidious, their appre-
ciation of the nuances of the vocal art less subtly analytical.
Their standard was consequently less severe ; and as with the



68 THE REIGN OF PATTI

public so It was with, the newspaper critics, who were regarded
rather as accomplished journalists than as musicians.

On the other hand, the mid- Victorian musical critics of the
London press were familiar with -the dernier mot of the
Italian school of vocalization. They were accustomed to base
their judgment upon the art of those supreme exemplars who
had followed in the wake of Catalan! and Pasta, to wit,
Malibran, Sontag, Jenny Lind, Grisi, Bosio, and Alboni,
not merely celebrities starring on tour in the concert room,
but great singers displaying their genius in their true native
element, the lyric theatre.

While, therefore, this severer line of criticism enhanced
the merit of a very wonderful victory, it was also, in the
end, to prove far more helpful than the kind that sees
perfection in every effort. Indeed, the change of milieu was
to have the effect of exalting the level of the new-comer's
career to a nobler and loftier plane.

From the outset, this slim, -captivating girl, with her beau-
tiful organ and her spontaneous, birdlike execution, was
bound to dazzle and delight her audiences. Her youthful-
ness, combined with her natural winning grace, her intense
earnestness and fire, enabled her, here as elsewhere, to carry
all before her. The hardest of the cognoscenti were fain to %
admit in after years that, from the very first, she had been
the delicious and irresistible Adelina Patti whose magic voice
and bewitching personality brought the whole world to her
feet.

There remains, nevertheless, to answer the interesting ques-
tion Was the diva of the early sixties as yet the matchless
and impeccable vocal artist who held her own against all
comers during the succeeding three decades?

Apparently not. Mingled with her supreme gifts were
still some imperfections. Writers found fault with her on
technical grounds j they even objected to the quality of certain



THE REIGN OF PATTI 69

notes in lier medium register. They charged tier with occa-
sional defects of style, notably an excessive employment of
the staccato in her fioriture and the interpolation of inap-
propriate embellishments. They admitted the amazing sMll
and finish with which everything was executed, but they still
found many points that displeased them.

Now these same newspaper writers James Davison of the
Times, the elder Desmond Ryan of the Morning Chronicle,
Henry Lincoln of the Daily News, Henry F. Chorley of the
Athenceum, Sutherland Edwards of the St. James's Gazette,
and Henry Hersee of the Globe, among others were to linger
long enough at their posts, not to change their minds, but to
witness the gradual disappearance of every blemish that had
at first evoked their adverse -criticism. As a matter of fact,
in the course of two or three seasons they ceased to entirely
''pick holes"; and it is not only reasonable but fair to assume
that they did so because by degrees they perceived no more
holes to pick. In other words, by dint of assiduous study
the youthful artist contrived to rid herself of her imperfec-
tions, one by one, until at last perfection alone remained.

It was, she declared, her ambition to be above criticism.
It has been asserted that she was never allowed to peruse
a notice, and certainly none but those that were wholly favor-
able were permitted at this period to reach her gaze. But
Maurice Strakosch, as in duty bound, read and digested every
article or cutting as it came to hand; and his was the task
of prescribing the remedy for any fault, whether of concep-
tion, technique, or execution. Without a word of reproach,
without even a suggestion that anything was wrong, he would
quietly bring about the necessary change. Sometimes the
process in this way would take weeks ; sometimes it would be
accomplished at a sitting. In any ease, the desired alteration
was sure to be effected sooner or later. The fault would dis~
appear, never a&aia to evoke a reproach.



70 THE REIGN OF PATTI

In such placid fashion did Adelina Patti complete her task
of advancing to the topmost rung of the artistic ladder.
The ascent never made her giddy, for she stopped neither to
look below nor glance around. She had begun, indeed, where
the majority are content to remain, and her upward progress
was never hampered or delayed by a solitary obstacle worthy
of mention. *

And now, after this preliminary digression, let us to the
story of the debut.

Tuesday, May 14, 1861, was a subscription night at Covent
Garden. It was the -custom then to allot only three nights
a week to subscribers Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
There was generally an "extra night," as it was termed, on
Wednesdays ; but, as a rule, the house was closed on. Mondays
and Fridays. This arrangement helped to enhance the bril-
liancy of the subscription nights, so that the numerous at-
tendance recorded on this particular occasion owed nothing to
the first appearance of a new prima donna. Its vital interest
was to be purely posthumous.

It was the first "Patti night."

Who could know beforehand that it -was to inaugurate a
new expression in the language of opera-goers? Who could
guess that the term "Patti night" was thenceforward to be
synonymous with excited crowds, gatherings of the elite of
the English aristocracy, magnificent displays of dress and
diamonds, seats at a premium, enthusiasm inevitable and
without stint ? No one could dream this, or there would have
been a different tale to tell. Yet, being a subscription night,
the audience was as surely a representative one, even as it was
the most distinguished that Adelina Patti had yet sung before
in her brief stage career.

Here is the -cast of the opera as it appeared in Mr. Gye's
programme :



THE REIGN OF PATTI 71

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA,
COVENT GARDEN.



DEBUT OF MDLLE. PATTL

14th May, 1861.

Bellini's opera,

"LA SONNAMBULA."

Amina Mdlle. Patti.

(Her first appearance in England)

Lisa Mdme. Tagliafico.

Teresa Mdme. Leva.

Notaro Signer Rossi.

Count Rodolf o Signer Tagliafico.

Alessio Signer Polonini.

Elvino Signer TiberinL

Conductor Mr. Costa.

For the choice of the opera Mr. Gye was responsible. He
wisely preferred it to " Lucia di Lammermoor, ' > in which the
new soprano had made her New York debut eighteen months
before. Comparisons with other Amwas might be hard to
avoid, but Bellini's heroine was one of the lightest, most
girlish parts in the repertory, and less exacting from a dra-
matic standpoint than that of Lucia. The critics would at
least have to admit that it suited her and that the ingenue
of eighteen was not overweighted.

The impressions of that reddest of red-letter nights have
been recorded by many pens. They provided material for
years of rapture and rhapsody. They were recounted again
and again to the present writer by people who had been for-
tunate enough to be there, one and all of whom agreed that
it had afforded a unique experience of a lifetime.

For never before was expectation so far surpassed; never
was overwhelming triumph on the field of a hundred operatic
battles so simply and so easily achieved. From her aria



72 THE REIGN OF PATTI

d'entrata the suave cantilena, "Come per me sereno," with
its gracious pendant, "Sovra k il sen," all through the opera
to the pathetic melody of finale, "Ah! non grunge," the youthful songstress held her
hearers spellbound by the witchery of her voice, her art,
and her personality. As a famous sporting earl, who was
a great patron of the opera in the sixties, once remarked in
my hearing, "She made her own running and won hands
down!"

Truth to tell, the house was inclined at first- to be rather
cold. A sympathetic round of applause greeted the new-
comer when her slight figure emerged from the wings and,
for the first time, she took the centre of the vast stage that was
thenceforth to know her so well. But no prolonged evidence
of delight was forthcoming until after the curtain fell on the
first act, and then, in accordance with the custom of the
period, bouquets were hurled on to the stage from every
direction. From that moment the excitement grew and grew,
as habitues perceived more clearly the calibre of the new star,
until finally the opera ended amid a perfect hurricane of
applause and recalls.

The -critics, like the public, were taken utterly by surprise.
TJhey were prepared to hear a clever girl one even worthy,
perhaps, of her big American reputation but not a phenom-
enon of this class ; a vocal wonder not yet out of her teens,
combining in her many-sided talents all the supreme qual-
ities of the great Italian school. They were genuinely
dumbfounded. 1

i Writing eleven years later in the Daily Telegraph, Joseph Bennett
recalled the debut of Adelina Patti in these terms : "She came, as ama-
teurs of opera well remember, unheralded by trumpet-blowing and un-
supported by organised enthusiasm (an article at that time largely
manufactured). In plain terms, she took her chance with the public,
resting solely upon personal merits for a favourable issue. The result
is matter of history, and in it genuine talent may discover ample rea-



THE REIGN OF PATTI 73

There was more time then for lengthy over-night notices
than in these days of journalistic " hustle." Critics could
write for the morning papers until 2 or even 3 A. M.
Davison's article in the Times extended to an entire closely
printed column. 1 A notable example of decisive and unerring
judgment, of critical acumen and quick perception, it formed,
notwithstanding its occasionally involved sentences, a masterly
appreciation of the rare gifts and still rarer promise evinced
by this extraordinary debutante.

Late as it was when the performance ended, people rushed
from the opera house to tell their friends the news of Mr.
Gye's precious trouvaille. It spread like wildfire, and
formed the subject of conversation at the West End clubs
far into the night. By the morning all kinds of stories were
afloat concerning the miraculous accomplishments of the girl
prima donna; by the afternoon every seat for her second
appearance had been disposed of.

The Eeign of Patti had begun !

It is important to dwell for a moment upon the significance
of this event. To understand it properly we must be able to
-visualize Adelina Patti at this period that is to say, what
she was herself and what she stood for as an artist. There
can be few persons still living who witnessed her debut at
Coverit Garden, or who heard her during her first season.
Many there are, however, who well recollect her a few years
later, when she had reached her prime; and for such (the
present writer among them) there has never been any great
difficulty in conjuring up a vivid mental picture of the

son for hope and confidence. We do not overlook the gifts of person
and manner which were adventitious but important aids to Madame
Patti 7 s triumph, and still form an element in her unmatched perfection;
but, these things apart, it is encouraging to see how genius can make
its way to the front and there command approval."

i See Appendix D for this and other notices


74 THE REIGN OF PATTI

"Ineantatriee" as she was when she arose and wrought her
unsuspected spell upon a blase audience on that memorable
night.

It Is less easy to describe either the vision or the singer
without employing language that savors of hyperbole. You
are to conjure up, to begin with, a personality of the utmost
charm, embodied in a "little lady" who possessed the gift of
magnetism in the same degree that it must have been exer-
cised by a Sarah Siddons, a Malibran, or a Eaehel. That
power was enhanced by the strange, sensuous beauty of a
voice that thrilled and pursued you gorgeous in its rich,
dark, voluptuous coloring, unsurpassable in its perfect equality
throughout the scale as no voice has ever thrilled or haunted
since.

Imagine first this combination, with its irresistible attributes
of youth and freshness, of natural grace, impulse, and spon-
taneity. Then imagine, in addition, all those arts of the great
singer, effortless and pure, from the unaffected touching deliv-
ery of a simple melody to the most brilliant conceivable execu-
tion of every known example of Italian coloratura. Finally,
think of the all-pervading touch of unfailing dramatic instinct,
the inborn sense of the theatre, the appropriateness that
stamped with the impress of an artistic touch every look, ges-
ture, or utterance.

"We hear to-day of singers "in the great line." We behold
attempts to persuade a credulous public that they are listen-
ing to "a successor of Patti," because some intelligent soprano
with a pretty voice and some facility can render neatly a few
bravura airs. We even hear clever prime donne who can
do fair justice to the hackneyed old arias, but have only a
rudimentary notion of how to sing Mozart; others whose
technique is equal to effective fireworks, but does not extend
to ordinary breath control or a genuine shake. Unfortu-
nately, the connoisseurs of the twentieth century are not such



THE REIGN OP PATTI 75

fine judges of the vocal art as those who "went crazy' 7 over
Adelina PattI when she first came out. Such comparisons be-
tween stars of the past and present are, therefore, unjustifiable
and absurd.

The youthful diva conquered instantaneously by virtue of
an astounding combination of qualities which enabled her to
fulfil every requirement of the prevailing standard a stan-
dard that was not merely an exalted academic theory, but a
something living, palpable, unmistakable, in the ears " and
minds of the public of that day. Ready as they were at that
psychological moment to acclaim the newly arisen star, noth-
ing less than a genius of so rare an order could have satisfied
them or have roused them to so exceptional a pitch of en-
thusiasm.

So much for the secret of Patti ? s initial European triumph.
Her unparalleled hold upon two operatice generations or more
may be explained by something besides her genius and the
remarkable preservation of her organ. It was surely due in
no small measure to the fact that she interpreted the operas
and the music dearest to the public of her time. Nay, more ;
stopping short only at Wagner, she advanced with Verdi,
Meyerbeer, and Gounod in the period of change that marked
the first solid development of what we know as modern opera.
In a word, declining to be associated exclusively with the
"old school/' or, indeed, with any particular phase of her
art, she never made her thousands of adorers feel that, in
order to listen to Patti, they were compelled to sit through
operas of a type that did not appeal to them.

All who heard Patti in the early seventies were able to form
a fairly accurate idea of the irresistible fascination that had
brought London instantly to her feet. Concerning the excite-
ment that the debut created, one can only trust contemporary
evidence. It is almost impossible at this distance of time



76 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

to convey a faint notion of the degree to wMeh the community
lost its head. Even Mr. Punch failed to preserve Ms equilib-
rium, and Ms first tribute took the form of an atrocious
pun:

Describing the debut last week of Mile. Patti, whose performance
seemed to promise us a second Jenny Lind, one of the critics made
a remark that she raised the house en masse to a high pitch of ex-
citement. On reading this, the Wiseount, who chanced to be just
then in one of his facetious moods, observed to his friend Vernal,
"Raised the house, did she? Why, really, then, she must be quite
a bolster Patti!"

And in the following number this:

A POEM TO PATTI

charming Adelina!
How sweet is thy Amina!
How bewitching thy Zerlina!
How seldom has there been a
More tunable Norina!
And have I ever seen a
More enjoyable Eosina?
But to tell the praise I mean a-
-Las! there should have been a
Score more rhymes to Adelina.



CHAPTER VII

The Covent Garden Contract Ratified facts About the "New Terms
Progress of the Batti Craze (1861) First Appearance in "Lucia"
Chorley's Carping Criticisms in the AtJienceum The Girl Violetta
Resisting Fatigue and Achieving Perfection The Great "Don Gio-
vanni" Cast: a Unique Ensemble Patti and Mario in "II Barbiere"
The Ideal Zerlina and Rosina Ornamentation of Rossini The Sea-
son's Record Charles Dickens on the New Diva

B.ETWEEN the night of Mile. Patti >s debut and her second
appearance at Covent Garden (again in the part of
Amina) eight days elapsed. Under the circumstances it was
an unusually long interval, and in all probability was the out-
come of design, not accident. Anyhow, it so helped to whet
the curiosity of the public that seats for the second Patti night
were to be had at the libraries only at an exorbitant premium.

In this device the skilful hand of Frederick Gye was easily
to be traced. His earlier experiences as manager of Alfred
Jullien ? s concerts had made him an adept at the game of
" booming" a star. He knew the advantage to be derived
from making his clientele exercise a little patience. Other-
wise he had little to do in this case but sit in his Bow
Street sanctum and allow the boom to develop itself.

Mr. Gye did not, however, avail himself of the right to wait
for a third "trial performance" before ratifying his contract
with Mile. Patti and her brother-in-law. Neither did he offer
to tear it up and substitute another agreement more favorable
to the artist. He stuck to his bargain, and merely added a
clause undertaking to pay her 100 for every performance
over and above the two a week already stipulated for.

"William Kuhe in his "Recollections" tells a somewhat dif-

77



78 THE BEIGN OF PATTI

f erent story regarding tMs new arrangement. 1 He observes :

"During the young diva's stay in Vienna, it was found
that a contract signed by herself alone had no binding power,,
since she was not of age. Mr. Gye had, therefore, to renew
Ms agreement with her for three years on terms much more
advantageous to her than those of the former contract. In
this, as in all that concerned her interests, her brother-in-law
proved himself a keen business roan."

But what does the brother-in-law say ?

He declares 2 that " Although the effect of Mile. Patti 's
appearance at Covent Garden was overwhelming and the
enthusiasm immediately assumed immense proportions, Mr.
F. Gye stood strictly by his contract until the five years had
expired.' 7 Barring the concession of 100 each for the extra
performances, he adds, " Until the day of her marriage with
the Marquis de Caux, Mme. A. Patti never received from Mr.
Gye more than 120 a night." 3

There exists, however, a plausible explanation of the above
discrepancy, tending to prove that neither deponent is entirely
right or wrong. Mr. Kuhe places the visit to Vienna in. the
same summer (1861) as the Covent Garden debut. As a
matter of fact, Mile. Patti did not go to Vienna in that year.
She made her first appearance in the Austrian capital in
February, 1863. By that time two of her five years' contract
with Mr. Gye had expired, and it may very well be that, after
the legal discovery already alluded to, Mr. Gye deemed it
wiser to enter into a new contract for the three remaining
years, as stated by Mr. Kuhe. But Maurice Strakosch does
not make any mention of this renewal, which may have slipped

iKuhe's "Musical Recollections," p. 156.

2 "Souvenirs
s The marriage took place in July, 1868, and as the original contract
with Mr. Gye expired after the season of 1865, the higher cachet of 120
can only, according to Maurice Strakosch, have been paid during the
intervening three seasons.



THE REIGN OF PATTI 79

Ms memory. Nor does lie make any allusion to the "more
advantageous terms/' which he was certainly not the man to
have forgotten had he been instrumental in securing them.

Meanwhile, in its very earliest stages the progress of the
Patti craze, as rapid as it was widespread, stirred the opera-
lovers of London to displays of a kind that had not been in
evidence since the height of the " Jenny Lind fever." The
crowds that gathered at the stage-door of Covent Garden
were so large that the services of an extra posse of police
had to be requisitioned from Bow Street. The scene inside
the opera house when the new favorite made her second
appearance as Amina afforded some idea of the extent to
which the popular imagination had become aroused. To quote
one well-known writer: "Mile. Patti contrived to ravish one
half the house and convert the other half, who had gone
to hear her sceptical as to all the reports about her, and now
had to enrol themselves among her most enthusiastic admir-
.ers."

That was on Thursday, May 23. On the following Saturday
she made her third appearance, this time in "Lucia di Lara-
mermoor," which favorite but hackneyed opera had not been
heard at Covent Garden for four years. Very different was
the "atmosphere" of the house from that of the debut night.
It was now tense with excitement and expectation ; every seat
was occupied; all the leaders of fashion were present. The
renowned conductor, Michael Costa, soon to sever his con-
nection with Covent Garden, glanced round the auditorium
with a look of satisfaction as he buttoned his white gloves
and twisted the silk tassel of his baton round his wrist. He
was already a great friend and admirer of the "little lady."

Nothing was lacking that could lend brilliancy to the
occasion. Even Mr. Gye entered his box earlier than usual
to survey the gratifying scene. He always occupied the "cosy



80 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

corner' 1 next to the stage, almost under the royal box a
favored nook afterward appropriated by Mr. Alfred de Roths-
child, who, it maybe mentioned, was one of Mile. Patti ? s earli-
est and staunchest supporters in Great Britain.

"With her audience, at least, the success of the new Lucia
was never in doubt. The house echoed again to resounding
plaudits, and at each curtain-fall a wealth of floral gifts
covered the broad " apron" between the curtain and the foot-
lights. The final cadenza in the Mad Scene was followed by
a storm of enthusiasm the like of which could not be recalled
by the oldest habitue.

Yet, in the face of this indubitable triumph, the critics, less
dazzled than before, less taken by surprise, remained charac-
teristically cool. They even began to discover shortcomings.
Quite justifiably, no doubt, they raised their critical standard
a notch or two as high, indeed, as it would go. Even Davi-
son, if he had lost his heart over the new Amina, showed
that he had not lost his head sufficiently to declare the new
Lucia free from blemish. His notice in the Times x was well
considered and, on the whole, fair. Of the weekly papers the
Musical World gave the clearest indication why the critics
were disappointed namely, that the reading of the char-
acter was less charged with sentiment than the Amina had
been. This brief notice may usefully be quoted here :

Mile. Patti looked the character of Lucia to the life, but she cer-
tainly betokened none of the passion and impulsive feeling so re-
markable in her Amina. That the latter may be more agreeable to
her instincts is not unlikely; but still, both parts having been played
so differently, may have proceeded from nice and subtle discrimi-
nation of character. For the above reasons, and for these only, we
cannot affirm that Mile. Patti achieved the same triumphant success
in f *Lueia" as in "La Sonnambula" which may demonstrate to many
of her admirers that she belongs more to the Malibran than the

i gee Appendix E.





03

CD



8
O
P



THE REIGN OF PATTI 81

Persian! school, which is indeed our own conviction. ... In the Mad
Scene, however, Mile. Patti came Tip to the very highest anticipa-
tion, and carried the whole house with her by her natural and earnest
acting and her really admirable singing.

The only direct broadside attack was fired by Henry F.
Chorley, the powerful musical critic of the AthencBum,
best known to the present generation by his inept and common-
place translation of the libretto of Gounod's Faust.' 1 From
this quarter something bitter had been expected, for Chorley
was one of those wielders of the critical pen to be found in
every art centre and in every age whose especial delight
it is to make themselves feared. He was a singular mixture
of ability, conceit, pomposity, and prejudice, and Joseph Ben-
nett has truly said of him : 2

"He had a special faculty of putting nasty remarks in
very small paragraphs, with the inevitable result of making
himself obnoxious, not only to those for whom they were
intended, but to their sympathizers amongst .the public and in
the press. He was a man of strong likes and equally pow-
erful dislikes/'

At the outset it had seemed as though Adelina Patti might
be included among Chorley 's "likes." After her debut he
wrote: "Mile. Patti was, from first to last, greeted with
applause as rapturous as attended the best of her predecessors.
The house seemed determined to pass an unanimous vote that
she was perfect. We recollect no similar ovation at the Boyal
Italian Opera. ' ' 3 Nevertheless, he was of opinion that her
voice sounded "rather tired," and he adhered to that opinion
after hearing her as Lucia. In the later notice, however, he

1 Still used, unfortunately, upon, the English operatic stage, though
long past copyright protection. The publishers to whom we owe thia
careful preservation of a literary curiosity have essayed to improve it,
but in vain.

2 "Forty Years of Music/* by Joseph Bennett, 1908.
s The Athen&um, May 18, 1S6L



82 THE REIGN OF PATTI

appeared to have regretted the utterance of a single kind
word, and wrote so harshly that his objeet mnst have defeated
itself. 1 His " nasty remarks 7 ' are Interesting merely as a
sample of the only species of adverse criticism that the youth-
ful debutante had to encounter.

As it happened, though, she never heard so much as a
distant echo of these snappy barks from the edifying musical
columns of the Athenceum. Maurice Strakosch read every
notice, but Adelina never saw an unfavorable line ;. neither,
probably, did her faithful and devoted father, Salvatore Patti,
of whom little is heard in these prosperous London days,
albeit he partook of their glories and looked carefully after
the cash. It was only by means of her brother-in-law, then,
that the beneficial effect of instructive as distinguished from
destructive criticism filtered through to her. In that atten-
uated form she recognized in it nothing worse than a chaste
incentive to the attainment of greater perfection and the
creation of still loftier ideals.

Anyhow, as soon as the work would permit, she turned to
study once more, and accomplished by degrees everything that
an exacting world was now expecting from her. But that,
of course, was not to be done in the midst of a strenuous and
exciting London season. It took some time.

After three performances of " Lucia," followed by no fewer
than five more in succession of "La Sonnambula" a supply
that still failed to satisfy the huge demand Mr. Gye grew
extremely bold. He revived "La Traviata" with by far the
youngest Violetta that had ever been heard at Covent Garden ;
and, as some one said, "in order not to change the luck/'
gave her for supporting artists Signor Tiberini and Signor
Graziani he of the "noble baritone," who had so far sung
with Mile. Patti from the second night she appeared.

i See Appendix F.



THE REIGN OF PATTI 83

The experiment resulted in another hit. Wiseacres shook
their heads, but the amazing fact nevertheless stands out that
the girl of eighteen was fully equal to the task of portraying
Dumas 's fragile heroine. 1 Nay, more; her assumption seems
to have surprised the critics by its originality as much as by
its maturity of conception and treatment. The notices were
all favorable. Even the hypercritical Chorley had nothing
to say against her impersonation as a whole, though he harped
solemnly upon his favorite string the ' 'fatigued 5 ' tone of
her voice. He wrote in the Athenceum :

Midway betwixt Mile. Piecolomini and Mme. Bosio stands Mile.
Patti as representative of 'La Traviata. 7 She is generally consid-
ered to have made a decided step in public favour by her perform-
ance of the repulsive part. Her acting is spoken of first because
we think it better than her singing. . . . Much is said of the youth-
ful promise of her voice. To our ears it is already worn and over-
developed to a state when some months of complete rest ought judi-
ciously to be afforded to it. As it stands, gain of volume would
-only lessen such charm as it possesses.

On the other hand, general opinion was summed up by the
Musical World (July 6) in these words:

A youthful, interesting appearance, and the fresh voice of girl-
hood, are indispensable qualifications for the representative of
Violetta, and such axe possessed by Mile. Patti. . . . Previous per-
formances have not prepared us for the striking display of his-
trionic genius with which Mile. Patti delighted the public on Thurs-
day night. Her last scene was truthful and beautiful. She drew
"the trembling tear of speechless praise" from many an eye, and no
eulogy we might offer could exceed this spontaneous tribute to the
histrionic powers of the young artist. If Mile. Patti played this
scene so admirably, it may be readily supposed that where brilliant
fluency of vocalisation was required she shone with almost incom-
parable lustre.

1 See Appendix F.



84 THE REIGN OF PATTI

If Chorley was right, it would have taken not weeks but
months of absolute rest to overcome the " worn ''condition
of the voice he was in the habit of referring to. But his
opinion was never confirmed, either by other authorities or
by the actual facts. His caustic utterances on the subject
sounded too persistently harsh to be altogether sincere; the
grudging praise that sugared the pill had a hollow ring, like
that of all critics who are incapable of whole-souled admira-
tion or who are jealous of "discoveries" that they themselves
have not unearthed.

Let this insinuation be answered once for all. Had the
symptoms that Chorley pretended to perceive in Adelina
Patti's voice in the year of her debut been those of physical
fatigue, due to strain or overwork, their pernicious effects at
that delicate period of adolescence would in all probability
have become permanent. She may have worked exceptionally
hard for a girl of her age ; but it is well known that she was
never allowed to sing either when she was tired or until she
became tired. No singer ever suffered less, at any period of an
abnormally long career, from the effects of reaction; while
at eighteen her splendid constitution, her capacity for main-
taining physical and mental energy at full pressure, had
already developed to a degree that those who had known her
as a rather delicate child could hardly believe possible.

Fatigue, indeed ! It is more than likely that Chorley imag-
ined he was listening to another Jenny Lind as Jenny Lind
was before she went to Manuel Garcia to learn the true art
of singing. If so, how did history verify Chorley 's fable!
Patti sang in public incessantly until he died (in 1872) and
then for thirty-four years longer; in all, an active career in
England of forty-five years. Prime donne who strain their
voices at eighteen do not achieve this sort of record ; nor do
they continue to sing with a clear, beautiful tone after they
have attained the age of seventy !



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 85

Imagine Patti and Grisi in the same opera, and that opera
Mozart's immortal "Don Giovanni"! Such was the constel-
lation of planets (rising and setting) that Frederick Gye
sought to make the culminating feature of this unparalleled
season of 1861. The excellent idea was carried into effect.
Last of a series of interesting revivals for the farewell appear-
ances of Mme. Grisi, this particular one, linking together
for all time two of the most illustrious names in the history
of opera, was given on July 6, 1861, with the following
cast :

Don Giovanni ....... Monsieur Faure.

Don Ottavio Signor Tamberlik.

Masetto Signor Ronconi.

Leporello , Herr Formes.

II Commendatore Signor Tagliafieo.

Donna Anna Madame Grisi.

Donna Elvira Mile. Csillag.

Zerlina Mile. Adelina Patti.

Conductor . . . Mr. Costa.

For years did musical writers, members of the mettle garde,
descant upon the glories of this great cast. In the days of
the writer's youth it was still recalled with tender regret,
as a treasured memory, as in a sense the operatic clou of the
mid- Victorian era. And, indeed, it was never equalled as
a galaxy of famous singers of that period. Even the fast- "
diminishing vocal strength of Grisi did not detract from the
dramatic grandeur of her Donna Anna. Csillag, too, was
a fine singer; she was considered the best Donna Elvira of
her day. Faure, the renowned French baritone, creator
of roles such as Mephistopheles, Hamlet, Hoel, and Nelusko,
was just arriving at the summit of his powers.

Then, Tamberlik was one of the most artistic and admired
tenors on the stage. The celebrated Ronconi was as superb



86 THE REIGN OP PATTI

in comedy as in tragedy. Tagliafieo was also exceedingly
versatile; while Carl' Formes perhaps the finest lasso pro-
fondo that Great Britain ever heard was an unsurpassable
Leporello. Only the ideal Zerlina was wanting, and she came
came, sang and conquered ! in the person of Adelina Patti,
who was now seen in the most admired of all her roles, with,
the single exception of her Eosina in "II Barbiere."

It was thought by some that her delicious impersonation of
Mozart's heroine derived an added charm from the supreme
excellence of such an unprecedented ensemble. It may well
have been so. At the same time, we can imagine what it must
have meant for any juvenile artist still in her teens to be
instantly recognized as worthy to associate in Mozart 's master-
piece with some of the greatest singers in the world. "We
can fancy what would have been said had her delineation
fallen, in either a vocal or any other sense, below the level
of theirs. As a matter of fact, it proved equal to the best,
and it created a sensation such as the contemporary pen can
most fitly describe. 1

Said one reviewer 2 of the memorable premiere: "With,
this exquisite achievement Mile. Patti casts all her previous
triumphs into the shade." Others noted that in eontra-dis-
tinction to her Amina, her Lucia, and her Violetta, here was
something classical: a delineation beautifully symmetrical in
its purity of outline, belonging, as it were, to a more exalted
region of her art. For she was able to fulfil its most exigent
demands in the highest perfection. It demonstrated in her
at once the genuine and accomplished Mozart singer, the born
exponent of the Spanish type, the fascinating Zerlina incar-
nate, the simple peasant girl whose nature, as Otto Jahn says,
"is neither deep nor passionate, but light and impression-
able"; who "becomes an easy prey to the elegant man of the

1 See Appendix G-.

2 Musical World.



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 87

world"; whose "vanity is flattered by Ms condescension";
and whose "innocent mind is at .once impressed with a con-
viction of his truthfulness."

Greater by comparison with her own previous efforts, it
was also declared to be superior to any portrayal of the same
role that had been witnessed for a generation. Indeed, one
critic went still farther and wrote: "Her Zerlina has been
pronounced the best since Malibran's; it is, however, better
than Malibran's!" One solitary "croak" only was heard in
opposition to the unanimous chorus of praise, and that was
uttered (of course) by Chorley, who delivered himself in the
Athenceum of the following: "Mile. Patti ? s Zerlina is also
much admired. But, to our thinking, the peculiar quality of
her voice tells not pleasantly in Mozart's music. . . . Her
acting was, in our opinion, too old and knowing" (sic).

The rush to hear "Don Giovanni" became tremendous.
Grisi sang her farewells to " capacity, '' and, after four per-
formances, two more had to be added at the very end of
the season. In the meantime the procession of Patti nights
also went on without interruption at the rate of two a week,
and on July 13 the diva, as she was now universally called,
scored another hit in "Martha." Associated with her in
Flotow's opera were Mario, Grazani, and Tagliafieo, while the
piquant grace and freshness of her Lady Enrichetta elicited
unqualified expressions of delight.

Finally, on July 27, came her first appearance in Eossini's
"Barbiere di Siviglia," with the following remarkable cast:

II Conte Ahnaviva ...... Signor Mario.

Figaro Signor RoneonL

Don Basilio Signor Tagliafieo.

Don Bartolo Signor Ciampi.

Berta Mme. Tagliafieo.

Eosina - Mile. Adelina Patti.



88 THE REIGN OF PATTI

Fancy Mario, prince of tenors, still fairly In Ms prime,
as the Almaviva to that enchanting Rosina of eighteen sum-
mers! What an experience! Alas, we can do no more than
"fancy."

The furore created by this ensemble was so unparalleled
that Mr, Gye was petitioned to extend the season until the
middle of August, so as to accommodate a portion of the
overflowing crowds that were in vain besieging the doors of
Covent Garden both for Bossim's masterpiece and Mozart's.
The idea was, however, found to be impracticable, because
every one connected with the opera house had by now become
exhausted by the prolonged excitement and work of this extra-
ordinary season. The person least affected was the wonderful
creature who was the cause of it all. But in her case Maurice
Strakosch was adamant. He would not let her go on a day
beyond the extra performances already agreed upon.

The tired critics were certainly not equal to a further
effort. The new Rosina had sent them into the wildest
ecstasies of delight, although, being by this time destitute
of fresh superlatives, they could only draw upon the old
stock and utilize them with painful reiteration. Even Chorley
vied with Davison and the rest in the endeavor to do justice
to what they now openly declared to be an epoch-making mani-
festation of genius. 1

The sole loophole afforded by the "Barbiere" performance
for the exercise of adverse critical comment was the vexed
question of the particular ornaments and "changes" that
Mile. Patti introduced into her arias and duets. Here it had
"been a sore point for years. No matter who the vocalist, no
matter how artistic or appropriate the ornamentation, the com-
plaint of undue interference with the composer was one that
the critics never failed to make where Rossini was concerned.
Curiously enough, the sticklers for a literal rendering of

i See Appendix EL



THE REIGN OP PATTI 89

Ills music were infinitely more severe and unrelenting than
Rossini himself. 1 The point will be dealt with later in these
pages, but meanwhile it may be confidently asserted that from
first to last the alterations and additions made by Patti to
the musical text of "II Barbiere" (as subsequently also in the
case of "Semiramide") were entirely approved by the com-
poser.

The season of 1861 ultimately came to a close on August 2,
"Don Giovanni" being repeated on two consecutive nights
to wind up with. In all, Adelina Patti sang twenty-five times
in six operas within a period of eleven weeks. Below is a
list of those operas in the order of their production, with the
number of performances given of each :

"La Sonnambula" 9

"Lucia di Lammermoor" 4

"La Traviata" . . . 2

"Don Giovanni" . 6

"Martha" 2

"II Barbiere di Siviglia" 2

Total 25

To sum up the recorded impressions of this phenomenal
season would be no easy matter, and it would occupy too much
space to quote even the pick of the effusive utterances that
appeared in print after Covent Garden had closed its doors.
Suffice it to say that, the new diva having retired on her
laurels, not only journalists but distinguished writers in other
than musical spheres penned their various eulogies upon the
achievement above recorded. Not the least noteworthy of

i A notable example of this puritanic sense of duty was forthcoming
a couple of years after in a notice in the Musical World of a revival of
"II Barbiere" at Covent Garden with practically the same cast. Se
Appendix H ().



90 THE REIGN OP PATTI

these articles was one by Charles Dickens that appeared in
the pages of All The Year Bound. 1 - The gifted author was
but one of thousands who had figuratively but unhesitatingly
flung themselves at the feet of the delightful little songstress.
The whole world, indeed, was paying homage at her throne.
And, be it said, she bore her honors alike then and there-
after with modesty, dignity, and grace.

i See Appendix I.



CHAPTER VIII

The "Queen of Song" at Her First State Concert (1861) A Boyal Se-
lection The Programme Mapleson at Her Majesty's Opposes Gye
Patti at the Birmingham Festival Dividing the National Anthem
Debuts at Dublin, Berlin, Brussels, and The Hague Visits Pauline
Lucca Brussels Hails a ^Grande Comedienne" English Opinion of
Pattfs Acting Higher Fees Demanded A Gamble at Homburg and
Its Consequences

THE termination of her first London season saw Adelina
Patti firmly established upon an eminence of her own,
standing quite apart from the lower and broader plateau that
accommodated the ordinary deities of the operatic Olympus.
Thanks chiefly to her incomparable talent, but also to a "for-
tuitous concourse of events" so shaped that at the psycho-
logical moment everything was ready to tell in her favor, the
British public had placed her practically beyond the reach of
rivalry. She was already the new diva. Ere long she was
to be the proud possessor of a yet more distinguished and
unusual sobriquet, an English one to wit, the tl Queen of
Song."

Meanwhile, it was a real queen Victoria of blessed mem-
ory w ko helped to set the seal upon Patti 's fame six weeks
after her first appearance at Covent Garden. In this instance,
as in so many others, it seemed as if the stars in their courses
worked "overtime" in favor of the youthful prima donna.
Half a year later the English nation was to be plunged into
prolonged mourning through the sudden and premature death
of the Prince Consort. In June, 1861, London was at its
brightest and gayest. The Prince was alive and in good health,
and, although they were not very frequent visitors at the

91



92 THE EEIGN OP PATTI

opera, the Queen and his Royal Highness were always well in-
formed concerning the ability of the new singers appearing
there.

But they had gone more than once to hear Mile. Adelina
Patti, and had expressed their admiration for her singing in
the warmest terms. Accordingly it was no great surprise
when she received through Mr. Gye the royal command to
take part in the State Concert at Buckingham Palace on
June 28.

A State Concert in mid-Victorian days was a very serious,
not to say solemn function. The programme, as a rule, con-
sisted largely of sacred or semi-classical pieces ; only occasion-
ally did it include operatic selections, which were to furnish
the principal pabulum in later years. It must be accounted
a strange coincidence that the new-comer should have been
called upon to take part in the last programme that Prince
Albert helped Queen Victoria to select and approve. Not
a single secular item was to be in it. Would Mile. Patti be
able to sing the kind of music that was required ?

When Mr. Gye put the question to Maurice Strakosch, he
replied, with a smile, that her musical education had not
been precisely neglected. 1 "Was church music asked for?
She could sing it with the best of them. Did the Court wish
for Mendelssohn? She would gladly 'oblige 7 with the air
from 'Elijah/ In short, anything the Queen might desire."

i Even Chorley had to acknowledge the truth of this. In his next
Athenceum article he made reference to the above State Concert in these
terms : "It may be observed that the young lady, a few evenings since,
at the Royal Concert, sang an air from Mendelssohn's "Elijah" and an
offertory by Hummel, thus making evident that she affects a repertory-
wider than that of the three or four operatic parts parroted by hearsay
tuition, on the strength of which certain of her predecessors have, for
a time, deceived their public. Due credit is to be given for this, espe-
cially by the few, like ourselves, who have not been carried away by
the flood of rapture which burst forth on Mile. Pattfa first perform-
ances."



THE REIGN OF PATTI 93

Her Majesty and the Prince readily agreed to "Hear ye,
Israel/' and also to Hummers "Alma Virgo/' a motet for
soprano solo with chorus. It was, however, stipulated that
the latter should not be described as an offertorium, but as
an "air with chorus/' Music from Eoman Catholic services
was not openly tolerated at Court; it had to appear there
under a thin veil of disguise.

The programme of this State Concert, if solid and lengthy,
was undeniably interesting, and a copy of it is here repro-
duced :

(EOYAL COAT OF ARMS)

HER MAJESTY'S STATE CONCERT,

BUCKINGHAM PALACE.

June 28th, 1861.



PART THE FIRST.

Selection from "St. Paul." Mendelssohn.
Overture.

Chorus "Lord! Thou alone art God."

Chorale "To God on High."

Eecit. . "And the many that believed. 71

(MdLle. Titiens, Mr. Santley, and Mr, Patey)

Chorus "Now this man ceaseth not/'

Recit "And all that sat in the council."

(Mdlle. Titiens and Signor Gardoni)

Chorus "Take him away."

Recit "Lo! I see the heavens opened."

(Signor Gardoni)

Aria "Jerusalem! Jerusalem!"

(Mdlle. Adelina Patti)

Recit "Then they ran upon him."

(Signor Gardoni)

Chorus "Stone him to death."

Reeit "And they stoned him."

(Signor Gardoni)



94 THE EBIGN OF PATTI

Chorale "To Thee, Lord."

Reeit "And the witnesses."

(Mdlle. Titiens)
Chorus . "Happy and blest are they."



No. 21 in "Elijah." Air: "Hear ye, Israel." Mendelssohn.

(Mdlle. Adelina Patti)

"Kyrie and Gloria" (Service in C) Beethoven*

(Mdlle. Titiens, Miss Laseelles, Signor Giuglini, Mr. Patey, Mr.

Santley, and Chorus)
PAET THE SECOND.

No. 10 in "Israel." Chorus "But as His 'People." Handel

Nos. 8 and 9 in "Creation." Eecit. and Air: "With verdure clad."

Haydn.

(Mdlle. Titiens)
No. 2 in "Stabat." Air: "Cujus animam." Rossini.

(Signor Giuglini)
Air and Chorus: "Alma Virgo." Hummel.

(Mdlle. Adelina Patti)
Eomanee ("Joseph"), "A peine au sortir de Fenfanee." Mehul

(Signor Gardoni)

No. 6 in "Stabat." Quartette: "Saneta Mater." Eossini.

(Mdlle. Titiens, Miss Lascelles, Signor Giuglini, and Mr. Santley)

No. 14 in "Creation." Chorus and Trio : "The heavens are telling."

Haydn.
(Mdlle. Titiens, Signor Gardoni, and Mr. Santley)

That the singer's reputation was enhanced by this appear-
ance at Buckingham Palace there can be no question. It
was considered an unusual honor for so young an artist to
receive, and she must have requited it by singing magnifi-
cently, for the Queen never forgot the occasion. Her Majesty
recalled it to Mme. Patti in after years.

The appearance of other distinguished operatic names on
the same programme demands a word of explanation. During
the greater part of the season of 1861 the Eoyal Italian Opera



THE HBIGN OF PATTI 95

had enjoyed the practical monopoly for which, as we know,
Mr. Gye paid B. T. Smith 4,000. At any rate, no competi-
tive enterprise had ventured into the field until Mr. Mapleson
opened the Lyceum Theatre, on June 8, with a first-rate
Italian opera company, comprising Tietjens, Alboni, Giuglini,
Gardoni, Gassier, and Delle Sedie, with Arditi as conductor.
This was a fairly strong combination, though for obvious
reasons it could make no headway against the powerful forces
intrenched at Covent Garden.

Still, Mapleson 's short initial season is worthy of mention,
because it enabled him to demonstrate his capacity as an im-
presario, and incidentally to secure the tenancy of Her
Majesty's Theatre for the following year, which was expected
to be exceptionally brilliant on account of the International
Exhibition to be held at the Crystal Palace. 1

After the close of her first Covent Garden season, the singer
whose triumphs had made it memorable was allowed a brief
holiday by the seaside to recoup her strength for the labors
that lay before her. These were by no means to be insig-
nificant, since Messrs. Gye and Strakosch had been over-
whelmed with demands for her services. Among the offers
was one from the Committee of the Birmingham Musical
Festival, which important triennial event took place that
autumn. Her terms had gone up with a jump, and a fee
of 500 guineas was asked for four concerts. The Committee
hesitated; but Michael Costa was the conductor of the Fes-
tival, and, what is more, the "boss 7 ' of the Committee. Pattl,
he insisted, must be engaged ! And engaged she ^as. Prior,

i A similar course of procedure was to be followed twenty-six years
later, when Augustus Harris gave his tentative season of Italian
opera at Drury Lane, introducing the two De Reszkes, Battistini, and
other fine artists. He lost 10,000 in a month over the speculation,
but made such an impression that he was able to obtain the lease of
Covent Garden for the following season (1888), together with the sup-
port of L large body of subscribers.



96 THE REIGN OP PATTI

however, to singing at Birmingham, says our friend Mr.
Kate, "she came one evening to Brighton to sing at my con-
cert, this "being her first appearance on the concert platform
in England." 1

Her success at the Birmingham Festival amply justified
Costa *s confidence. She did not take part in the choral works,
but her name drew overflowing crowds to each of the evening
concerts, and her singing was the sensational feature of the
week. To what extent she had aroused curiosity is shown by
the following quotation from an article in the current Musical
World:

It may be boldly asserted, -without fear of contradiction, that
every person among the vast assembly awaited with anxious expec-
tation the appearance of our recent musical importation from Amer-
ica an importation in the eyes of sundry enthusiastic musicians
worth all the cotton ever sent from New Orleans. ... At length
the wished-for moment arrived, and Mile. Adelina stood upon the
platform. In a moment, aye, in less, a thousand glances were lev-
elled at her. It struck me that the first impression was one of in-
credulity, and those who had reported such marvels of the youthful
prima donna fell at least cent, per cent, in the estimation of their
fellow provincials. But this state of things did not continue long,
and ere Mile. Patti had concluded the cabaletta of her first air
("Ah, fors' e lui") she had worked her audience up to a state of
enthusiasm. Her triumph in the air from "La Sormarnbula" was
even more brilliant, and excited a tempest of applause, which could
not be allayed until she had accepted an encore. Again at a later
concert MUe. Patti made another stride in the affections of the
Birmingham public by her rendering of the Mad Scene from
"Lucia." The air was vociferously applauded and encored, but the
fair artist contented herself with repeating the cabaletta, though she
was more yielding -with regard to Hook's song ("Within a mile of
Edinboro toon") in Part II, and gave the whole of it a second time.

It should be understood that encores at a Birmingham Fes-

<* "Muiical Becollections," p. 155.




1




THE REIGN OP PATTI 97

tival were the exception, not the rule. Sims Beeves was
similarly honored at the same concerts, but he, as usual, flatly
refused to "oblige." The only operatic star who shared the
feminine laurels of the week with the new diva was the gifted
Tietjens ; and in the end it was so hard to differentiate between
them that, at the final concert, the committee found itself com-
pelled to ask the two ladies to divide the solos in "God Save
the Queen." Accordingly, one sang the first verse, the other
the second, and both joined in the third.

During the last three months of 1861 Mile. Patti sang in
many places, but nowhere did she meet with a more hearty
reception than in Dublin. She appeared there at the Theatre
Eoyal in November, in a round of her favorite parts, wind-
ing up with an impersonation of Lady Enrichetta in "Mar-
tha" that drove her admirers literally frantic with delight. 1

That night, when she bade them farewell, the Dublin boys
accorded her a terrific ovation;

The horses were taken out of her carriage by the crowd as she
left the Theatre Royal. They dragged the vehicle from the theatre
to Morrison's Hotel, several mounting to the roof and others cling-
ing to the back. The shouts of the populace followed them to their
destination, and when they arrived there, they begged, or rather in-
sisted, that Mile. Patti would address a few words to them from the
balcony. This she very graciously agreed to do, and, presenting
herself on the balcony, notwithstanding the drenching rain, she
thanked her Dublin friends cordially for their generous patronage,
and showered upon them the bouquets she had previously -received
from the audience.

She left at the end of the same month for Berlin not for
Brussels, where Strakoseh states that he "began his pere-
grinations in Europe" and "Mme. Adelina Patti sang first

i See Append!^ J.



98 THE KEIGN OF PATTI

after lier successes" in the United Kingdom. 1 The dates
leave no room for question on this point. She had been
engaged to appear at the Royal Opera House in Berlin during
the month of December, in a series of Italian performances,
and the contract was fulfilled to the letter.

Despite the unfavorable attitude assumed toward her at
the outset by the Prussian press, the enthusiasm of the public
knew no bounds. Above all, King "Wilhelm the future victor
of Sedan and first German Kaiser singled himself out as
her especial admirer and champion. He went to hear her
each time she sang, and never failed to congratulate her in
person before leaving the theatre. The irresistible Adelina
was to captivate many "crowned heads" in her day, but
among them she never found a more devoted friend than the
Emperor Wilhelm I.

As usual, the Berlin critics, if they refused to bend the
knee at first, ended by declaring themselves her fervent ad-
mirers, and begged her to return. As a matter of fact, the
opera season in Berlin had been rather dull until her advent,
and one paper, after enumerating the various singers who
had appeared, mentioned "Last, not least, Adelina Patti, the
girlish vocalist, who speedily transported her English triumphs
here, and by a rich combination of artistic excellences brought
the season to a brilliant conclusion/'

It was at Berlin that she first met Pauline Lucca, who had
achieved a startling success there the previous spring. The
famous Viennese soprano, her senior only by a couple of
years, had been engaged at the instigation of Meyerbeer,
and was then studying with him the role of Selika in "L'Afri-
eaine" which she was to create also at Covent Garden in 1865.

Maurice Strakosch relates how he .called upon Pauline Lucca
at her modest lodgings, accompanied by his sister-in-law, and
how they found her in bed, looking very juvenile and inter-

i "Souvenirs (Fun Impresario," p. 47.



THE EEIGN OP PATTI 99

esting. "Her first word was an exclamation of surprise on
beholding Adelina Patti herself a sweet and adorable crea-
ture. 'What/ exclaimed Lucca, almost involuntarily, 'can
you be the great Patti T " The impresario adds that "The
rivalry between the two singers existed only upon the stage,
for outside the theatre they were always upon the best terms
of camaraderie." x No doubt. "Was it not ever thus between
prime donnef

After Berlin came, in February, 1862, Adelina 's debut at
Brussels. Here some early prejudice had also to be over-
come, for Continental critics evidently found it hard to believe
that all the fabulous praise lavished upon the new star had
been wholly justified. One of them, indeed, went so far as
to exhort her in the columns of an important paper "to come
and finish her musical studies at the Brussels Conservatoire."
Like all of the prejudiced critics, he altered his tone later on.
One or two writers there were, however, who indorsed the
public verdict from the first and acknowledged that "Mile.
Patti was a great singer." 2 As a pen-picture of her at this
period it is worth while to quote these lines from the Brussels
Guide Musical:

Young, pretty, full of distinction, nature has been pleased to
heap every kind of favour upon her a rare organisation, intelli-
gence of the highest order, and the most marvellous soprano voice
one has ever heard; easy, sweet, pure, seductive, dramatic, passion-
ate in a word, a voice that none can hear without being profoundly
moved [impressionne] . As though its work were not complete
enough, nature has bestowed upon her the one precious quality
without which no operatic artist can be wholly accomplished: it has
made her a grande comedienne. And this merit is apt to be some-
what sacrificed at the present day, seeing that the art of the come-

1 "Souvenirs d'un Impresario," pp. 49-50.

2 Se Appendix K.



100 THE REIGN OF PATTI

dian seems to be interpreted in thft wrong spirit with incredible per-
sistency by the majority G the ladies and gentlemen now engaged
in the delineation of the lyric drama.

The notable assertion that Adelina Patti was a grande
comedienne at nineteen ought not to be passed over without
some further consideration. To begin with, it was absolutely
true. The Belgian writer did no more than echo the opinion
of most of those leading critics who were acknowledged to be
candid and unbiased judges of her talent at this period of
her development. Comedy was then her forte, and when at
its best her acting in that particular line deserved the adjective
grande.

To say this is not, however, to imply that Patti was yet a
great actress, even in the sense that the term might be applied
to an operatic singer. When Davison first saw her as Violetta,
he declared her to be ^ f neither a Lind nor a Eachel. ' ' Neither
did he, in all probability, expect such a combination from a
girl who was then only a trifle over eighteen. Nevertheless,
he admired her because she was " something so genuine,
piquant, original, and attractive." He added, nevertheless,
that her impersonation was more "elaborately finished" than
any that he could remember, while "as a piece of acting it
must be pronounced consummate."

Everybody did not agree with Davison about her acting in
serious parts. There were never two opinions, however, con-
cerning her extraordinary natural talent as a comedienne;
nor ean there be any question that she had grown, during the
second and third decades of her career, to be a superb all-
round actress. The important point is that the serious side
of her histrionic genius took longer to develop. Those who
witnessed her early performances at Covent Garden were
wont to speak of flashes of dramatic power which surprised
and dazzled. Those were the moments when she was capable
of grasping the more profound emotions of a dramatic situ-



THE EBIGN OF PATTI 101

ation ; for with, lier peculiar temperament the ability to under-
stand and feel apparently engendered the ability to express.
The complete understanding- of a tragic role did not come
until later on.

But the " grande comedienne" she indisputably was first,
last, and all the time. From childhood upward, her sense
of humor, her spirit of mischief, her love of drollery and of
fun, had been allowed unrestricted sway. To those qualities
she added her extraordinary gift of mimicry not mere talent
for imitation, but an intuitive faculty for faithfully repro-
ducing the manner or style characteristic of whatever she
saw or heard done by another person. The combination en-
abled her, when upon the stage, especially in such parts as
Rosina and Zerlina, to bring out to the fullest extent the vis
comica that had been born in her, and to manifest it in her
restless, romping gaiety and delightful by-play.

She possessed, when a very young girl, a singularly true
sense of proportion; moreover, it never failed her. The
proper restraint and self-control were invariably exercised
at the right moment, and apparently without need for fore-
thought. Hence the freedom, the ease, the laisser-aller which
imparted to all that she did, both as singer and actress, the
character and the effect of pure improvisation. No other
lyric artist that I have ever seen possessed this supreme gift
in anything like the same degree.

Finally, there was the advantage of her rare command,
when a comparative child, of the technique of the stage.
From the time she first entered upon her operatic career, she
seemed able to depict her various romantic heroines with an
impulse that was always truthful, unforced, and appropriate.
Her acting came to her as naturally as her singing. She could
convey emotions of every type with an expressive force that
revealed itself alike in gesture, in facial play, and in the most
subtle shades of vocal nuance.



102 THE EEIGN OP PATTI

What she still needed in the early sixties was actual
experience experience of life, experience in the theatre.
This, however, was not to be vouchsafed her in adequate
measure until a few more years had passed.

Before returning to England in the spring of 1862, Mile.
Patti visited Holland, and was accorded a splendid reception
at Amsterdam and The Hague. In the latter city an Italian
company was performing opera under the management of
one Merelli, by whom the latest star in the operatic firmament
was courageously engaged at 1250 francs (50) a night.
When, however, the King of Holland sent his chamberlain
to secure her services for a concert at the Royal Palace, Merelli
saw his opportunity and raised the terms to 3000 francs
(120).

According to Strakosch, this sum appeared enormous to
the chamberlain, who asked to be allowed to think the matter
over. Ultimately, of course, the fee had to be paid ; but the
same authority assures us that "the Dutch Cabinet was sum-
moned to consider the question, and only after a Council
of Ministers had been held did the King accede to Merelli 's
terms." 1 Se non e vero, e 'ben trovato!

During her stay at The Hague, the director of the Theatre-
Italien in Paris, M. Calzado, despatched a special envoy to
engage Mile. Patti forthwith for a few performances. Her
manager asked the same terms as she was then receiving;
but 50 a night proved too much for M. Calzado 's purse, and
he declined to engage her. In the following season he thought
better of it, and the diva was secured; only he then had to
pay her 1500 francs (60) a night. Twenty-five years later
she was receiving (on her American tour) nearly twenty times
that sum.

When she, sang in Paris under M, Baggier, Calzado y s suc-

* "Souveaira d'tux Impresario/' p. 50.



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 103

eessor, her terms were again raised on a sliding scale to 2000
francs (80) a representation for the first year, 2500 francs
(100) for the second, and 3000 francs (120) for the third.
Beyond this figure, as far as the French capital is concerned,
they were never known to go. It is noteworthy, however, that,
owing to Calzado's hesitation in the first instance, her debut
in Paris was deferred for a whole year.

Strakosch was not altogether wrong when he attached
" extreme importance to these details regarding the fees paid"
to Adelina Patti. He considered that "operatic stars, no
matter how indispensable they might be, ought to content
themselves with reasonable terms," and attributed to their
exorbitant demands all the catastrophes that had recently
befallen the Italian opera houses at London, Paris, St. Peters-
burg, and even New York. 1

At the same time, he was anxious to prove that one prima
donna at least was worth the high prica asked for her per-
formances. The opportunity came when M. Blanc, the direc-
tor of the Casino at Homburg, the Monte Carlo of that
day, hesitated to concede the 120 a night named by Maurice
Strakosch. M. Blanc was a wealthy man ? but a prudent man-
ager. The auditorium at the Casino was of limited size,
and there was a chance of his losing money by each repre-
sentation. Strakosch made him an offer.

"If you like," said he, "we will not fix any cachet at alL
You shall charge a louis for every seat, and give Adelina
Patti half the receipts. That half is to be regarded as the
figure of her subsequent cachets."

M. Blanc thoughtfully argued that the. high price of a louis
per seat would keep away a great many people-, and that
the fair artist was very likely to sing either for nothing or
for a ridiculous sum, not only once, but on each succeeding
appearance. Strakosch, however, insisted, and M. Blanc duly

i 'Souvenir* d'un Impresario," p. 52,



104 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

accepted a proposition that seemed entirely favorable to Mm.

The result proved the exact reverse of what the careful
manager had anticipated. The little theatre was crammed
with people at a louis a head, and the total receipts amounted
to 400, half of which went to Mile. Patti. She was after-
ward paid 200 each night she sang ; while M. Blanc had no
canse for complaint, inasmuch as his expenses amounted to
120 and he was able to pocket a net profit of 80. At the
came time, he was paying his star what was then looked upon
as an enormous fee.

This was only one incident out of many tending to show
that Patti was, from the beginning of her European career,
an exception to the rule mentioned by her brother-in-law.
Instead of loss, she brought substantial gain to the various
managers who were lucky enough to secure her. No matter
how high the terms she asked, and they mounted steadily
year by year until they ultimately reached figures never
before approached in operatic history, it could never be
asserted that Adelina Patti did not earn her money, and even
leave her manager with something to spare.

The subject of her earnings will come up again from time
to time in course of this volume. The huge sums that Patti
made have always constituted a fascinating topic ; for in this,
as in many other respects, her record is unique. Let us not,
however, anticipate. The important fact to be noted at this
juncture is that during her first year in Europe she netted
a lai^er amount than any other prima donna then before
the public, and established in the operatic world a new basis
for the calculation of a diva's fees.



CHAPTEE IX

Opera in the Great Exhibition Year (1862) The Struggle between Gye
and Mapleson Patti's Reappearance at Covent Garden Revivals of
"Don Pasquale" and "Dinorah" Thirty-four Patti Nights The Stra-
kosch Plans Debut in Paris The French Masters and the New
Diva Triumphs at Vienna -"Mobbing" a Prima Donna Hanslick's
Prediction and Its Fulfilment First European "Interview"

LONG before the conclusion of Mile. Patti 's first European
, tour, preparations had been in progress upon a scale of
exceptional magnitude for the London season of the " Great
Exhibition Year" of 1862. Opera was expected, as a matter
of course, to profit hugely by the abnormal influx of visitors.
The Covent Garden monopoly, already partly broken down,
was to end its brief existence altogether; for James Henry
Mapleson had succeeded in obtaining a lease of Her Majesty's
Theatre, and would henceforward be in a position to offer
his powerful rival a strenuous and effective opposition.

It was the beginning of a protracted series of battles be-
tween the two impresarios. But of all their struggles for su-
premacy, their campaigns of disastrous competition in the op-
eratic field, this was to prove the keenest and most severe.
They manoeuvred for position with the skill and cunning of
two masters at a game of chess each on the lookout for a weak
spot in the other's opening, each eager if possible to possess
himself of the other's queen. But the queens in this instance
refused to be moved into danger. If Mr. Gye could not con-
trive (though he tried hard) to win Tietjens from her alle-
giance, Mr. Mapleson certainly found that he stood no better
chance of getting hold of Patti.

An operatic prospectus in those days wore the complexion

105



106 THE REIGN OF PATTI

of a political manifesto. The language of the rival documents
now issued was of the most inflated and pretentious order.
Each manager strove to outdo the other in deadly earnestness
and strength of persuasive eloquence. Each apparently enter-
tained a solemn conviction that the honor of the country
not to mention the fate of the International Exhibition
depended exclusively upon the prosperity of these operatic
institutions. The following paragraph from Mr. Gye's
prospectus provides a fair sample:

It will naturally be a source of pride and gratification to the
musical amateurs of this country to know that among the wonders
and sights of London the opera will not suffer by comparison with
that of other great capitals, but, on the contrary, that the general
and received opinion will be confirmed by our guests that, whether
the individual talent of its members or the perfection of its gen-
eral ensemble be considered, the Eoyal Italian Opera stands pre-
eminent among all similar establishments. To maintain, therefore,
the reputation of the Royal Italian Opera, every effort will assuredly
be directed and such arrangements made as will tend to secure a
most brilliant season.

Covent Garden opened its doors in April, but Mr. Gye
never played his strong cards during the early weeks of the
season. He always found it a profitable plan to whet the
appetite of the public by keeping back his principal attrac-
tions for a while. It was not, therefore, until May 5 that
Mile. Patti made her appearance. The event was heralded
with much fuss and invested with all possible attractiveness ;
but, as a matter of fact, opera-goers were simply pining to
hear their favorite again, and no special efforts were needed
to work them up to the pitch of excitement that had marked
the last mon!th of the preceding season.

"La Sonnambula" was, almost as a matter of course, chosen
for the ren-tree, the house being crowded from floor to ceiling.



THE REIGN OF PATTI 107

The general opinion was that the youthful cantatrice had
made more definite improvement as an actress than as a
vocalist. Beyond a slight increase of volume no particular
change was noted in her voice, though her singing evoked the
same intense admiration and delight as before. Experience,
however, had wrought a beneficial effect upon her stage work,
and the verdict of the press generally was again enthusiastic
in the extreme. 1

The extraordinary scenes of the previous summer were
now reenacted with undiminished fervor. Patti nights were
once more the rage, drawing enormous audiences regularly
twice and sometimes three times a week. The same round
of operas in steady succession furnished the bill for more
than a couple of months. Visitors to the Exhibition, flocking
to London from all parts of the world, made a point of includ-
ing in their pilgrimage an expensive night at Covent Garden,
so that they might be able to relate that they had seen and
heard the celebrated Patti.

During May and June the chief attraction was "Don
Giovanni." It was not given with quite the same wonderful
cast as in 1861; still, there were only two changes a Mme.
Penco replacing Grisi as Donna Anna, while Ciampi was now
the Masetto instead of RoneonL Concerning the Zerlina the
Daily Telegraph had this to say : *

If, to follow up the poetic fancy of some German critic, "Don
Giovanni 7 ' is intended to typify the restless search for abstract
beauty in its highest development of an enthusiast for art, Mile.
Patti's Zerlina may be taken as a type of -woman's nature, ever en-
gaged in some hopeless attempt to reconcile duty with delight.
Never, we imagine, has the struggle between the village maiden's
passive affection for her boorish bridegroom, and the coquette's ad-
miration for the gallant suitor who has fascinated her with his easy
and condescending grace, been so truthfully or so charmingly por-

i JSee Appendix L,



108 . THE REIGN OP PATTI

trayed. Indeed, we doubt if any impersonation so exquisitely fresh,
spontaneous, and natural as Mile. Pattfs Zerlina has ever been wit-
nessed on the operatic stage; and it is in this characteristic, quite
irrespectively of the lady's bright voice and faultless singing, that
lies the secret of its infinite charm.

A brilliant revival of "Lucia" on June 7 was especially
noteworthy for the debut in Great Britain of the famous
German tenor "Wachtel, in the part of Edgardo ; also the first
appearance at Covent Garden as Enrico of the talented bari-
tone Delle Sedie a finished singer and, in later years, an ad-
mirable teacher. On July 12 Donizetti's comic opera, ''Don
Pasquale, ' ' which had not been heard at this house for seven
years, was freshly mounted for Mile. Patti, with Mario as
Ernesto, Delle Sedie as the Dottore, and Ciampi as Don
Pasquale. Of the new Norina the Times wrote :

Such was the vivacity, such the intelligence, such (to use a term
for which we have no English equivalent) the esprit of her acting,
that since the incomparable assumption of Mme. Grisi, when Mme.
Grisi was in her prime, no such piquant, attractive, and irresistible
Norina has been witnessed. ... At the end of the opera in place
of the ordinary -finale Mile. Patti introduced a valse in the "bra-
vura" style, a composition which, alike elegant and effective, was,
in the hands of the always ready and versatile young artist, a singu-
larly brilliant display.

A still greater hit, however, was that achieved by Mile.
Patti on August 5 in "Dinorah." 'Meyerbeer's pastoral
opera had been made familiar already to habitues of the Royal
Italian Opera by Miolan-Carvalho ; but never before had it
been given with such a cast as this :

Dinorah Mile. Patti.

Una Capraia Mme. Rudersdorff.

Un Capraio Mme. Didiee.

Hoel . M. Faure (his original

character) .



THE REIGN OP PATTI 109

Un Cacciatore Slgnor Tagliafico.

Un Mietitore Signer Neri-Baraldi.

Corentino Signer Gardoni.

It was too late in the season to reap the full benefit of
this success, only one repetition being possible. But the crit-
ics, with the single exception of Chorley (who had yet to be
converted), uttered paeans of praise. 1 They were particularly
delighted with the freshness and originality of Patti's concep-
tion, which differed almost entirely from Miolan-Carvalho 's.
Chorley was an ardent and avowed admirer of the French
prima donna, who was the original Marguerite of his beloved
16 Faust, 7> and a charming artist to boot. But when, two
seasons later, comparisons between Adelina Patti and Miolan-
Carvalho in the part of Marguerite became unavoidable, there
occurred a very decided change in Chorley 's attitude toward
the younger artist. It will be referred to in due course.

Eeviews of the season of 1862 indicate that it was, from a
financial standpoint, one of the most successful given during
Mr. Gye's regime. For that epoch, it was by no means re-
markable as presenting a constellation, of really distinguished
singers. In the following year, indeed, the impresario found
himself compelled by the ever-increasing competition at Her
Majesty's to considerably strengthen his ensemble. Still, in
1862 Adelina Patti and the Exhibition between them "did
the trick. ' ' From the beginning of May until the middle of
August the opera house on Patti nights was sold out.

Finally, for August 15 it was announced that, to wind up
the season in becoming fashion, Mile. Patti would take her
first "benefit" at Covent Garden and appear in a special
programme. It was thus advertised :

The performance will consist of the Great Scene from Meyerbeer's
opera of "Dinorah," in which Mile. Patti will sing the celebrated

i See Appendix M.



110 THE KEIGN OF PATTI

"Shadow 77 song; Rossini's opera "II Barbiere, 7 ' ending with the Les-
son Scene, in which Mile. Patti will sing the "Echo 77 song; and also
(for the first and only time) Bishop's favourite air of "Home, sweet
home/ 7

That "only time" was assuredly a master stroke. Had Mr.
Gye limited himself to saying " first time" (since for Mm
Covent Garden was the sole temple of music that existed),
accuracy would have been achieved at the cost of the merely
banal. But "only time," as a forecast of Adelina Patti 's
association with "Home, sweet home," was an exploit the
Mieawber-like sweep of which can only be appreciated at its
true value now, after the lapse of half-a-century. The "bene-
fit" was nevertheless a huge triumph, and fitly terminated a
season of even harder work than the previous one. Here are
the figures, showing in what operas and how many times Mile.
Patti appeared, without counting her benefit :

"Don Giovanni" 10

"La Sonnambula" 8

"II Barbiere" 8

"Lucia" 3

"Don Pasquale" 2

"Dinorah" 2

"La Traviata" 1

Total .34

Three months later a London morning paper gave out the
following announcement :

We are informed that this distinguished vocalist [Mile. Patti] will
be unable, after the present tour, to appear in the British provinces
again for the next three years, having made engagements extending
over the period for London .and some of the leading Continental
cities, which we have reason to believe will be as follows: Paris,



THE REIGN OF* PATTI 111

during November and December, 1862, and January, 1863; Vienna,
February, March, and April, 1S63; London, May, June, and July,
1863; Vienna, September and October, 1863, where Meyerbeer's
"Dinorah" is to be produced for the first time, the eminent com-
poser having selected Mile. Patti for the occasion. For the season
of November, December, 1863, and January, 1864, the 'little lady"
returns to Paris; and in February, March, and April, 1864, makes
her debut at Naples in a new opera written expressly for her by
Verdi, who will most probably select Victor Hugo's famous story,
"Esmeralda," for the subject, a character admirably suited to the
dramatic specialties of Mile. Patti. During the summer season of
1864 she is again to form one of the company at the Royal Italian
Opera, Covent Garden, and in September and October following will
appear at Madrid, concluding this remarkable series of engagements
in Paris during the months of November and December, 1864, and
January, 1865.

Considerable interest is taken by numerous admirers in London
in reference to Mile. Patti's debut at the Italian Opera, Paris, on
the 10th of November next, as Amina in f La Sonnambula," so much
so that we hear of arrangements being in progress for an excursion
by train and steamer, at -a five-guinea fare there and, back, to in-
clude a ticket of admission to the opera on the particular night
and allowing five days in Paris. We are inclined to think that few
vocalists of the present day are likely to win greater favour from a
Parisian public than the highly gifted Adelina Patti.

The above reads uncommonly like the outcome of what to-
day would be termed an "interview" with Maurice Strakosch.
Its prophetic content was sufficiently extensive for it to have
proceeded from the managerial brother-in-law, whose conde-
scending touch is delightfully exhibited in the remark that-
brushes the "British provinces" aside for a period of three
years. Maurice knew how to faire V article in the French
as well as the English sense, hut his vaticinations were often
as inaccurate as his chronicles.

As a matter of fact, Mile. Patti was singing again at



112 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

Birmingham in the autumn of 1864, as we shall see; while
the prediction with regard to the new opera by Verdi was
never to be realized. The Italian master wrote no "Esmer-
alda," nor did Mile. Patti ever essay the character in any other
save Fabio Campana's opera of the same name. The "excur-
sion 77 idea was a gem. At five guineas a head, includ-
ing a stall at the opera to hear Patti, it might almost have
been considered cheap.

Great was the sensation aroused in Paris by the long-
deferred first appearance of Adelina Patti. Her visit began
in November, 1862, and lasted until the following February.
The furore started with her debut in the inevitable "Sonnam-
bula"; it rose gradually to fever-heat, and it never once cooled
until after her " benefit" in "Don Giovanni." When she
had been in the French capital a fortnight the correspondent
of a leading London paper wrote: "About Mile. Patti 7 s
position in Paris there can no longer be a question. She is
adopted with one voice, and is the chief topic of conver-
sation in every circle."

The Emperor and Empress of the French took a particular
fancy to the youthful diva, and honored her by going six
times to the Theatre des Italians during her stay. On the
benefit night they invited her to come to the Imperial loge,
and presented her with a magnificent bracelet of diamonds
and emeralds. So great was the crush at that performance
that collisions between the crowds and the police occurred in
the surrounding streets. Stalls easily fetched anything from
100 to 200 francs apiece a high price in those days.

The famous masters of that golden period of French musical
art vied with one another in their compliments. Berlioz,
Auber, and Gounod were especially captivated by the "deli-
deuse cdntatrice." The impulsive Hector wrote in one of his
Avis aux lecteurs: "Do you wish to see charm united with




IN PARIS, 1862



THE REIGN OF PATTI 113

naivete, naturalness with grace ? the goddess of youth, Hebe
In person ? If so, go to the Theatre-Italien on the nights when
Mile. Patti sings!"

The composer of "Les Diamants de la Couronne" (in which
opera she was to find one of her most graceful roles) uttered
a charming mot on the night of her debut. Asked his opinion
of her, Auber replied: "I was twenty years old throughout
the entire performance, which is exactly sixty years less than
the truth."

Gounod asked her to persuade Mr. Gye to mount " Faust"
at Covent Garden (it was done in the following season, though
not until after Mr. Mapleson had produced it at Her Maj-
esty's), and added: "I can conceive no more ideal Marguerite
than you will make."

After Paris, Vienna. It was on February 28, 1863, a
few days after her twentieth birthday, that she made her
initial courtesy at the Karl Theater in the part of Amina,
and abundantly verified the expectations of a public that had
waited for her impatiently for a year and a half. The season
in the Austrian capital was under the direction of Merelli,
the impresario of her earlier visits to Holland and Germany.
He now paid her 80 a performance, and the success of his
Viennese venture may be gathered from the fact that on the
termination of his two months' season he pocketed a net
profit of 4000.

Nothing like it had ever happened in the operatic annals
of the gay city on the Danube. 1 Certainly no event was so
vividly recalled there for years as the debut of the now world-
renowned Patti. A circumstance that added to the brilliancy
of the occasion was the fact that her Elvino was the great
tenor Giuglini. It was the first time that the two famous ar-
tists had sung together; and, although Giuglini '& voice was

i See Appendix N, letter of Dr. Julius Wagner.



114 THE REIGN OF PATTI

getting rather worn, he was still wonderful enough to be a
fitting companion for his juvenile partner. Between them
they raised a tempest of applause the echoes of which re-
sounded in every corner of Europe.

The audience appear to have fairly lost their heads. A
French critic, who had just previously witnessed some of
the unprecedented scenes in Paris, wrote that they were left
far behind by the veritable fanatisma which broke out in the
Karl Theatre on that February night. "The public seemed
fascinated; the soiree was, for la divina Patti,' one long and
noisy ovation. Eecalls, encores, wreaths, every manifestation
of delight pushed to the farthest extreme, were lavished upon
her." The Viennese press was no less demonstrative.

The excitement gradually pervaded the entire community.
Large crowds used to wait for the hubsche Sangerin and
follow her wherever she went. Indeed, their desire to get near
her was so uncontrollable that one day she had a narrow
escape from being injured. A foreign lady residing in Vienna
told the story in a letter, from which the following is an
extract :

Vienna, April 9, 1863.

Mile. Patti sang on Sunday, at eleven o'clock, at the Augustiner-
kirehe, in the chorus of the Mass. Such crowds had forced their
way into the church, at an early hour, that several persons fainted,
and had to be carried out. During the service, too, a countless mul-
titude assembled before the Aug-ustinergasse, to await the moment
when the celebrated singer should come out, and proceed to her
carriage, which was waiting near at hand.

Scarcely had she made her appearance at the door, when the ex-
pectant crowd gathered round her with enthusiastic cheers, and so
overwhelmed her with marks of their admiration, that the terrified
girl, half fainting, and with imploring mien, strove to escape.
While she was making the attempt, the friends who accompanied
her were forced from her side, and thus nothing remained for her to
do but to flee into the nearest house, the hotel of Prince Palffy.



THE REIGN OF PATTI 115

Fortunately, tlie maid of the Countess Ferrariz Ziehi, who resides
in the hotel, had beheld the whole scene from the windows. Hurry-
ing to meet the affrighted artist on the steps, she opened the door
of the corridor, and, quickly closing it again, led Mile. Patti into
the apartments of the Countess.

But the enthusiastic crowd had followed close upon the heels of
the fair artist, and, running wildly up and down the steps, very
nearly forced open the door. The mistress of the mansion, the
Princess Palffy, was at last obliged to make her appearance, and
her impressive words of warning finally succeeded in prevailing upon
the ungallant multitude to retire in an orderly manner.

Meanwhile Mile. Patti was conducted into the drawing-room,
where, thanks to the hospitable attention of the Countess's family,
she recovered so far, after a short time, from the -unexpected and
boisterous homage paid her, that her friends and attendants, who
had hastened to rejoin her, were able to convey her without further
risk to her carriage, and drive home.

Such, attentions, novel as they must have been at that time,
were by no means of uncommon occurrence in the later career
of the artist, albeit they seldom grew quite so unpleasant,
for the reason that after this better precautions were taken
to protect her from being mobbed by over-demonstrative
crowds. The experience here related provided a salutary
lesson and one that was not quickly forgotten.

The " crowned heads" were nearly as obtrusive as the
crowds. Wherever she went they sought to bask In the sun-
shine of her presence. Following the example of his cousin
William the First of Prussia, the Emperor Francis Joseph
took particular care never to miss a Patti performance. He
would sit, sometimes in the large Imperial box facing the stage,
sometimes in a smaller box at the side, and at least once each
evening he would go behind the scenes to visit the youthful
artist and offer his congratulations. He also conferred upon
her an order set in brilliants, which she liked better than
the compliments. Adelina naturally prized that sort of thing,



116 THE REIGN OF PATTI

and tlie time was to come when she would possess a large col-
lection of royal decorations.

Mention has already been made of her friendship with Dr.
Eduard Hansliek, the famous Viennese critic. It dated from
this visit. From the first he formed a very exalted estimate
of her talents, and foretold for her career an even greater
future than she had so far achieved. Although "a man with
prejudices, ' ' Hansliek made no mistake in this instance. He
expressed the opinion that one day she would be a remarkable
actress as well as a great singer. Eleven years later, in his
book, "Die Moderne Oper," he wrote an essay on Meyerbeer,
in course of which there occurs a singularly interesting study
of Patti 's Dinar ah. 1 Here he carries his prediction a point
farther, for he thinks "she will remain the last great singer
who, after being reared in the severe school ^ of Eossinian
virtuosity and Bellinian lei canto and there equipped for the
highest achievements of Italian vocal art, yet turned to the
performance of modern dramatic tasks."

Those words were written in 1874. But even then the
world was not prepared to regard Adelina Patti as an ideal
interpreter of dramatic roles ; and perhaps the world at that
moment was right. Her acting was ever advancing to a higher
level, but it was still only in her lighter parts that it could
be considered on a par with her supreme art as a singer.
Another two years, however, were to see the complete fulfil-
ment of at any rate that part of Hansliek 's opinion which,
he expressed when she first went to Vienna. The revelation
came in 1876 with the production of "Ai'da" and her creation
of the title-role at Covent Garden. Without anticipating the
story of that performance (which the present writer wit-
nessed), it may be said here that in the part of Alida Patti 7 s
genius for the stage stood in a new light. She had done
nothing at all like it before.

i See Appendix O,



THE REIGN OF PATTI 117

It showed an astounding development of picturesque force,
of declamatory and histrionic power, punctuated by moments
of real tragic intensity. It unfolded hitherto latent capacity
for the delineation of passion, grief, and despair. It denoted
a transition not less extraordinary, in its way, than that
marked by the opera itself in the change from Verdi's second
to his third " manner " a musical advance that was to cul-
minate in the twentieth-century school of Young Italy. So
the artist went forward with the composer. In his onward
march he was to have the cooperation of the last lineal descend-
ant of Catalani, Pasta, and GrisL

And thus the whole of Hanslick's prophecy came true, for
with Patti the royal line of " great singers 77 ended. She has
had no successor !

It was during her Continental tour of 1862-63 that she fur-
nished material for the first interview with a prima donna
ever published in a European newspaper. The methods of
the American interviewer were then comparatively unknown
in Europe. Strangely enough, the innovation did not come
to London direct, but arrived by way of Paris. It appeared
first in the Figaro early in February, 1863, and a trans-
lation duly appeared in the Musical World, whose editor
seems to have regarded it as a welcome novelty. The text
of the brief dialogue is appended with some apology for its
naivete. An American journalist of to-day would, of course,
have contrived to make better "copy" of it:

"Patti!" exclaims the Parisian Figaro. You are introduced to
Patti, and find that she is a little girl of nineteen, who looks four-
teen a child who might have a doll and know nothing of life. "Do
you ever read the newspapers'?"

"No; I never see them," she replies. "If there is anything nice,
my brother-in-law reads it to me. If not, I don't hear of it."

"What do you read, then?"



118 THE EEIGN OP PATTI

"Thackeray, Dickensnearly all the English authors."

"Do you like Paris 1"

"Yes, but I like London better. The French are changeable, I am
told; whereas the English "

"Well?"

"When they have taken a liking- to you it lasts for ever. I was
much quieter in London; and if you only knew how fond I am of
quiet. Here people talk so fast and so much, it confuses me."

"How can that confuse you? you who can speak English, French,
Italian, and Spanish equally wellT

"Not being accustomed to it, I suppose."

"But how do you amuse yourself in London?"

"I talk to Miss Alice, who is always with me/ 7 x

"Well, Miss Alice is in Paris now, and is going with you to
Yienna."

"Certainly; but"

"I suppose you do not feel at home; that is what annoys you?"

"Exactly so."

"Shall you sing much at Vienna ?"

"I don't know."

"How is that? Don't you know what your engagements are?"

"No; I never know. My papa arranges everything. As for me,
they tell me I must start, and I start; they tell me to sing, and I
sing."

"And Italy, when are you going there? It is not its fault that
it is not your native land."

"Oh, I am very sorry I have not been there already. I shall be
delighted to see Italy."

"And you also, shall you not, Miss Alice?"

"Miss Alice" (says Figaro) blushes, her blue eyes turn pale ( !),
then a smile appears on her face, thirty-two teeth glitter between
her lips, and she murmurs (at last), "Oh, yes, sir!" And the inter-
view ends.

Then adds the Musical World:

The afyove mode of depicting the character of the great singer of

i "Miss Alice" was her demoiselle de compaynie.



THE BEIGN OF PATTI 119

the day through an ordinary conversation, well arranged, appears
to us an immense improvement on the old-fashioned memoir. The
Figaro's dialogue gives a much better notion of what Mile. Patti
is really like than any of Mr. Siivy's photographs. In future, when
this method has become generally known, ladies of celebrity, instead
of being asked to sit for their portraits to photographers, will be
asked to talk for their portraits to writers, and the great art will
be to make them talk characteristically and well, as in photography
the great art is to get them into a good, characteristic pose.

It may be open to question, nevertheless, whether the fore-
going provides an absolutely reliable pen-picture of Adelina
at this period of her existence. Were it so, it would certainly
not afford a very flattering glimpse of her mentality or her
conversational powers at the age of twenty. The probabil-
ities are that she had been warned to say as little as possible
"for publication. ' ? For she was now a girl no longer, but
a full-grown woman, capable of thinking, feeling, and acting
with a sense of responsibility. She might still indulge in
the whims and caprices of a girl. She was always to indulge
them, more or less, when she cared. But there was nothing
redolent of the child about them now ; nor were they allowed
to interfere with the convenances of the theatre, where les
affaires sent les affaires.

The reader is fairly entitled to ask, therefore, what Adelina
Patti was really like at this time not as she appeared to
a casual visitor at a Parisian hotel, but as she was in her home
life, or so much of home as she could be said actually to
enjoy amid the exigencies of a professional career that kept
her almost constantly "on the move." Well, certain facts
and details are available, and they are worth setting forth
et the beginning of another chapter.



CHAPTER X

Adelina Patti's Home Life at Clapham (1863-68) The Secret of Her
Perennial Youth The Study of Health and Art Regular Habits
Avoidance of Rehearsals; Her Substitute Daily Vocal Practice Her
First Sweetheart The Gossip of Fraulein Lauw Revenge in the
Court of Chancery Adelina an Unwilling Plaintiff; an Interesting
Affidavit Failure of a Mean Trick Renewed Triumphs at Covent
Garden and an Artistic Advance Chorley and the Rossinian. Em-
bellishments Four New Characters The Season's Harvest

THE real beginning of Patti's home life in England must
be dated from her return to London after her tri-
umphal visit to Vienna for the season of 1863. An intimate
friend had advised the family not to stay at a hotel in town,
but to live in one of the suburbs. The "family" which now
included, in addition to "Papa" and "Maurice," a German
demoiselle de compagnie of whom we shall have something to
say directly accepted the advice and took, to begin with, part
of a house at 22 High Street, Clapham. There they formed
a simple but comfortable menage.

It should be noted that Adelina ? s mother never came to
England. Mme. Barili-Patti, as she was generally called, at
about this period, left New York and returned to her native
city, Rome, where she settled down and remained until she
died some few years later. Her part in this story is prac-
tically limited to the dramatic prologue in which she enacted
a role of such supreme importance. Her influence over her
famous daughter did not extend beyond early childhood, and
in some measure indirectly, perhaps, rather than otherwise
as one of the models whom the tiny singer had sought to
imitate. For she undoubtedly heard her mother in New York

120



THE REIGN OF PATTI 121

in several of lier operas 4 , though not for long. It used to be
said that Mme. Barili-Patti's voice had never survived the
strain of the "Norma" performance in which she sang on
the night that Adelina was born. But the statement was not
true. What is beyond question, however, is that the mother
and daughter saw very little of each other in after years.

To return to Clapham. The menage remained at High
Street only until the end of the season. They had fallen in
love with the neighborhood, but they required more room,
and if possible, a big garden. Both were found for them by
the same intimate friend, and less than half-a-mile away.
The new place (which, they took for three months every season
for five years, beginning in 1864) was known as Pierrepoint
House, and situated in Atkins' Road, Clapham Park. It stood
in a secluded spot a quaint, old-world " haven of rest," with
a spacious garden, a lawn, some spreading trees a veritable
paradise where feathered songsters of every English tribe
might gather in the spring of the year to greet their new
queen.

Clapham in 1863 was very different from the Clapham we
know to-day. It was sufficiently near the metropolis to be
called a suburb; yet, like any spot that was half-an-hour's
drive from Charing Cross, it was far enough away to be
described as "out of town." The railway had barely begun
to invade its privacy; there were as yet no trams, no tubes,
no motor-omnibuses no public vehicles, in fact, but the four-
horse bus that used to make the journey to and from the
City or Regent Street four times a day. There was no noise
save the crack of the driver's whip, the occasional rattle of
carriage and coach wheels, the (fortunately) still rarer blast
of the mail-guard's horn. Clapham Park could still boast
something of the character of a real park, while the neigh-
boring common harbored nothing noisier than nursemaids,
babies, and cricketers.



122 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

The fresh air and remote tranquillity of this suburban re-
treat amply compensated, in the minds of the Patti house-
hold, for the rather long- drive to and from Covent Garden.
At the moment when we cast a discreet glance behind the
domestic veil it was the spring of the year 1863, and the
Clapham gardens were making ready to put on their summer
attire. Our heroine had already learned to appreciate the
simple beauties of an English home. She revelled in the open
air and the quiet charm of the place, and it was here that she
first acquired her taste for such enjoyments after the "bustle
of travelling and the strenuous work of the opera house.

A more placid existence than that which Mile. Patti led it
would have been unreasonable for a prima donna to demand.
Weather permitting, she went out riding or else strolled in
the garden every morning, taking just as much exercise as
was good for her. 1 She did her chief vocal practising early,
soon after the petit dejeuner, before going out. She had a
healthy appetite, took her meals regularly, slept well in short,
led the most healthful life imaginable, and never knew what
it was to have a day's illness.

"With her strong constitution and hardy physique, it was
natural that her voice should continue to grow in volume and
power. Yet at this time she seemed very little older in.
appearance than when she first went to England. A close
friend who knew her during the Clapham period once told
the writer that "she had not changed a bit, but looked and
acted, as much like a girl in her teens as ever." Had she
already acquired her wonderful secret of remaining young?
Perhaps. Or was it not rather no secret at all, but the com-
bined outcome of the various conditions and attributes here

i She was very fond of riding. She had taken lessons and become an
excellent horsewoman; but after her first marriage she was no longer
allowed ta indulge in this energetic pastime.



THE KEIGN OP PATTI 123

enumerated, like the fostering influences that go to the cre-
ation of the queen bee ? One thing is certain : she herself did
not know.

No artist of the theatre (with the exception, maybe, of
Sarah Bernhardt) was ever asked so frequently if she could
describe her elixir or write down her recipe for preserving
a youthful aspect long after the age when most women begin
to look old. Of course, she always denied that there was any
such thing, and therein told the honest truth. But in search-
ing for the real cause she often omitted to lay sufficient stress
on the beneficial effect of her ''simple life" at Clapham. She
would try to account for it (just to satisfy her questioners)
in all sorts of ways. Once she told a Parisian interviewer
that the principal reason, in her opinion, lay in "her com-
paratively strict mode of living after she had passed the age
of forty!" 1

"Up to forty," she said, "I stinted myself in nothing. I
ate and lived as I chose. After forty, however, I became more
strict. Since then I eat no red meat and drink only white
wine and soda. When I feel weak, a glass of champagne
picks me up. I never touch spirits or liqueurs. My diet con-
sists of light food and white meat and vegetables. I always
sleep with the window wide open in summer and partly open
in winter, so as not to get the cold air straight on my face.
I never get to bed early, hardly ever before half-past twelve
or one. A severe hygiene and an elaborate toilet before bed
are absolutely necessary to any woman who does not want to
get fat. That is my only secret of health."

So much for the gastronomic and hygienic explanation. It
was no doubt correct, as far as it went ; but it scarcely went
far enough. The illustrious singer, to be quite fair to her-
self and her early guardians, ought to have made reference

i From the Echo de Perns, May 21, 1907.



124 THE REIGN OF PATTI

to lier consistently regular life when a young girl, to her quiet,
peaceful existence at the Clapham villa above all, to the
extraordinary care that had always been exercised to spare
her unnecessary or excessive fatigue and every description
of mental worry or annoyance. Of the latter kind only, one
instance, during the epoch now under review, is known to
have occurred wherein her sensibilities might have been pained
(though it is not altogether sure that they were). To that
incident we shall come presently.

"There is a divinity doth hedge a" diva; and, from the
time she won the title, Patti enjoyed its full rights and priv-
ileges, in private no less than in public life. Never did prima
donna encounter richer opportunities for enjoying the good
things of this world, or indulge in them more discreetly, more
sparingly.

"While living at Clapham she completed her education,
which, as we are aware, had been somewhat neglected during
her busy childhood. Impelled by keen desire for knowledge,
she gladly seized every chance to study and learn. She
improved not only her language, but her technical musician-
ship, where there was also lost ground to be made up. (The
latter purpose was never wholly accomplished, for she was
not able to read music at sight more than tolerably well,
nor to play the piano with facility.) She read a good deal,
and it may be noted to her credit that she cared only for
good fiction. Nor did she omit to make herself acquainted
with the history of her art; for she had begun to realize
that she was destined to fill an exalted position in its highest
lyric sphere. .

She remained withal the same high-spirited, happy Adelina
bright and lively in temperament, unassuming and un-
affected in manner, brimful of sparkling humor that she
had been ever since she cried for her dolls and stood upon



THE REIGN OF PATTI 125

a table on the platform of Tripler's Hall. She was happy,
and had nothing to do but enjoy life.

Another point: she was almost always relieved of one of
the most irksome and fatiguing duties incidental to the work
of a prima donna that of rehearsing familiar operas. She
owed this to the adroitness and foresight of Maurice StraJrosch,
who perceived what an immense advantage there would be
in warding off a large amount of physical exertion, provided
the same artistic result were attained. He arrived at it by
a simple expedient. He took her place at rehearsal himself.
And why not? As her "coach," no one knew better than
he exactly what she was going to do ; and he was perfectly
capable of going through the entire opera in the precise man-
ner that Adelina would sing and enact it at night. So it
came about that he was everywhere accepted as her substitute
at all but formal dress rehearsals.

This arrangement enabled her to appear, if necessary, on
three evenings a week without experiencing undue fatigue.
She did so, for instance, when singing at Vienna in 1863.
But, in order to preserve her strength, she then accepted no
invitations to go into* society; at which society grumbled
loudly, and of course held Maurice Strakosch responsible.
The Viennese public knew that he acted as her substitute at
rehearsals, that he transacted all her business, that he was,
so to speak, the buffer that prevented her being brought into
contact with the oi polloi of the Austrian capital; and it
did not take long for the fact to become regarded as an
amusing joke.

Indeed, Mr. Sutherland Edwards tells us 1 that "a piece
was brought out at one of the Viennese minor theatres called
" Adelina and Her Brother-in-Law, " in which Strakosch was
represented as impersonating her on all possible and impos-

i "The Prima Donna," by BL Sutherland Edwards, Vol. JI, p. 87.



126 THE'REIGIf'OF PATTI"

sible occasions. A visitor called to see Adelina, and was told
that she was not at home, but that Mr. Strakosch would re-
ceive Mm. A photographer wished to take Adelina 's por-
trait: 'She cannot sit/ replies Strakosch, 'but I shall be
happy to replace her. 7 At last an infatuated admirer pre-
sented himself, bent on making Adelina a declaration of love !
i She is too much engaged to listen to you, 7 replied the Stra-
kosch of the farce; 'but anything you may have to say can be
addressed to me. ' 7 '

Such devices as those planned by Strakosch for sparing
Adelina avoidable labor were probably unique. They would
naturally be out of the question under the conditions imposed
by modern opera. As it was, they did not please Costa, who
was a martinet in the enforcement of musical discipline,
though he had to give way where the diva was concerned.
Happily, no other prima donna thought of asking for the same
privilege. Thus it never came to be regarded as a precedent ;
and, indeed, a substitute at rehearsal is in most cases a wholly
unreliable guide to the intentions of the principal, and is con-
sequently a hindrance rather than a help to the smooth work-
ing of the ensemble.

Nothing was allowed to interfere with the clockwork reg-
ularity of Mile. Patti's domestic existence generally and of
her precious morning occupations in particular. It was in
the forenoon that she really worked ; and, no matter what roles
she might have to prepare, she always began practice with
her scales, trills, cadenzas, or other technical exercises.
Neither then nor later in life would she allow a day to pass
without practice, if she could help it. As at Clapham in
the sixties, as at Craig-y-Nos Castle in the nineties (and for
the latter the writer can personally vouch), she thought it
absolutely incumbent upon her to sing her scales every
morning.



THE REIGN OP PATTi 127

Only on the clays when site was to appear at the opera
did she restrict her vocal study to twenty minutes or half-an-
hour. Then visitors were not received, and in the afternoon
she would rest. After a light meal at about five o'clock, she
drove to Covent Garden, and ate no more until she returned
home after the performance. On other days she went out
walking or driving, as the weather permitted, and received
her friends at tea-time. When they came to dinner there was
sometimes music afterward, but as a rule she was in bed by
a tolerably early hour. The Pattis went out very little.
They had only a few intimate friends. Plenty of people
sought to make their acquaintance, but the male guardians
of the establishment were extremely particular, especially as
to the young men whom they granted the privilege of calling.

It will be readily imagined that the maiden was not left
a great deal to herself. On the contrary, she was watched
over with unceasing vigilance. She had for some time had
a tireless chaperon, Fraulein Louise Lauw, a Hamburg
lady of good education and fairly amiable disposition, who,
however, was only two years older than herself. Fraulein
Lauw appears to have completely won her affection and confi-
dence; for, while doing her duty as a watchful companion,
she was clever enough not to hold the reins too tight, but
acted in all matters as a sympathetic friend of the budding
Adelina. 1

ilt was also at Pierrepoint House (in 1865) that Karolyn Baumeis-
ter entered her service. "Karo," as lier mistress affectionately called
her, was her faithful companion and friend for five-and- thirty years, dur-
ing the latter half of which period she was a very important member
of the household at Craig-y-Nos Castle. Whenever and wherever Mme.
Patti travelled, on all her American, Continental, and provincial tours,
her frequent visits abroad, Karo was always with her. No one knew
her ways or could look after her so well; no one else might arrange
her costumes or her jewels or get them ready for the theatre, though
Patro, her devoted negro servant, was the trusted maid who helped her
to put them on. Karo was profoundly attached to her, and regarded



128 THE BEIGN OP PATTI

If we were to deduct a liberal discount for exaggeration,
there is no reason wliy Fraulein Lauw should not be accepted
as a tolerably credible witness concerning this period. Her
evidence is, however, of too trivial a kind to be worthy of
quotation. It is contained in a book entitled " Fourteen Years
with Madame Patti," published in Vienna in 1863, which she
wrote when living in the family of Jules Fisehof , the Austrian
banker, whose wife was a sister of our friend Maurice Stra-
kosch. One English reviewer described it at the time as
"full of small talk and gossip, and commendably free from
scandal." Why not? There was no spark of scandal to
kindle a fire with. The gossip may advantageously be ignored.

A single episode alone do we cull from the pages of this
volume. It tells the story of Adelina's first sweetheart a
young Milanese of picturesque aspect and engaging manners.
She met him one night at dinner at the house of a venerable
Italian friend, to whom she was so attached that she always
called him "dear papa." It is F'raulein Lauw who speaks:

I had to promise her to seize the first opportunity to get ac-
quainted with this "interesting young man/ 7 since she wanted to
learn what impression this vision from a more ideal world would
make on me. The opportunity came soon in a dancing party given
by our "papa." We had hardly reached the house before the young
man was at Adelina's side, and I was introduced to him by her.
Before I had found time to form an opinion of him AdeHna stormed
me with questions how he pleased me. To her great satisfaction I
could agree with her that he was a handsome man, of a very engag-
ing disposition. But Papa Patti, too, seemed to have taken a par-
ticular fancy to the young Milanese, by occupation a merchant,
for he invited him to his house, a favour which but few could boast,

herself as the shield that protected the diva from the outside world.
She also prided herself and not perhaps without good reason upon
being able to distinguish the real friends from the flatterers. She was
pensioned off some years ago, and still lives in the neighborhood of Ken-
sington.




o




THE REIGN OF PATTI 129

and of which the young man made the most generous use. A frosty
Northerner would not have hesitated long over a wooing; it is there-
fore easily comprehensible that the fiery young Italian did not de-
bate the matter long, but asked for the hand of Adelina,

Papa Patti gave his consent, but on condition that the marriage
should not take place till several years had' passed The condition
was not agreeable to the young couple, especially not to the young
bridegroom. He would have preferred to marry Adelina at once.
He therefore wanted Adelina to renounce the stage and live only
for him. Papa Patti entered a most negative protest. The be-
trothed lovers, therefore, had to accept the unbending decision of
the father, and put up for the time being with the privilege of
meeting each other twice a week in the house of the "papa" and
there cooing to their hearts' delight.

Adelina continued her career of triumph; but, while the public
performed almost; impossible things in its enthusiasm, Adelina's
betrothed sat in his chair as if on coals. His eyes flashed flames
and daggers in all directions, and whenever he saw the face of a
notorious Patti admirer in a box, flushed with enthusiasm, he would
have gladly murdered its owner offhand if the bon-ton had but
given him half permission. But.it was not the public alone whose
enthusiasm enraged the young Othello. The lava of his jealousy
poured also over the artists who supported her. When old Kon-
coni, who, as a compliment, had assumed the role of Masetto in "Don
Giovanni," and who wanted to hear nothing of love either on the
stage or in real life, placed his arm around Zerlina's waist, the
would-be bridegroom was driven almost into a frenzy. But when,
the great Mario, as Romeo, kissed his Juliet, it seemed as if the
jealous one hunted in his pockets for a bomb with which to destroy
his supposed rival.

More and more consumed by jealousy, the young man declared
to Adelina's father that he would wait no longer, and must in-
stantly marry his love. The two men quarrelled, and the result was
that Signer M. seized his hat in a rage and rushed from 'the house
never to return. Adelina was beside herself and wept bitterly when
she heard of the rapid conclusion of her love idyL Her feminine
pride was deeply pained that the man whom she had made happy



130 THE REIGN OF PATTI

by the bestowal of her love should renounce her. She began to
doubt the sincerity of his love, and his name nevermore passed her
lips.

TMs little romance rather suffers in the telling from the
heaviness of the Hamburg touch. No doubt Fraulein Lauw
felt the need for plenty of color in the relation of her " small
talk/' It did not require a great deal, however, to prove that
Adelina's jealous first sweetheart was a very stupid young
man, and that she was well rid of him at the cost of a few
tears. The point of the story that most interests us is its
indication that Mile. Patti at this particular age was not
altogether the calm, frigid person, devoid of heart and inno-
cent of passion, that she has sometimes been depicted.

* ' She has never really been in love, ' 9 was often said of Patti
when it was thought that there was not enough tragic inten-
sity in her acting. That may have been true in some meas-
ure down to the^time when she discovered the real nature of
her feelings for Ernest Nicolini, her second husband. Yet,
even without Fraulein Lauw's trivial gossip, there is reason
to believe that, during the five or six years that preceded her
marriage with the Marquis de Caux, she more than once fell
in and out of love.

Naturally, her opportunities for indulging in flirtations
were not to be compared with those of most girls of her age ;
but she was far too sensible, too cognizant of the serious
claims of her art, in a word, as the French say, too sage,
to give real encouragement to any of the admirers who pes-
tered her with their attentions. Hence, perhaps, one amusing
incident at this period that came as a great surprise, and
that was in the nature of a revanche for feelings wounded by
indifference and repulse.

One fine May morning in 1863 the tranquillity of this happy



THE REIGN OF PATTI 131

home was suddenly disturbed by the delivery of a document
bearing the stamp of the Court of Chancery and addressed
to Mile. Adelina PattL At first glance it looked innocent
enough. Was it a writ, or subpoena, or some other harmless
if perturbing instrument! Evidently, on closer inspection,
it was found to embody an extraordinary puzzle. For the
suit wherein she was called upon to testify was described in
large letters as "Patti v. Patti," the plaintiff being the diva
herself; while the defendant was no other than her own fa-
ther, with whom was associated Maurice Strakosch. Similar
papers were served upon those gentlemen at the same time
and place, requiring them immediately to file an answer to
certain charges that had been brought against them by the
plaintiff.

By the plaintiff How could that be ? She knew no more
about the affair than did her unoffending relations. What
could it all mean ? Again the family scanned the blue doc-
ument ; and in so doing they discovered something else, which
only helped to enhance the mystery. They saw it stated that
the plaintiff in the case was acting through an individual
whom the law described as "her next friend." His name?
They had never heard it before. It was James Ivor
Macdonald. Whoever he might be, he was evidently the per-
son who was "moving" the court. The first thing to do,
therefore, must be to go to a lawyer and find out something
about Mr. Macdonald.

Maurice Strakoseh was far more upset than his plucky
little sister-in-law. 1 Being accustomed to shield her from all
annoyance, and even, as we have seen, to act as her substitute
at the theatre, he endeavored to "accept service" of the
subpoena as well as the writ. But this was not permitted.
Nor did it much matter, seeing that there was obviously no

i It is, nevertheless, a fact that he makes no mention whatever of
the whole affair in his "Souvenirs d'un Impresario."



132 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

possibility of concealing the affair from the "plaintiff" her-
self. Besides, and tMs worst of all, the whole story was
published in that morning's papers. The wretched farce, or
tragedy, or whatever it might be, had been made public,
and was by now doubtless being eagerly discussed all over
London. Consequently, Maurice Strakosch made a bee-line
for his lawyer's office, and there learned that the matter was
not altogether a practical joke.

It is time, perhaps, to disclose the nature of the charge
upon which the "plaintiff" in this precious suit sought to
obtain the protection of the Court of Chancery. It alleged,
briefly, that the "said defendants had treated the plaintiff
with cruelty, interfered with her liberty, appropriated her
jewelry, and kept her short of money." Moreover, as the
court had required corroboration, such evidence had been
supplied in three minutely worded and highly colored affi-
davits confirming everything set forth by the pseudo-plaintiff
and her "next friend."

But who was this next friend, this James Ivor Macdonald,
who had taken it upon himself to invoke the aid of the law
on the little lady's behalf? P'ositively no one at Clapham
had ever heard of the person. The question was repeatedly
asked, not only in the Patti household, but in the various
social circles whence the merits of this surprising and wholly
unexpected cause ceUbre were being canvassed. The solution
that occurred to most people was that "Mr. James Ivor Mac-
donald" had sought to create trouble, and to associate him-
self, for the sake of advertisement, with an action which, if
known as "Patti v. Patti," would at least create a nine-days'
wonder and provide the newspapers with unlimited material
for sensational copy. "

These things it assuredly did. The papers were full of
it ; and, to give the case still greater prominence, matters were
so arranged that the hearing should be fixed for a date early



THE REIGN OF PATTI 133

in June, just when the diva would be in the midst of her
triumphal appearances at Co vent Garden. Altogether it was
a curious business, very cleverly and cunningly planned.

However, the clue to the mystery was soon discovered by
the legal adviser and the chief parties concerned. He quickly
unveiled the identity not, indeed, of Mr. James Ivor Mac-
donald, but of one of the authors of his supporting affidavits,
to wit, a gentleman known as the Baron de V. 1 This young
man, it appeared, had some time before fallen violently in
love with Mile. Patti and sought the honor of her hand. His
suit was rejected. Moreover, it was found necessary, for
various reasons, to forbid him the house or to approach the
young lady further in his endeavor to win her affections.

Like Halvolio, the Baron de V. had sworn to be revenged ;
and the method he adopted for that purpose was a singularly
mean one. Having no personal quarrel with Adelina, he
bethought him how he could best annoy her guardians, who
had, so to speak, " warned him off." He therefore hit upon
the plan that, as we have* seen, constituted them defendants
in a Chancery action, with Mile. Patti herself fictitiously put
forward as plaintiff by a dummy "next friend" in the person
of an obscure Scotchman probably some obliging and un-
scrupulous lawyer's clerk.

Thanks to the blindness (or stupidity) of the Chancery
officials, the trick succeeded perfectly. The affidavits were
assumed to be truthful, and the case had perforce to come to
a hearing. The press was naturally anxious to accord it all
possible publicity, thereby playing still more effectively into
the hands of the conspirators.

The Court of Chancery, however, decided that, as the plain-
tiff was under age, the case should be heard m camera, which
meant that reports of the proceedings could not be published.
Not in Great Britain, perhaps but why not abroad! So

i It is not worth while, after so many years, to give the name in full.



134 THE REIGN OF PATTI

thought the "wicked Baron," and he accordingly took pains
to have a garbled account of the affair circulated among the
French journals. Portions of this were eventually quoted
regardless of the risk of "contempt of court" in certain
English papers.

On the whole, the press took sides with the idol of the public
and refused to believe in the genuineness of the proceedings.
Still, one or two could not resist treating the affair in a
jocular spirit. On June 1, just before the case came on for
hearing, a paper called the Morning Star (long since defunct)
printed a lengthy editorial, in course of which it remarked :

The public will sympathise with the young divinity of song in
thus making her first appearance in the Court of Chancery, a suitor
in her own despite, losing a suitor under much the same circum-
stances; and proving that the only compulsion she has been suffer-
ing under has been that of demanding the protection of the court
when she did not need it. It is one of the penalties of greatness
to have over-zealous friends, and we cateh something of the power
of the magie that the young enchantress exercises over her hearers
when an utter stranger is thus found undertaking all the costs of a
Chancery suit to bring his name in apposition with hers before a
curious public.

Thirst for notoriety was apparently the worst motive that
this editor could assign as the Baron's reason for dragging
the private affairs of a popular singer before a court of law.
The learned Vice-Chancellor was even more credulous. He
took it all seriously, and apparently looked forward with gusto
to inquiring into the charges of cruelty, etc. in camera!

But two days later the Morning Star wound up a second
article with this sentence :

The nine days' wonder has collapsed, and henceforward we hope
the tatlers mil leave Mile. Patti in the undisturbed enjoyment of
that domestic happiness which, everybody will be pleased to learn,



THE REIGN OF PATTI 135

sweetens her life and solaces the cares and toils of her professional
career.

What had happened was this. The Court of Chancery, hav-
ing been fooled to the top of its bent, was quietly allowed to go
on and open its sitting in camera for the hearing of the suit.
Mile. Patti's counsel then rose and put in, on her behalf, an
affidavit which ran as follows:

PATTI v. PATTI.

In re Adelina Patti, of 22 High Street, Clapham, an infant under
the age of twenty-one years, by James Ivor Macdonald, her
next friend,

and
Salvatore Patti and Maurice Strakosch.

I have heard read carefully the Bill of Complaint and the affi-
davit of H. de L., Baron de V., and others, filed in support of it,
and I say that, although my name is used as >the plaintiff in this suit,
it has been done entirely without my sanction and even without
my knowledge. . . . There is not one word of truth in any of the
allegations against my said brother-in-law or against my said father
in any of the affidavits filed in this cause. I wholly deny that I am
or ever was treated with cruelty by them, or that my liberty is or
ever was controlled, or that I am or ever was kept short of money,
or that my jewellery or any part of it has been appropriated by them.
... It is, however, true that the defendant, my father, takes care
of the bulk of my earnings as an operatic singer for me, and I say
I have the most entire confidence in and the greatest love for my
dear father, and also for the defendant the said Maurice Strakosch,
both of whom have .always treated me with the most affectionate
kindness.

(Signed) ADELINA PATTI.

History does not relate whether the Court looked more



136 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

foolish or more learned than ever after the foregoing- state-
ment had been read. Anyhow, the Vice-Chancellor, convinced
at last that there was not a vestige of truth in the whole story,
immediately ordered the suit to be u removed from the file,"
and there accordingly it ended.

But what of the plotters ? In these days a watchful Direc-
tor of Public Prosecutions would have taken care to have
the whole lot tried and sent to prison for conspiracy and
perjury. As it was, nothing was done, and they were allowed
to get off scot-free. The Baron's revenge cost him something
out of pocket ; but he managed in some degree to accomplish
his mean, ungentlemanly object.

The hard work of the preceding winter and spring had been
fraught with valuable experience. This, coupled with much
careful study, must be held accountable for the marked
advance that was discovered in the art of Adelina Patti on
her reappearance at Covent Garden in May, 1863. The critics
had full opportunity for comparisons, since she once more
made her rentree as Amina. They were delighted to find in
the familiar impersonation fresh resources and new points of
excellence.

They thought the wonderful golden voice had continued
to acquire volume and richness. They looked in vain for
certain faults of style which the more hypercritical among
them had previously indicated with the same satisfaction,
no doubt, that the astronomer announces the spots on the sun.
Yes, they "thought her style had improved/' and Chorley
was notably keen in his appreciation of the advance that had
taken place since the season before. He even began to admire
her Zerlina, though he always insisted that her dress was
more French than Spanish. 1

i On her first -appearance in "Don Giovanni" he had said, "Wherefore
Zerlina chose to appear in a Parisian ball-dress is among th@ riddles of



THE REIGN OF PATTI 137

On the great question of good taste and appropriateness In
her vocal embellishment s, expert opinion had by now under-
gone an entire change, at any rate in Great Britain. Rossini
had not quite made up his mind on the subject; he would
admire one day and be sarcastic the next.

While Patti was in Paris, Berlioz remarked in Ms feuilleton :
"Kossini seems delighted to hear of changes, embroideries,
and the thousand abominations which singers introduce into
Ms airs." On the other hand, Eossini said: "My music is
not yet made; people work at it, but it will only be on the
day when nothing is left of me that it will have reached its
real value."

Then, strangely enough, Chorley took up the cudgels on
behalf of tradition and the "little lady," and replied as
follows: "The bitterness of this sarcasm is only equalled by
the sheer nonsense of it. Signor Eossini has notoriously said
to hundreds of singers that, in his songs of parade, he merely
sketched certain embroideries for which others might be sub-
stituted. . . . The solid features of his operas are indestruc-
tible, and, as such, not to be reconstructed at the call of any
singer's caprice. As for their garlands and decorations, ill
humor is wasted in the employment of diatribes against them.
The great and the real remain."

The same writer led the chorus of praise that greeted Mile.
Patti 7 s first appearance (at Covent Garden) on May 28 in
the character of Leonora in "II Trovatore." 1 He wrote:
"Patti the other evening surprised her greatest admirers by
dramatic power hitherto unsuspected, put forth by her in
6 II Trovatore. 7 "

Said the Musical World: "Mile. Patti played Leonora in

costume" (Athen&um}, To judge by photographs taken at the time,
the riddle was purely of his own manufacture. But it was not un-
worthy of the pen that makes Siebel say in "Faust," "While to her in
the air I bended my knee."
i See -Appendix P.



138 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

the 'Trovatore' for the first time, but not for the last time,
we feel assured. "We have heard a great deal too much of the
4 Trovatore ' ; but Mile. Patti imparts a new charm to Leonora,
and sings the music with wonderful brilliancy. She is, in
short, the most intellectual and poetical Leonora we have ever
seen on any stage. Her acting with Signor Mario in the last
two scenes was worthy of Rachel. 7 '

Nevertheless, the part was deemed rather heavy for her,
and only two repetitions were vouchsafed. Mr. Gye also
wisely determined to give "La Sonnambula" a rest. It was
not performed again after the opening night, and "Don
Giovanni" and "II Barbiere" mainly shared the Patti nights
with Verdi's hackneyed work until some lighter operas could
be got ready. The first of these, Rossini's "La Gazza Ladra"
(given on June 6), won a huge success. The new Ninetta
was freely compared with Grisi in her best days. Chorley
wrote: "Her Ninetta is, we think, by much the best of her
serious characters. Her phrasing of it is larger than formerly ;
her power of voice is sufficient; the pathos of the part is
tenderly felt by her ; her ornamental passages retain little or
nothing of the staccato manner which we feared might grow
into a mannerism. We were pleased with it throughout."

In three other characters new to her London repertoire
did Mile. Patti appear during the last month of this busy
season, viz: Norina in "Don Pasquale (July 9), Adina in
"L'Elisir d'Amore" (July 21), and Marie in "La Figlia del
Reggimento" (July 28). It would be difficult to say in which
of these Donizetti operas she charmed her public most. The
critics bestowed superlatives upon each. They especially wel-
comed her restoration of the original finale to "Don Pasquale"
("La moral 7 di tutto questo")> which she sang in the most
piquant and captivating manner, the ornaments being no less
in good taste than brilliant and effective. ' ' a

* Musical World.



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 139

The writer, on the Morning Star expressed his admiration In
this flowery fashion: "In the cajolery of her coquetry, the
effusion of her genuine tenderness, and the snappiness of her
termagancy, she is equally irresistible in her fascination, and
such a Norina was probably never dreamed of by Donizetti
even in Ms most sanguine visions. The finale was sung with
all her familiar birdlike brilliance and incomparable com-
bination of sparkling radiance and perfect grace.''

Of "L'Elisir d'Amore" Davison declared in the Times:
"No performance during the whole season has been more
keenly relished. . . . Patti's is the best Adina, we can remem-
ber." The critic of the Musical World confirmed this by
saying: "It is, in fact, the best we have seen by a great deal
on the English boards."

Finally came another triumphant success in "La Figlia
del Reggimento." Despite memories, then green, of the
exquisite Henrietta Sontag, who had been heard as Marie
only a dozen years before, the general opinion was that Patti's
impersonation was even more entrancing certainly that noth-
ing approaching it in all-round fascination had been wit-
nessed at Covent Garden. Of the notices the following (from
the Morning Star again) is quite a fair sample:

This incomparable artist sang Marie for the first time in England,
and for the first time exhibited to the English public the veritable
personality of the piquant, graceful, and warm-hearted mvandiere.
The simple truth is that Mile. Patti is not merely a singer who can
ac t ? s he is heart and soul an actress. Her perception of character
is marvellously keen and truthful; she seems to grasp instinctively
the entire individuality, taking equal heed of its natural tempera-
ment and of the influence which has been exerted upon it by ex-
traneous agencies, and her ideal is wrought out with matchless de-
lineative power. . . . Her singing was throughout unsurpassable,
sparkling with voeal brilliancy and dramatic expression. Altogether
it was an incomparably perfect representation of Donizetti's heroine.



140 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

Thus wore on to its close the season of 1863. It had been
brilliant from the outset and rendered additionally so by the
State performance given on April 28 in honor of the marriage
of the Prince and Princess of Wales. As we have seen, Mile.
Patti appeared in four new parts. She was promised in a
fifth, namely, Zerlina in "Fra Diavolo," but did not then
(or subsequently) essay it at this house. On July 18 the ac-
complished Pauline Lucca had made her debut in England as
Valentino, in "Les Huguenots/' and she unquestionably the
ideal Zerlina of Auber's opera practically monopolized the
role to the end of her Covent Garden career.

Here is Mile. Patti ? s record for the season of 1863 :

"II Barbiere di Siviglia" .... 7

"Don Giovanni" ....... 6

"II Trovatore" ....... 3

"La Grazm Ladra" 3

"Martha" 3

"Don Pasquale" 3

"l/Elisir d'Amore" 2

"La Flglia del Reg'gimento" ... 2

"La Sonnambula" 1

Total 30 representations.

This was the year, too, in "which Gounod's "Faust" was
first produced in London, Mr. Mapleson leading the way at
Her Majesty ? s with such extraordinary success that Mr. Gye
followed suit with all possible speed at Covent Garden. At
both houses it attracted enormous audiences till the end of
the season. The cast at the Royal Italian Opera included the
original Marguerite, Mme. Miolan-Carvalho, with Tamberlik
as Faust, Faure as MephistopJieles, and Graziani as Valentin.
Not until the following year, however, was Patti to set all the
town talking of her admirable Gretchen.



CHAPTER XI

The Two Sisters Carlotta Patti's Strange Career Cause and Effects
of Her Lameness A Brilliant Concert Vocalist Debut in London
(1863) Mr. Gye's Unsuccessful Experiment Futile Comparisons ;
The Diva's Increasing Fees and Continental Triumphs Essays Mar-
guerite in Germany and Paris; then (1864) at Covent Garden The
Garden Scene in "Faust" Exit Pauline Lucca; enter Adelina Patti
The Two Gretchens and the Critics Revival of "Linda" State Con-
certs Patti's Conductors

YET another interesting family incident belongs to the
busy season of 1863 ; namely, the first visit to England
of Garlotta Patti, the second of Adelina 7 s two elder sisters.
They had not met since the "baby" left New York in the au-
tumn of 1860 and achieved her phenomenal rise to the highest
pinnacle of European fame. During that interval Carlotta
Patti had surprised her American friends by herself starting
upon the career of a vocalist. So far, it had proved, as we
shall see, successful enough to warrant her not fearing to meas-
ure swords upon the concert platform, at least with her
gifted younger sister. Their artistic lines ran parallel, how-
ever, for a relatively brief space of time ; and, to be absolutely
just, it would have been far better for Carlotta, clever singer
though she was, had they not been brought into close juxtapo-
sition. 1

How the reunion came about we shall relate. But first let
us deal with the unpleasant matter of Carlotta 's lameness,
which had been perceptible enough to prevent her from turn-
ing her talent to the operatic stage. There was apparently
some mystery as to the cause of this affliction. At any rate,

i See Appendix Q.

141



142 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

%

If the family knew all about it, the world did not; and
common gossip, ever ready to scent a scandal in a mystery,
went so far as to hint with much positiveness that the person
primarily responsible for Carlotta's slight " claudification,"
as Manriee Strakosch termed it, was no other than her little
sister Adelina.

A more untruthful or preposterous suggestion never eame
under the category that Don Basilio describes so graphically
in his famous song "La Calunnia." Equally unfounded was
the more general belief that the lameness of Carlotta Patti
had been occasioned by a fall. It actually came about during
childhood through a gradual " shortening" of the leg, for
which unkind fate alone could be held responsible. 1

No doubt Adelina 's phenomenal success had a great deal to
do with her sister 's abandonment of the pianoforte (which,
it will be remembered, she had studied under the virtuoso
and piano-maker, Henri Hera) in favor of a vocal career.
When, as a girl, she was teaching Adelina to play, Carlotta ? s
voice had attracted no particular attention. It seems to have
developed at a later period than usual. Certainly it was not
until the youngest girl was well launched that the Patti-
Barili family began to perceive the possibility of her repeating
or at least profitably imitating Adelina 's achievements.

Carlotta had not long returned home from South America,
where she had. been nursing her step-sister Clotilda through

i Apart from the evidence of Maurice Strakosch ("Souvenirs d'un Im-
presario," p. 121), there was that of Dr. Ceccarini, a well-known New
York surgeon, who invented an apparatus which so far helped the artist
to disguise her limp that she ventured to appear in opera in that city.
According to the "New York Musical Review (September, 1862), "Miss
Carlotta Patti was expected to move with the same apparent ease and
precision as if she had never been lame." But this hope was not ful-
filled. She was only too conscious that she still limped ; and, although
she appeared in three or four operas (incidentally aiding thereby to
extricate a needy impresario from his financial troubles), the experi-
ment did not result in a success, nor was it ever repeated.



THE REIGX OF PATTI 143

a long and fatal illness. With her came that sister's husband.
Signer Scola, a vocal teacher and a musician of some ability. 1
He it was who now undertook Carlotta's vocal training;
and, aided by her musical knowledge, she made such rapid
progress that by the end of a year she was thought ready to
appear in public. She made her debut, accordingly, at a
concert given in New York in January, 1861, just fourteen
months after Adelina's memorable advent in opera in the
same city.

Her reception was favorable, and such was the magic
now attaching to the name of Patti that Carlotta's reputation
quickly spread all over the United States. 2 But she was still
far from the finished vocalist that her younger sister had
been long before her age. She was not yet even the artist
that London heard and enjoyed two years later. Like her
elder sister Amalia for that matter, like Jenny Lind too, in
her time she found it hard to master the shake. Five months
after her debut she was still, apparently, struggling with this
difficulty. She then gave a concert, assisted by Amalia (Mme.
Maurice Strakosch), the tenor Brignoli, and her step-brother,
Bttore Barili, which elicited some highly characteristic re-
marks in the local musical paper. 3

With increasing fame and experience, however, Carlotta
grew likewise in artistic stature. London began to hear of

1 Signor Scola's name used to be included occasionally among the list
of claimants to the honor of having "taught" Adelina Patti. As a
matter of fact, he never gave her a lesson in his life.

2 See Appendix R, Letter from Louis Moreau Gottsehalk.

s The New York Musical Review, June, 1861. The notice began thus:
"The concert given by Miss Carlotta Patti was also very successful, as
the papers say. There was also a good deal of singing by Mme. Stra-
kosch and Messrs. Brignoli and Barili, done in the usual style, which
is not always to our taste. Miss Patti sang well better than we have
heard a good many renowned singers do it [stc] but what she cannot
do as yet is trilling. The trill in the 'Bolero* of the * Sicilian Vespers'
presented some curious and vacillating outlines, which might be called
shaky, but which were by no means those of a regular artistic trill."



144 THE HEIGN OF PATTI

her brilliant successes In the concert-room, though probably
nothing about her ineffectual invasion of the operatic domain.
Ultimately, thanks to the diplomatic intervention of Maurice
Strakoscli (baeked up by sister Adelina), these same reports
reached the remote and exalted atmosphere of Mr. Frederick
Gye's sanctum sanctorum at Covent Garden. Then an idea
occurred to the former manager of Alfred Mellon 's Promenade
Concerts. If only on the strength of the name of Patti, might
it not be an excellent business proposition to bring over
CarlottaJ

The scheme was duly arranged, and, early in 1863, Mr.
Gye entered into an engagement with Carlotta Patti for one
year from the month of April. His plan was something of a
novelty. It was to put the new-coiner into the Royal Italian
Opera bill twice a week, as the star of a kind of concert that
was to follow the shorter operas of the repertoire, chiefly, if
not exclusively, on the nights when Adelina was not singing.

From an artistic point of view, the idea had absolutely
nothing to recommend it. The chances were that, if the
singer made a hit, the additional attraction might augment
the receipts. It was a purely commonplace, commercial spec-
ulation, and was regarded as such by the critics, who did not
like the innovation well enough to remain for more than the
first concert " or two. Davison barely mentioned the new
feature; while in his final review of the season he wrote in
the Times: "Carlotta's appearances do not properly enter
into a record of the operatic season, being wholly distinct
from the bona-fide operatic representations."

Adelina was still in Vienna when her sister made her debut
at Covent Garden on April 16 in this " go-as-you-please"
entertainment. Her selection comprised the following arias :
4 * Gli angui d 'inferno" (" Magic Flute") "0 luce" ("Linda
di Chamouni"), the inevitable "Echo Song" by Eckert, and



THE REIGX OP PATTI 145

the duet from "L'Elisir d'Amore,' ? sung with Grazlani of the
4 i noble" and also "'velvety" voice. In her rendering of
these pieces Garlotta showed herself not unworthy of her
American reputation, nor of the honors that had been pro-
fusely heaped upon her by admiring friends at a banquet
given in New York the night before she sailed.

She had by now, indeed ? become a highly accomplished
vocalist. Her voice sounded rather heavier and (in the more
acute notes) more penetrating than Adelina's; but it never
had the same peerless beauty of tone, the same wonderfully
suave texture, the same sympathetic quality, the same capacity
for expressing and arousing every shade of emotion. This I
was able to observe for myself ten years later, when I heard
Carlotta Patti for the first time.

Nevertheless, Carlotta 5 s was a fine organ. It was extremely
flexible, and its phenomenal compass extended easily to the
G and even G sharp in alt. The musical ring of the high F
was quite remarkable; it was effectively exhibited in the
Mozart aria, whereof one contemporary writer observed : i i The
staccato passages we have never heard surpassed in clearness,
crispness, and purity of intonation/'

But nothing short of a miracle could have made these ill-
arranged performances successful. The public manifested
no overwhelming desire to listen to Carlotta Patti. The late
concerts at the Opera did not draw. By the end of the season
it was wisely resolved that the two sisters should no longer
appear under the same roof. Carlotta, however, stayed on
at Covent Garden in the autumn to fulfil an engagement at
Mellon 's Promenade Concerts. There she was in her true
element. Her execution of the most difficult and showy feux-
d y artifice won her great popularity, and, on the termination
of her year's contract with Mr. Gye, she began touring on her
own account.

Altogether her career as a singer extended over about seven-



146 THE REIGN OF PATTI

teen years. Her talent certainly found admirers in every part
of the globe. She was essentially a virtuose, not an inter-
preter of the dramatic, either MI musical expression or char-
acter.

Herein, perhaps, lay the principal difference between the
gifts of the two sisters. Adeiina 's revealed at all points the
unerring instinct and convincing temperament of genius.
Carlotta never possessed the magnetic quality of her younger
sister least of all that uncommon attribute which the
Italians associate with the art of the improvisatore, and which
enabled Adeiina so to conceal her method that all she did
seemed like the spontaneous outpouring, the rushing torrent of
her individual feeling.

Yet, strangely enough, there was a time when each sister
commanded her own set of partizans, ready to champion the
claims of either to public admiration. Such controversies
like those of the Handel-Buononcini or Gluek-Pieeini order
are, generally speaking, too charged with prejudice, too trivial,
for posterity to need to analyze or speculate over them. There
could never have been any real question concerning the
respective merits of Carlotta and Adeiina Patti.

The former was married in 1879 to the well-known Belgian
violoncellist, the Chevalier Ernest de Munck, who resided
and taught for some years in London, On her retirement
from the concert platform, she settled down in Paris as a
vocal teacher, and died there in 1889.

During the autumn of 1863 Adeiina Patti, after a brief
holiday in Switzerland, fulfilled brilliant engagements in
Germany, France, and Spain. The newspapers, having al-
most exhausted their vocabulary of superlatives, now began
to criticize the high fees demanded and paid for her services.
Again it was Chorley who, with much common sense, came
to the rescue. Thus we read in the Athen&um :



BEIGN OP PATTI 141

Mile. Adelina Patti is playing and singing her way through Ger-
many along paths strewn with gold. Some of our contemporaries
profess themselves to be outraged at the sums this young lady re-
ceives. She is engaged to M. Bagier for Paris and Madrid, they tel
uSj at 120 for each performance. 1 Let us remind them that they
have chosen to present her to the public as a first-class singer the
equal of Malibran, Grisi, and Persian!, having an added charm of
her own that of youth. Setting aside the known fact that first-
class singers are becoming rarer and rarer every day, Mile. Patti
is not paid more than Malibran not so much as Mile. Land but a
little in excess of La Bastardella, who, in Burney's time, when he
was managing the concerts at the Pantlieon (circa 1780), received
100 guineas nightly for two songs. "False gods are made by fanat-
ics/' says the poet; but the fanatics do ill to cry out against the
worship of the idols which "themselves have made."

The diva had barely started her German engagement (late
in August) when she was summoned to Frankfort to take
part in a gala performance given at the Stadt Theater in honor
of the Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria. She appeared in
"H Barbiere," and it was rumored that her cachet on this
occasion rose to 10,000 francs (400) probably double the
sum actually exacted by her impresario, Merelli, of Dutch
Cabinet Council fame.

Still, it was an unusually splendid affair. The general
public was excluded, the opera house being filled with a
crowd of officers in gala uniform and ladies resplendent with
jewels. The Emperor led the applause, and encored a waltz
song introduced by the ravishing Rosina in the Lesson Scene.
The performance went off with great success, but there was
some fuss on the stage afterwards, when it was discovered
that in the chorus there had been an Englishman who had paid
one of the choristers a heavy bribe to allow him to take his
place.

iBagier's arrangement with Patti was for six weeks in Madrid and
six weeks in Paris at the Th6atre-Italien.



148 THE REIGN OP PATTI

It was In course of this tour through. Germany that Adelina
PattI essayed for the first time the part of Marguerite in
Gounod's " Faust. " The opera., originally produced in Paris
in March, 1859, already enjoyed a considerable vogue beyond
the Rhine. Mile. Patti had only been looking ahead when
she decided to be ready with a part that she had fallen in
love with in Paris the previous winter. She studied it, of
course, in Italian, that being then her only operatic language.
The supporting company sang in German; but that made no
difference whatever to an eager and enthusiastic public, intent
solely on listening to the new opera and the new " guest."

The first performance of "Faust" with Patti as Gretchen
took pkce at Hamburg in October, 1863, and, according to
the correspondent of the Musical World (who favored London
with a brief account of an event which then interested our
metropolis but mildly) : "Her success as Marguerite was un-
precedented. " She subsequently repeated it in several other
German cities, appearing at the same time with Merelli's
company in "II Barbiere" and with the local opera troupe in
"Dinorah."

Then followed Madrid and Paris. In neither city had she
the slightest intention of singing her new role. Nevertheless
in Paris she made a single appearance, in the third act only,
on some special occasion in April of 1864. The Gazette
Hmicale, in recording the event, observed that, "Like Miolan-
Carvalho, she wore a blonde wig"; but there the resemblance
ended, for she acted with "naive enjoyment and childish
coquetry, in place of being always pensive and dreamy."

The comparison is interesting, in view of the fact that the
"proper" reading of the character, especially in the then
notorious Garden Scene, was very soon to become a burning
question. Mr. Gye had not reengaged Miolan-Carvalho for
the season of 1864. He destined Marguerite for the gifted
but capricious Pauline Lucca, who had made a hit in the




IV /^ m^T'-^mmM ~, lk

, /->>.



MARGUERITE. 1864



THE OF PATTI 149

part In Berlin and Vienna. Meanwhile, in May, Patti had
made her rentree at the Royal Italian Opera in * La Sonnam-
bula," and had broken down ail but the very last prejudice,
triumphed over aE but the final scintilla of adverse criticism
from any quarter whatsoever. Behold Chorley's penultimate
genuflexion in the pages of the Athenceum:

"Mile. Patti has reappeared, unquestionably improved since
last year. Her voice has ripened, and lost almost entirely
that phenomenon (otherwise prematurely aged) tone which
our ears till now have heard in it and which impaired our
pleasure in her ease and agility. Her style has gained some
breadth, her acting some expression. She is now probably
the best Amina on the stage. Yet (of course) she still has to
chasten her taste in ornament. * '

Later came the revival of < Faust" with the new cast the
incomparable Mario in the title-role, the piquant Pauline Lucca
as Marguerite (Margherita she was always called in this
4 * Royal Italian'' version), and Faure as Mephistopheles. The
rare combination proved irresistible, yet pleased the public
better than it did the critics, who took objection to the
coquettish freedom and "comlng-on disposition" of the
Viennese Oretchen. They thought her much too forward in
the Garden Scene, far too " knowing" to captivate so refined
and gentlemanly a Faust as Mario.

Pauline Lucca placed more value on the verdict of .the
press than on the applause of her audience. So likewise, in
this instance, did Mr. Gye, who, while openly sympathizing
with Ms prima donna, was sufficiently alive to the dangers of
the situation (might not the Lord Chamberlain intervene?)
to look around for a possible substitute in case the wilful
Pauline should refuse to mollify the critics -by modifying her
" business."

. She did refuse. What was more, she took umbrage at the
attitude of every one, both inside and outside the opera house,



150 THE REIGN OF PATT1

and declared that there was a conspiracy to injure her
reputation. She declined to remain any longer "in a town
where such things were possible"; and accordingly, early in
the month of June, pleaded ill health and took her departure
for Berlin, leaving her manager In the lurch and, to all ap-
pearance, shaking the dust of London from her shoes for ever.

But another Marguerite was ready at hand ; and who should
she prove to be but Mile. Adelina Patti? Unexpected by the
public, unheralded by the press, as the interpreter of that
mast interesting of new heroines, she stepped into the breach
with a facility that astounded all but her intimate friends,
and achieved in it what a leading critic was pleased to term
the "crowning glory of her brilliant career." *

Now was the movement for comparisons! London had
heard Tietjens in Gounod's opera at Her Majesty's, Miolan-
Carvalho and Pauline Lucca at Covent Garden. What did it
have to say after them of Patti ? Let us quote first the out-
spoken Chorley :

We are as much delighted as surprised by the last of the Mar-
garets. The part is read after the fashion of Mme. Miolan-Carvalho,
but with a difference. It is less dreamy than hers, without the
added amount of spirit and life taking any of those forms which
were so questionable in Mile. Lucca's personation. Whether her
mood was to be timid or pensive, to be touched by vanity (as in
the Garden Scene), to be tender, impassioned, remorseful or insane,
Patti was always refined; there can be no doubt that she satisfied
our public more thoroughly than any of her predecessors. The bal-
lad of the "King of Thule" was given with a "dainty, sweet mel-
ancholy," yet not drawled; the jewel song (encored) with as much
young grace as vocal finish ; and a charming touch, promising great
things for the actress, must be noticed in the perpetual reference of
her eyes to the mirror of the magical box. . . . So, too, in the G-ar-
den Scene (the best love scene in opera of any time), her avowal

i See Appendix S.



THE BEIGN OF PATTI 151

left nothing to be desired. So, again, by the side of her dying
brother, and after, in the Cathedral, her sorrow and passion were
admirable and real, because unforced. Obviously, every note of the
miisiej every word of the text, every change of the situation, had
been thought over and been felt by the artist.

In a similar strain a writer in the Musical Times thus pro-
claimed Ms preference:

The great success during the past month at the Royal Italian
Opera has been the MargJierita of Mile. Patti in Gounod ? s ever-
welcome opera "Faust." So sudden are the "disappearances" at this
establishment that the subscribers can scarcely calculate that the
same cast will be repeated on two successive evenings; it is fortu-
nate, therefore, that Mile. Patti could so perfectly fill the place left
vacant by Mile. Lucca, and indeed present us with even a more per-
fect representation of Goethe's peasant girl than that of her prede-
cessor in the part. In many positions of the opera Mile. Patti
more thoroughly satisfied us, both vocally and histrionically, than
any MargJierita has yet done.

Davison was tremendously pleased. In course of a long
notice in the Tunes he wrote: "Poetical conception and fin-
ished execution were never more happily united. Goethe must
have had the picture of such a Gretchen in Ms mind's eye."

And ? finally 7 the whole achievement was summed up in the
following manner by the critic of the Weekly Despatch :

Her delineation of Margaret has thrown its beholders into a de-
lirium surpassing all they have yet experienced. And really they
have much excuse, for the performance is so wonderful that it is
difficult to describe it without partaking of their excess. . * . It set-
tles pretty effectually the true view of the character. We shall hear
no. more of the absurd "realism" of Mile. Pauline Lueea. She as
little runs into the extreme of coldness, which was the fault of Mme.
Miolan-Garvalho, as into the strange and indefensible levity of
Mile. Lucca. . . . She alone presents the heroine of Goethe and
Gounod in her entirety.



152 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

The curious part of It all is that. In spite of these candid
comparisons, and notwithstanding the fact that Patti, Mario,
and Faure continued to attract overflowing houses in " Faust 7 '
until mid-August, the whole of the disagreeable features
of the episode were immediately forgotten. When Pauline
Lucca went off to Berlin she filled the German newspapers
with Anglophobic diatribes of the most virulent kind, and
declared she would never return to ''that city of fog and
decayed vegetables" herein unkindly alluding, of course,
to the close propinquity existing between London's leading
opera house and Covent Garden Market.

But, in the operatic as in the diplomatic world, it is usually
the unexpected that happens. In both spheres quarrels are
healed as if by magic. Not only did Mile. Lucca return to
Mr. Gye's establishment in 1865, but she actually made her
rentree there in a slightly modified and now wholly acceptable
delineation of Margheritd. Thenceforward for some twenty
years she remained a member of the company, grew quite
fond of the English people, and professed perfect content-
ment with her share of the honors in -whatever opera she
sang.

Meanwhile the winter of 1864r-65 saw Patti earning addi-
tional laurels in Paris, with "Linda di Chamomii" for her
newest and most fascinating opera. The Parisians were par-
ticularly partial to Donizetti (had he not, in 1840, written
for them two of his masterpieces, "La Favorite'' and "La
Fille du Begiment"?), and their delight over the young diva's
impersonation of Linda knew no bounds. So overwhelming
was the demand to hear her that the season had to be pro-
longed into February, despite the fact that all Spain, with
"Faust" and Mario, was impatiently awaiting her advent
at Madrid. In the final week she sang three times first ip.



THE REIGN OF PATTI 153

"II Barbiere," introduciBg in the Lesson Scene a Spanish
anette by Rossini, called "A Grenade"; secondly in a "bene-
fit" programme of scenes from four operas; and lastly in
"Linda/ 5 which drew the largest crowd and the biggest re-
ceipts of the season.

Yet even then she did not go direct to Madrid, having first
to carry out a brief provincial tour in Prance. She was two
nights at Lille, for instance, appearing in the "Barbiere" and
"Lucia"; and there, one reads, "The sensation she created
was so overwhelming that immense crowds followed her from
the theatre to the hotel, where Orpheons and the opera band
serenaded her until far into the night." Not until the fourth
week in March was she able to start upon her engagement in
the Spanish capital, and, late as it was, "Faust" and Mario
still had to wait until the little lady had made her stipulated
reappearance in "La Sonnambula."

Six weeks after this she was back in England for the Royal
Italian Opera season of 1865, uniting the joys of home with
the gratification of ever-increasing esteem and admiration on
the part of her London -critics. Writing of her return (May
13) in "II Barbiere," with Mario as Almaviva and Ronconi
as Figaro, Davison said in the Times:

Happily, though petted, Mile. Patti is by no means spoiled. This
is apparent in the progress she is continually making, " No lyric
comedienne at present on the boards tries harder to perfect herself
to make herself mistress, in short, of all the requirements indis-
pensable to her recognition as an artist of the first class. Nature
has not only bountifully provided her with the physical means, but
also with the rare gift of original genius. She can not on]y master
with incredible ease whatever is set down for her, but invents for
herself.

Again, when she sang in " Linda di Chamouni" for the
ifrst time at Covent Garden (June 6), the same writer de-



154 THE REIGN OF PATTI

elared that her "delineation of the heroine was another fin-
ished picture added to a gallery already richly stored with
gems, in short, an exhibition of the highest art. 7 '

The cast, in addition to Roneoni, Graziani, and Gapponi,
included the tenor Brignoli, who, it will be remembered, had
been the Edgardo of the "Lucia" performance in which the
youthful Adelina made her operatic debut in New -York five
and a half years previously. Things had changed indeed since
then!

On May 23 7 1865, Mile. Patti made her second appearance
at a State Concert at Buckingham Palace, taking part in a
selection from Mendelssohn's music to "A Midsummer Night's
Dream." She sang the air, "Ye spotted snakes/' and in
the finale with eherus. From this time forward she appeared
by Queen Victoria's command at nearly every State Concert
for twenty years in succession. The programmes compiled by
Messrs. Anderson and Cusins each in turn the Queen's
"Master of the Musick" were invariably distinguished by
special features, dear to the music-lovers of those times, where-
in the diva was naturally the central figure. To give them
all would occupy too much space, but it will be convenient to
enumerate here a few of the more notable items with which
the name of Adelina Patti is associated :

1865" (June 21), State Concert: in trio, "Hearts feel that love thee,"
from Mendelssohn's "Athalie," with Parepa and Trebelli.

1866 (June 26), State Concert: in quintet from Mozart's "Flauto
Magieo," with Vilda, Trebelli, Bettini, and Santley; in an air
from Benedict's "Undine' 7 ; and in her own ballad, "On Part-
ing."

1867 (June 18), State Concert: in quintet from Mozart's "Cosi fan
Tutte"; in "Terzetto in Canone" by Costa; and in duet, "SulT
aria," with Pauline Lucca.

1868 (June 19), State Concert: in quartet from Bennett's



THE REIGN OF PATTI 155

of Samaria," with Drasdil, W. H. Cumniings, and Santley;
and in duet, "SulP aria/ 7 with Christine Xilsson.

1869 (June 23), State Concert: ensemble including Patti, Nilsson,
Tietjens, Monbelli, Trebelli, Gardoni, Bettini, and Santley; and
in duet, u Quis est homo/ 7 with Trebelli.

1870 (July 6), State Concert: air with two flutes from u T7Etoile dm
K T ord. J?

1871 (May 15), State Concert: in duet from "La Gazza Ladra,"
with Trebelli; in quintet from "Cos! fan Tutte" with others,
including the tenor Stoekhausen, who also sang "Der Wan-
derer" with orchestral accompaniment by F. Hiller.

1872 (July 4), at Windsor Castle: in duet, "La ci darem," with
Faure; in madrigal from "Romeo," with Victor Capoul; and
"Home, sweet home" by the Queen's request. Also (June 5),
State Concert: in trio from "Dinorah" with Bettini and Gra-
ziani.

1873 (July 10), concert at Buckingham Palace: soprano solo in the
Prince Consort's cantata, "L'Invoeazione alF Armenia"; other
solos by Trebelli, Capoul, and Maurel.

1875 (June 23), State Concert: in trio from "II Matrimonio Se-
greto" with Zare Thalberg and Trebelli; and in madrigal from
"Borneo" with Nieolini.

1876 (June 25), State Concert: in above trio with Christine Nilsson
and Trebelli.

1879 (June 16), State Concert: in solo pieces only.

1880 (June 29), State Concert: in selection from Gounod's "Mi-
reille" with Nieolini; and "Valse des Bluets" from Cohen's
"Estrella."

1882 (June 28), State Concert: in duet from Lenepveu's "Velleda"
with Nieolini; ensemble further including Pauline Lucca, Tre-
belli, Joseph Maas, and Edouard de Reszke.

1886 (June 23), State Concert: in duet from "Semiramide" with
Trebelli.

A word here as to conductors. After Sir Michael Costa left
Covent Garden in 1871, his place was filled, until the close
of the Gye regime, by two admirable orchestral leaders, Vianesi



156 THE REIGN OF PATTI

and Bevignani, who shared between them the duty of directing
the operas in which Mme. Patti appeared. Bevignani was
an exquisite accompanist, and she preferred him for all the
lighter operas, in which his intimate knowledge of her daring
vocal flights, roulades, variations, points-d'orgue, cadenzas
(both studied and improvised) , et hoc genus omne enabled Mm
to maintain perfect unity between the singer and the orchestra.
Vianesi was more at home in grand opera, a clever conductor
of Meyerbeer, of the later Yerdi, and even of early Wagner.
He held the baton at Covent Garden, Paris, Brussels, and New
York in turn, while Bevignani officiated at St. Petersburg and
Moscow. These, then, were the conductors most constantly
associated with the great prima donna during the best part
of her European stage career. Luigi Arditi was to come
later, with the bonanza years in which the American continent
was revisited.




PATTI, MARIO, AND FAURE IN "FAUST"



CHAPTEE XII

Debut at the Handel Festival (1865) Patt! as an Oratorio Singer
Her First "Grand Morning Concert" Her "Home, sweet home** A
Susanna that 2s T ever Materialized First Tour in Italy How Nieolini
Came and Went Covent Garden Seasons from 1866 to 1870 Mario
and Patti in "Romeo" Ten Years' Work in London The Marquis de
Cans A Courtship under Imperial Auspices Marriage at Clapham
Patti and Alboni Sing at Rossini's Funeral Visit to Russia The
Coalition Season of 1869 Verdi's "Giovanna d'Arco"

IN the summer of 1865 Adelina Patti sang- at the Handel
Festival for the first time. The great triennial celebration
held at the Crystal Palace was then at the height of its glory,
and this was perhaps the only imaginable feature that could
have enhanced it. It seems to have done so. Among the jour-
nals that reported the exciting incidents of the festival at col-
umns' length daily, one solemnly declared that "the presence
and cooperation of the diva imparted fresh eclat to this
national musical gathering. " Another echoed the general
opinion when he wrote: "Since the days of Clara Novello no
such penetrating and magnificent soprano tones had been
heard within the glass edifice of the Crystal Palace."

The conductor of the Handel Festival a commemorative
event inaugurated in 1857 and now being held for the fourth
time only was Sir Michael Costa. It was thanks to his
influence (and he was not less powerful here than at the Opera
or at Exeter Hail or at Birmingham) that the combined com-
mittees of the Sacred Harmonic Society and the Crystal Pal-
ace agreed to pay Mile. Patti her terms for singing at all
of the three concerts. They never expected to recoup their
outlay. However, as it turned out, Costa 's advice proved to

157



158 THE REIGN OF PATTI

have been thoroughly sound. Attendance and receipts alike
beat the record ; while, even among the giants of oratorio that
flourished in the sixties the versatile eantatrice of twenty-two
did something more than merely hold her own.

Let us note the names of a few of those giants. At the
festival of 1859 the soloists had all been famous singers
lime. Clara Novello, Mme. Rudersdorff, Mine. Lemmens-Sher-
rington, Miss Dolby, Mr. Sims Reeves, Signor BeUetti, and
Mr, Weiss. In 1862 the same artists appeared again, with
the exception of Mme. Rudersdorff, who was replaced by the
gifted Theresa Tietjens then comparatively new to oratorio,
although a great operatic favorite and Mme. Parepa (sub-
sequently the first wife of Carl Rosa), another celebrated
oratorio soprano. At the Festival of 1865 Mile. Patti was
associated with the last-named artist; with Mme. Lenunens-
Sherrington, Mme. Sainton-Dolby, and Mr. Sims Beeves ; and
with two other English singers, Mr. Santley and Mr. W. H.
Cummings, who now made their debuts at this festival. At
subsequent gatherings some of these names were to fall out
and others take their place such, for example, as Trebelli,
Patey, Edith Wynne, Albani, Edward Lloyd, Vernon Ribgy,
Agnesi, and Foli. But the standard of the soloists at the
Handel Festival always remained at the highest until the
supply had become exhausted,

Patti 'ft success, as has been stated, was extraordinary. It
owed something, of course, to her personal charm, to the
glamour that attached to her name and her preeminence as
an opera singer. But what really fascinated her twenty-five
thousand auditors at the Festival of 1865 was the resonant
timbre, the surpassing loveliness of a voice that penetrated to
the farthest recesses of the Centre Transept, together with a
breadth of style and clearness of diction not unworthy of the
best traditions of English oratorio.

The question has often been asked, was Adelina Patti a



THE EE1GX OP PATTI 159

typical Handellan vocalist, let us say, In the sense that Clara
Novello and TIetjens were? The answer to that must be In
the negative. Yet it may be just as emphatically asserted that
she was a serious and dignified Interpreter of oratorio music.
If she did not pursue that branch of her art to the same extent
as did most of her gifted contemporaries in Great Britain,
it was not through lack of the essential qualities ? but rather
beeause her natural bent did not He in the direction of
oratorio. Her artistic nature yearned, above all things, for
the stage as an outlet for dramatic expression; in the expo-
sition of character or musical drama she chafed under the
narrower limitations of the concert platform.

It was this demand for freedom to "express" in her own
way that caused her animated execution of Handelian runs
or "divisions" to displease some of the purists. It was not
beeause the notes were not sung crisply or clearly enough, but
beeause her time was not always strictly metronomic ; because
she could not resist making a slight rubato occasionally, or
imparting to her ftoriiure something of the dash and el&n of
the operatic cadenza. Then again, hers was not the manner
of the motionless deelaimer of that time or the statuesque
Lieder-singer of more modern days. She was wont to enhance
the significance of a vocal passage with some slight gesture
or physical action dictated by irresistible dramatic impulse;
and all such "aids to effect," whether spontaneous or not,
were considered out of place in oratorio.

Nevertheless, even the purists of the sixties were fain to
utter paeans of joyful welcome when the bright particular
star of opera made her first "courtesy before the expectant
multitude at the Handel Festival. The glorious ringing tone
of such a voice as hers, standing out high and clear amid the
huge volume of sound created by a choir of three thousand
voices and an orchestra of five hundred, was too wonderful in



160 THE REIGN OP PATTI

its dynamic fitness and grandeur to leave a loophole for ad-
verse criticism. Moreover, the general verdict regarding her
oratorio style was far from being unfavorable.

At this gathering Adelina Patti sang the solos in the
** Messiah 5? for the first time; and the test under the circum-
stances was a severe one. Yet James Davison, the greatest
stickier in England for traditional oratorio singing, and a
harder festival critic than" even Henry Chorley, declared in
the Times that he had "seldom listened to a more perfect
execution of 'Rejoice greatly.' " He added: "It would be
hypercritical to wish for a more thoroughly devotional reading
of f I know that my Redeemer liveth * than that of Mile. Adelina
Patti, who, without any straining after effect, brought con-
viction to the mind."

No small achievement, this, for a still youthful prima donna
reared amid the demonstrative conventions of the Italian
operatic stage. And she followed it up with another triumph
on the Selection Day of the Festival, when she sang two of
the Saxon master's most familiar airs. The event was thus
referred to in the leading musical organ : *

In the selection from "Samson" on Selection Bay the great suc-
cess was reserved for Mile. Patti, who gave the celebrated "Let the
bright Seraphim" so charmingly that the audience was enraptured,
and insisted upon an encore. Not only the fresh, beautiful voice of
Mile. Patti, but the silvery tones of Mr. Harper's trumpet, pene-
trated every part of the vast area. ... In the selection from "Judas
MaeeabsBus" she gave the air "From mighty Kings" with an artistic
finish that thoroughly satisfied every listener.

Finally, on the Friday she took part in the performance of
" Israel in Egypt," and made*an especial hit in "Thou didst
blow with the wind, ' ' which she sang, happily, with her own
excellent English accent not the kind of "zou*

* Musical Times, August, 1865.




Q




o
I?

o

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THE REIGN OF PATTI 161

prescribed by her distinguished relative, Maurice Strakosch.

Her pronunciation, in fact,, was so good that Davison made a
direct allusion to it in the Times when referring to her delivery
of the solo verse in the National Anthem at the close of the
concert. "She sang it/' he said, "with the fervour and em-
phasis of a loyal and genuine British subject, which she ought
surely to be, or she could hardly pronounce English so ad-
mirably/'

The first typical Patti concert ever given In London took
place in London on July 5, 1865, at the then newly erected
St. James ? s Hall in Eegent Street, now the site of the Picca-
dilly Hotel. It was, of course, under the management of
Mr. Gye, who paid all the artists (including thg concert-giver,
herself), took all the risks (!), and pocketed the receipts.
The programme was of the miscellaneous order hereafter to be
associated with a long succession of such ''grand morning
concerts." It made no pretence at attaining a lofty artistic
plane, and, had it done so, it would have offered no attraction
to the public. Occasionally in the years to come the services
of an orchestra would be called in. Not so yet, however. A
pianoforte amply sufficed for the accompaniments.

On the occasion now referred to Mile. Patti was assisted
by operatic stars of the first magnitude, including Pauline
Lucca, Mario, Brignoli, Graziani, so no wonder the papers
described it as "one of the most brilliant affairs of the sea-
son/' JWe have no difficulty in believing the statement of
one of the musical journals 1 that "The remarkable popu-
larity of Mile. Patti and the charm about her, apart from
those powers which make her singing so specially attractive,
were quite enough to secure a large audience/'

And what did she sing? Things wherein the perennial
Patti was to be heard "many a time and oft" in after years.

i Orchestra, July 8, 1865.,



162 THE REIGN OP PATTI

Among them, for the very first time in London, was the new
and in later years much-criticized "Ave Maria/ 7 or so-called
"Meditation/ 7 founded by Gounod upon Bach's first prelude,
the violin obbligato played by that fine- old artist, Prosper
Sainton, who had not long before married the contralto, Miss
Dolby. Another novelty was the pretty but trivial romance,
"Si vous n'avez rien a me dire/' by Baroness "Willy de Boths-
child afterwards to become so popular that for years it en-
riched the repertoire of every singing damsel who thought
she could warble in French.

Furthermore, at this "grand morning" affair Adelina Pattl
gave in her own inimitable manner: "Within a mile o ? Edin-
boro town" and "Comin' thro' the rye!" And what of
"Home, sweet home"? Yes, even now it was present and
inevitable. She sang it as an encore to the French romance,
just as she had sung it in her American days of childhood ;
and as she was to sing it, beyond chance of escape, until the
ultimate Albert Hall concert and the parting farewell. Yet
without "Home, sweet home," her first London concert
would have been no less incomplete than the last. For to hear
Patti, at any period of her long career, in "Home, sweet
home," was an experience of which the most blase musical
cynic never seemed to tire. That simple achievement brought
the public of two continents to her feet.

A thousand pens have attempted to describe her way of
singing Bishop's unpretending melody; but it was always
indescribable. Words have never conveyed the full sense of
its unique charm and exquisite pathos, or solved the riddle of
its touching appeal. The miracle- was first recorded in her
childhood, and she never altered the manner of its perform-
ance. Least of all did she herself, realize the exact manner
in which it was done,- It belonged to those classic examples
of executive art that are unforgettable because they are spon-
taneous, inspired, effortless, and at the same time replete with



REIGN OF PATTI 163

the purest beauty. There are things that the artist never
does twice alike. Patti's "Home, sweet home," was ever

exactly the same. And yet, it never palled.

Another item in the scheme of this first "grand morning
concert 7? is worthy of mention here, not merely for the mem-
ories that it calls up, but because it brings to mind the story
of an unfulfilled promise. The item in question was the duet
"Sull'aria" from Mozart's "Figaro/' which Adelina Patti
now sang for the first time (but not the last by many) with
Pauline Lucca. She loved it as "a gem of purest ray se-
rene/* and would rarely miss the chance of singing it with
some other famous soprano when one was in the same concert
"bill." Among those associated with her at various times
in "Sull'aria," besides Lucca, were Christine Nilsson, Theresa
Tietjens, Marguerite Artot, Marcella Sembrich, and Emma
AlbanL Nevertheless, despite her love of Mozart, her ac-
knowledged preeminence as an interpreter of his music, and
the incomparable perfection of her Zerlina, she never
appeared in any of his operas other than "Don Giovanni."

This circumstance is not easy to explain. In more than
one Covent Garden prospectus Mr. Gye gave out that she
would appear during the season as Susanna in "Le Nozze di
Figaro." It is therefore reasonable to assume that she had
studied the part and had every intention of singing it. Yet
this promise was never carried into execution.

Mozart's comic masterpiece was first announced for revival
at the Eoyal Italian Opera with the new Susanna in 1865.
It was not then, however, mounted at all ; and in the following
year it was again included in the prospectus with an explan-
atory note thus quaintly worded:

The large number of rehearsals necessary to the production last
season, of the great opera of the "Afrieaine" unfortunately caused



164 THE REIGN OP PATTI

the postponement of this favorite opera: probably next to "Don
Giovanni" the most popular work which Mozart has bequeathed to
us. "Le Hozze di FigW wffl be given -with the following cast:

Susanna * Mile. Adeiina Patti

(Her First Appearance in that Character.)
La Contessa Mile. Artot.

(Her First Appearance in that Character in England.)
Cherabino Mile. Pauline Lucca.

(Her First Appearance in that Character in England.)

II Conte Signor Graziani.

Basilio Signor Neri-Baraldi.

Bartolo Signor Ronconi.

AND

Figaro Monsieur Faure.

(His First Appearance in that Character.)

Alas that such, a glorious project should not have been
realized! The abovB combination would have put even the
memorable "Don Giovanni" cast into the shade, not to speak
of introducing a sprightly and lovable Susanna whom the
whole world would have adored. But it was not to be. The
moment passed.

Opera-goers consoled themselves with Pauline Lucca's
delicious and inimitable Cherufiino, and only after the gifted
Viennese soprano had retired from the scene did Mme. Patti
bethink her of adding to her repertoire "Voi ehe sapete."
That was not till the nineties. But it took its place quite nat-
urally beside "Batti, batti," and "Vedrai carino," and she
sang it with no less charm and distinction of style the real
Patti charm and the true Mozart style !

Towards" the end of 1865, after tours in Germany and
Holland, came a visit to Italy the first yet paid by the young
prima donna to her parents' native land; that "land of
song* 7 which had for some time been clamoring loudly to see





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REIGN OF PATTI 165

and hear her. She was told to prepare for a rapturous
Italian welcome, and she got it. They crossed the Alps by
the Mont Cenis route, going over the pass and returning by
the new tunnel, which had not long been completed. They
spent their Christmas In Turin a right merry party, with
"Papa" at the head of the table, and < Maurice >J and two
or three invited guests to toast the joyous Adelina In "Barolo"
and champagne.

There still survives, as this book Is written, in the person
of her companion, Karolyn Baumeister, who came to her in
September ? 1865, one who remembers the extraordinary
scenes of enthusiasm enacted In the theatres of Florence,
Bologna, Rome, and Turin when the "fanatical" opera-lovers
of those cities first heard Patti in "Sonnambula" and the
"Traviata"; how they shouted and applauded and wept like
children with sheer delight ; how they followed her carriage in
thousands from the stage-door to the hotel, where they se-
renaded her till they were tired. Nothing like it had been
witnessed before, even In keen, excitable Italy; and the im-
pression of it was never forgotten.

In 1866 Mr. Gye's prospectus again promised so much which
he did not follow up with deeds that it is refreshing to men-
tion one Item In particular that actually did materialize,
namely, the debut of Signor Nieolini, the handsome and accom-
plished French tenor who, twenty years later, was to become
the husband of the heroine of this chronicle.

He made his first bow before a London audience (on May
21, 1866) at a concert given at St. James's Hall by Pauline
Lucca ; and, oddly enough, when he made his first appearance
at Covent Garden eight days later, the Lucia to whom he
sang Edgardo was no less a person than Adelina Patti. In
neither instance, however, did the new tenor create a favorable
Impression.

The following is a fair sample of the notices that appeared :



166 THE EEIGN OP PATTI

On Tuesday, May 29 ? "Lucia di Lammermoor ' was performed with
Mile. Patti for the first time this year as the heroine, the part of
Edgardo being sustained by a new candidate for fame from Paris,
of whom report had spoken favorably Signer Nicolini. This gen-
tleman cannot, however, be said to have made much more than a
succes d'estime. His voice being by no means of the highest qual-
ity evidently disappointed the majority of his hearers. One of the
chief faults of Signer Nieolini's method is to be discovered in his
yielding much too incessantly to a habit of tremuiousness, which so
many modern singers take to be the only one means for the demon-
stration of passion. His tone is, however, true, and his execution
facile, besides which he has other considerable attractions, his stage
figure being good, and his manner, although energetic, refined. . . .
That Signor Kieolini, like Brignoli, Faneelli, Lucchesi, and Neri-
Baraldi, will become more than a useful addition to the tenors of
the Royal Italian Opera is scarcely probable. 1

In short, the verdict of the critics was so discouraging that
Mr. Qye did not hesitate to cancel the new tenor's contract.
Signor Nicolini went back to France, and appeared in London
no more until the spring of 1871. He then came over with
the crowd of refugees who managed to escape the horrors of
the siege of Paris, and Mr. Mapleson, who was giving Italian
opera at Drury Lane, allowed him another chance of winning
a name for himself here. This time he succeeded. He had
not got rid of his tremolo. He was never to do so. But the
general opinion was that his singing had improved and that
he had become a splendid actor.

It was during this season that I heard Nicolini for the first
time. He was my first Faust, and a better-looking one it
has never been my lot to behold. His likeness to Mario
in the character was remarkable. The Marguerite was a very
captivating French soprano named Leon-Duval. By the way,
Nicolini 's debut at Drury Lane, which Mapleson erroneously

the current number of Orchestra.



THE REIGN OF PATTI 167

calls Ms first appearance In England, 1 was made in Meyer-
beer's l& 'Robert le Diable." His success led to his reengage-
ment by Hr. Gye, and lie duly reappeared at Covent Garden
in the following year 1872. Thenceforward he became a
permanent member of the company.

The story of Ms subsequent career will fail later into its
allotted place in this book. Meanwhile it is interesting to
note that, but for the Paris siege, Xicolini wonld never have
returned to this country in which case his romantic union
with Adelina Patti would assuredly never have become a fait
accompli.

During her visit to Paris in the autumn of 1866 Mile.
Patti stayed, with her father and Maurice Strakosch, at
Maria's flat In a house near the Champs-Elysees. The Mar-
ch ese di Candia (as he was in private life) was away at the
time; indeed, he rarely if ever sang in Paris. But the fact
of Patti ? s presence is worth recording, if only for an incident
which illustrates the kind of mad worship that was clan-
destinely paid her at this period by her demented (and dis-
appointed) French adorers. One morning Karolyn Baum-
eister opened the door of the Mario apartment, and, to her
astonishment, found a man outside a gentleman apparently
on his knees, kissing the mat. She asked him why on earth he
was conducting himself so strangely. He got up and asked in
Ms turn, "Does not sJie tread on that mat every time she goes
in and out!" Then, without another word, he put oi his
hat and walked downstairs.

Before coming to matrimonial events, however, let us deal
briefly with Mile. Patti 7 s share in the Covent Garden seasons
that immediately preceded the Franco-Prussian War of
1870-71. During this period there was much in the way of

i "Mapleson Memoirs/* Vol. I, p. 152,



168 THE REIGN OF PATTI

repetition ; also much that it will be more convenient to refer
to as opportunity arises. In 1866 Mr. Gye's "broken promises
were not limited to "Le Nozze di Figaro. ? ' He had reengaged
Carlotta Patti and told his subscribers that she would appear
in opera as the Queen in "Les Huguenots" and Isabel in
4 "Roberto il Diavolo." She did neither. Of Carlotta as a
stage singer the first and last was seen in America. 1
But the activities of Adelina more than atoned for the absence
of her sister. It was in this year that habitues made acquain-
tance with her delicious Catering in "L'Etoile du Nord"
an impersonation that they were to enjoy for the best part of
twenty years, and nearly always supported by the same su-
perb trio of men Faure as Peter the Great, Naudin as
Danilowitz, and Ciampi as Ghritzenko. The Prascovia in the
first instance was that excellent English soprano, Mme.
Lemmens-Sherrington. Another addition to the list of Patti 's
new characters was Annetta in the Eiccis' pretty opera,
"Crispino e la Comare," with the great Eoneoni as Crispino.

The clou of 1867 was described as "Borneo and Juliet," "an
entirely new opera, composed by M. Gounod, and founded on
Shakespeare's play.' 7 So introduced in the bill, and not un-
der the Italian title that was used afterwards, this melodious
work obtained, musically speaking, no more than a succes
d'estime. Indeed, the critics were wont to declare that it
owed its passing favor not so much to the music as to the
glamour of the tragedy and the genius of Mario and Patti in
the immortal name-parts. On the subject of Gounod's opera,
and how it ultimately won its way to a popularity little if at
all inferior to that of " Faust/' there will be more to say in
the next chapter.

During the first decade of her career at Co vent Garden.



appeared once In Philadelphia (in May, 1870) as the Queen of
"Night in "The Magic Flute," but the notices were again too discourag-
ing.




MARIO AS FAUST



THE REIGN OF PATTI 169

Adelina Patti appeared in nineteen roles altogether, and In
the following order: 1861 Amina, Lucia, Violetta f Zerliw,
Martha-, Rosi-na; 1862 X-orina, Dinar ah; 1863 Leonora,
Ninetta, Adina, Maria; 1864 Marguerite; 1865 Linda; 1866
Caterina, Annetta; 1868 Juliet; 1869Gilda; 1870 El-
vira ("Puritani")- At the close of the season of 1868 a
writer in the Pall Mall Gazette took occasion to pass in review
her work down to that time., and summed up in these glowing
terms:

Her career lias been as liononrably industrious as it has been uni-
formly successful. Richly endowed, she has not the less persever-
ingly studied to attain the perfection of detail indispensable to true
art, and the defects observable when she first appeared among us
have, with laborious and resolute striving, been conquered one by
one. Her voice has grown richer and more flexible through con-
stant use a proof that its use has been legitimate; her vocalisation
is as fluent and correct as it is brilliant and expressive* As an
actress, both in the comic and serious range of characters, she has
reached that acme of perfection which makes acting seem no acting
at all, but rather truth idealised. Nothing can be more natural,
graceful, and spontaneous than her comedy, nothing more deeply
felt and touching than her tragedy. In short, she now presents to
us the very beau ideal of a lyric artist.

Other eminent critics wrote to the same effect. Thus, in
a number of the Saturday Review-, in June, 1868, we read:

That Adelina Patti should be a universal favourite is not extraor-
dinary; for it is no more than truth to say that she is the most
versatile and accomplished of existing lyric comedians. In comic
opera, in melodramatic opera, in serious opera, she is equally at
home; and her repertory probably surpasses in variety and extent
that of any singer we could name. The Eosina, Lady Enrichetta,
Lucia? Amina, Norina, and Zerlina of Mile. Patti are now the very
best of the best. We could not say more if we were to write an



170 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

essay; and if we said less we should be unjust to Mile. Patti, whose
progress during the brief period of seven years since, a girl phe-
nomenon from the United States, she first appeared before an Eng-
lish audience in the character of Amina is almost, if not quite, un-
exampled. To have matured herself from the imperfect though
richly promising artist she was then into the perfect artist she is
now, must have cost no end of thought and persevering study. But
these have brought their fruits; and Mile. Patti enjoys her reward
in the unanimous opinion that now places her in the position she
holds both as singer and as actress. Really great artists are nowa-
days uncommon; and Mile. Patti is one of the very few that re-
main.

Meanwhile the home life at Clapham had continued its
smooth and pleasant course without break other than the
intervals for foreign tours down to the beginning of 1868.
Then came the important event that was to surprise the world
by adding the duties and responsibilities of a titled married
lady to those already borne by a busy prima donna. In a
word, to convert the admired diva into the charming wife of
a French marquis.

The secret was well kept. For a long while the fascinating
Adelina had been receiving what most girls would have con-
sidered tempting offers of marriage. She treated most of
them with disdain and all alike with indifference, declaring
that she would never marry except for love. But souvent
femme wrie; and it is to be suspected that she was still
heart-whole when one day there "came along" a certain
French nobleman, no longer in his first youth, yet elegant in
bearing and refined in manner, whose attentions appear to
have awakened in her sensations almost as pleasing as those
peculiar to Cupid's own victims. Anyhow, she listened to
Mm.

This distinguished gentleman was the Marquis de Caux,



REIGN OP PATTI 171

head of a noble but by no means wealthy family, then holding
the position of Equerry to Napoleon III at the Court of the
Tuileries.

Now, the Emperor and the Empress Eugenie were both sin-
cerely attached to Mile. Patti. During her visits to Paris she
was frequently invited to Court- and sometimes received quite
en famille. Their Majesties rarely missed one of her perform-
ances at the Theatre-Italien ; they led the applause, threw
bouquets to her, and made her handsome presents. On these
occasions they were always accompanied by the Marquis de
Caux, who with equal regularity went to the back of the stage
to convey the imperial congratulations. "With Mm were gen-
erally two other scions of the French aristocracy, namely,
the Yicomte d'Arry and the Baron de Saint- Amand; and all
three gentlemen were madly in love with* the bewitching
artist. But the one with the most glib and fluent tongue,
who could turn the neatest compliments without a suspicion
of flattery, was the Marquis. In course of time he made an
impression. Seeing which he went to the Empress, and with-
out much trouble persuaded her to back Mm in a serious
demand for the young lady's hand.

It took a little longer to gain the support of the Emperor;
but, once it was promised, the Marquis de Caux stood in a
very strong position. Few objections could be urged against
the match. Mile. Patti liked him well enough: thought her-
self more eprise, perhaps, than she really was. Maurice Stra-
kosch was (to all appearance) in favor of it ; and the demoi-
selle de compagnie, Fraulein Lauw, left no stone unturned
to bring matters to a satisfactory conclusion. The only per-
son who did not favor the Marquis 7 s suit was dear old Salva-
tore Patti, Adelina's father. He did not like Mm, and openly
said as much. Yet even he gave way at last, and in the spring
of 1868, all obstacles being removed, the pair were duly be-



172 THE REIGN OF PATTI

trotted. But nothing was to be said about it publicly until
the end of the opera season. 1

The wedding took place at the Koman Catholic church on
Clapham Common on July 29, 1868, immediately after the
termination of a Covent Garden season notable for several
brilliant appearances with llario. Patti and Mario sang
together that year in u Romeo e Giulietta," < Faust," Don
Giovanni/ 7 and "II Barbiere." They had appeared at her
benefit on July 23-, when the bill included acts from "Romeo,"
"Faust/' and "La Figlia del Keggimento." 2 The great
tenor was, of course, among the guests invited to the wed-
ding. His daughter Rita was one of the bridesmaids; an-
other being 1 Miss Harris, elder sister of Mr. (afterwards Sir)
Augustus Harris, whose father was then the stage-manager
at Covent Garden.

The church was crowded, the ceremony taking place at
the early hour of eleven o'clock In the morning. The

1 A writer who was, both then and later, on intimate terms with
Mme. Patti, has thus related the circumstances: "At the time she
spoke -to me very frankly respecting her plans, and told me how the
Empress had encouraged her to go on working for five more years, until
she had made an. independent fortune, since the Marquis had only 10,000
francs (400) a year: and that when the income derived from her new
fortune secured her an independence, the Empress would receive her at
court as a dame d'honneur with some palace honorarium, a position,
which, so long as she sang for money, she could not hold without
wounding a number of vanities and prejudices/* ("From Mozart to
Mario," by Louis Engel.)

2 Grove's Dictionary, by the way, in the revised edition, gives 1867
as the year of Mario's retirement, but that is incorrect. He sang in
London again in 1870 and 1871. In his prospectus for 1868 Mr. Gye
announced that Mario and Patti would both take part in an elaborate
production of Rossini's early opera "L'Assedio di Corinth" ("The Siege
of Corinth") , but the event never came off. A promise made IE the
same document to mount for Mme. Patti Verdi's forgotten Milanese
failure, "Giovanna d'Arco," was also unredeemed, and her admirers
were said to be much disappointed at missing the opportunity of seeing
the diva in a suit of stage armor.




O

M

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THE REIGN OF PATTI 173

bride Is said to have looked "beautiful exceedingly" In a
wedding gown of white satin trimmed with lace, the latest
achievement of the famous ^orth ? of Paris. The witnesses
who signed the marriage contract on her behalf were the
Duke of Manchester and her old friend, "the celebrated
conductor, Mr. Michael Costa. J? For the Marquis de Caux
the signatories were Ms friends the Vicomte and the Baron.
Among the bridal gifts was a costly one from the Emperor
Napoleon and the Empress Eugenie, despatched by special
courier from the Tuileries.

Only a few friends were invited to the wedding break-
fast. Among them were two or three of the leading musical
critics one of these Mr. Sutherland Edwards, who tells us
in his history of "The Prlma Donna" that in course of the
feast Mario whispered to him that "the Marquis, much as
he might be attached to Ms fascinating bride, had never
made love to her so much as he, her constant lover, had done. 7 '

The honeymoon was spent on the Continent. But before
the end of August the Marquise de Caux now known to the
public as Mme. Adelina Fatti was at work upon the stage
once more, fulfilling an annual summer engagement at Hom-
burg. It is worthy of, mention, if only for the fact that
during this Homburg visit she made her first essay in the
part of Semiramide. It was more or less of an experiment,
but Rossini wished her to try it, and provided her with
three entirely new cadenzas written expressly for the oc-
casion.

Despite her success in this role, she did not sing it in
London until ten years later. 1 It had long been associated
there with the names of two glorious tragic artists, Grisi
and Tietjens (the latter now at her best), and the public
naturally regarded it as belonging exclusively to the rep-
ertory of a dramatic soprano. Rossini thought otherwise.

i See p. 194.



174 THE REIGN OF PATTI

In Paris lie always spoke of the gifted Henrietta Sontag as
Ms ideal Semiramide. But lie frankly declared that he saw
Adelina Patti in the role, and she abundantly vindicated Ms
opinion.

In the following November (1868) Rossini died. Mme.
Patti was in Paris at the time, fulfilling a contract with M.
Bagier for a series of eleven appearances at the Theatre-
Italien. 1 Feted by the Court and all its entourage then in
the full splendor of the Second Empire the Marquis and
Marquise de Cans were the "lions" of a round of brilliant
social engagements, over which the demise of the great com-
poser cast a temporary shadow. It was arranged that the
funeral ceremony should be preceded by a grand musical serv-
ice at the newly erected Eglise de la Trinite. Among the art-
ists who took part in it were Patti, Alboni, Nilsson and
Faure.

The funeral requiem was made up entirely of pieces
adapted from the serious works of Rossini. Thus, the
"Liber seriptus" was sung to the musie of the "Quis est
homo" from the "Stabat Mater," and in this beautiful duet
the voices of Adelina Patti and Marietta Alboni blended
with an effect of beauty and pathos that Gounod described
as "the most heavenly and touching musical moment of his
whole existence." Many of the congregation were moved to
tears. Hardly less sublime was the impression created by
the same illustrious artists in- an and chorus, sung to the music of the well-known Prayer
from "Mose in Egitto." The entire function formed a
worthy tribute to the memory of a great and honored master.

It may here be said that the relations between Rossini
and his "carissima Adelina," during the five brief years
that they knew each other, had been of the most cordial

i The total receipts for these performances amounted to 148,000 francs
(nearly 6,000).



KEIGX OF PATTI 175

and affectionate kind. The scandal-mongers and mischief-
makers of the time were wont, for reasons of their own, to

amuse themselves by inventing anecdotes flavored with spu-
rious Rossinian wit and uttered at the singer's expense.
These mostly passed for genuine, especially that vir.aimms
pun which described the vocal ornaments written for Iier by
her brother-in-law as "strakoschonneries." l But w'ii; ;i some
of them were still quoted in memoirs on Rossini, lon^ after
Ms death, the following authoritative statement was inserted
by James Davison in the Musical World (April, 1869) :

We are tired of insisting that ninety-nine out of a hundred of the
so-called bon mots attributed to Rossini are the pure fabrication of
the Parisian petite presse and small wits of the Boulevards. That
he never addressed an nngallant speech to Mme. Patti or invented
the silly plaj upon the name of M. Strakosek, here for the fiftieth
time attributed to him, we have had his own positive assurance. It
is very unlikely indeed that Rossini would imply in. one sentence
that Mme. Patti had learnt nothing, and in the next that she sang
his music divinely. He was not quite so modest as all that.

The fact remains, nevertheless, that when Rossini first

iAs to tMs accusation, the brother-in-law speaks for himself ("Sou-
venirs (Tun Impresario/ 7 p. 69) : "According to Rossini, the airs in"
his operas were not always to be sung as they were written; the
artists might allow themselves changes ( variant es) . It is worth while
to observe that Rossini alluded to the artists of Ms time, who did not
go upon the stage until after long study and who were themselves
skilful musicians. Perhaps to-day [1887], when tenors and prime donne
are manufactured in a few months, Rossini would modify his opinion.

"Thus, in the 'Barber of Seville/ the r61e of Rosina had been written
for a contralto, and is very often sung by sopranos. It would be im-
possible for a soprano to sing it as Rossini wrote it. This remark was
made by the master apropos of a newspaper article in which the critic
declared that in this same opera Rossini's music had been strakosehon-
n&e. The truth is that Maurice Strakosch had introduced for Mile.
Adelina Patti changes which she always used [until Bevignani, as we
shall see, wrote new ones for her], and which were approved by Rossini
himself."



176 THE REIGN OF PATTI

heard Adelina Pattl sing * 4 Una voce" lie declared in Ms
usual jocular manner that he was unable to recognize it as
his own music.

The winter of 1868-69 was spent by lime. Patti in Russia,
where her triumphs, like her artistic growth, continued on
the upward scale. For several years in succession she regu-
larly visited St. Petersburg and Moscow, and never failed
(as Mr. Gye put it in his prospectus for 1874) to "bear
away from both cities substantial and magnificent marks of
imperial and public admiration." This was literally true.
The Czar Alexander, after conferring upon her the Order of
Merit, appointed her a Court singer, and later presented her
with an order set in brilliants, besides other handsome sou-
venirs. The nobility showered costly gifts upon her at each
performance. No wonder, then, that a writer who knew
her well once said: "The diamonds she carried away from
Russia constituted in themselves a small fortune." 1

This was long prior to the days of the Russian opera and
the Eussian ballet that London afterwards knew. But the
Russians were always devoted lovers of good music, and
their fondness for Italian opera dated from before the era
when Glinka founded their national school. The fact that
they were keen, sincere critics lends the greater value,
therefore, to such appreciations as the following, which ap-
peared in the Journal de St. Petersburg early in 1869 :

In Adelina Patti we find virtuosity par excellence. TVe have here,
in the first place, an exceptional and unrivalled voice, intonation
juste a toute epreuve, an admirable method, and miracles without
number of agility and wonderful feats of mechanical skill. This is
not perhaps the result of any great application on her part; it is
the result of a most happy and peculiar organisation it is the

i "Froin Mozart to Mario," by Louis Engel.




X1ST ST.



, 1869



THE REIGN OF PATTI 177

natural singing of a bird created to sing. . . . Tlae first time yon
bear her you are astonished; you are dazzled by the vocal pyro-
technic display, the flute-like arabesques in the highest register pos-
sible to the human voice (going up to the high F) are something so
striking, and then, suddenly forming sueh a contrast to them, the
full, sonorous phrases of a mellow voice In the lowest notes of a
genuine soprano. A moment afterwards you find yourself under the
spell of a beautiful, perfect style of execution. The niaestria of
"simple" singing cannot go farther than In the airs of Zerlina as
sung by Mme. Patti.

The year 1869 was that of the extraordinary "coalition"
season at Covent Garden, when, Her Majesty's Theatre not
being yet rebuilt after the fire of the previous summer,
Messrs. Gye and Mapleson joined their powerful forces,
alike with advantage to the public and profit unprece-
dented profit to themselves. During that season Mme.
Patti appeared in a round of familiar characters. The chief
hit was once more "Don Giovanni." It was given several
times, with a east that included Patti as Zerlina, Tietjens
as Donna Anna, Christine Nilsson as Donna Elvira, Mario
as Don Ottavio, and Faure as the Don perhaps the most
remarkable operatic combination of the nineteenth century.

To complete the record of these wonderful "sixties" we
must briefly revert to the March of 1868, when Verdi's for-
gotten opera "Giovanna d'Arco," came to its first Parisian
hearing at the Theatre des Italiens. Despite the radiant
beauty and indubitable genius of the Italian soprano, Brml-
nia Frezzolini, the opera (it was written just after
"Ernani") nad been an absolute failure at the Scala in
1845. Yet now, twenty-three years later, it was revived In
the hope that Adelina Patti would succeed in accomplishing
what her gifted predecessor had been unable to do. But the
task lay beyond her powers, exactly as Verdi had feared



178 THE REIGN OF PATTI

when he reluctantly gave his consent for the opera to be
produced in Paris. The experience of Frezzolini had
shown him that whatever success it might temporarily enjoy
would be entirely due to the protagonist of the title-role.

Patti as Joan of Arc made a captivating picture in helmet
and armor. She sang superbly, and "lent her admirable
talent to the most ungrateful part of her repertoire. 5 ' She
galvanized the finer musical passages with something of her
own exquisite charm; but she eould not imbue with con-
sistency or lasting interest a creation that represents the
Maid of Orleans in an absurd if not an objectionable light.
M. Arthur Pougin tells us, "After a few performances the
work was completely abandoned. " 1

i"The Life and Works of Verdi," London, 1887.



CHAPTER

Harried Life (1869) Maurice and. the Marquis Entertainments in
Paris PattI at Covent Garden in the Seventies First Impressions
of Her as Zerlina- and Giulietta Gounod's ""Romeo" in Italian with
Patti and Mario She Creates Aida at Covent Garden A Fresh.
Revelation of Genius in Composer and Singer Xew Characters and
Old Operas Written for Patti Her Talent ina at Tins Period End
of the Gye Regime With Scalchi in "Semiramide" Divorced from
the Marquis de Caux (1885) Marriage with Xieoiini (1886)

AFTEB her marriage with, the Marquis de Caux most
of the singer's spare time, naturally, was spent in
Paris. The house in Clapham had been given up. Salva-
tore Patti was growing old and being no longer required to
accompany his daughter on her travels, he went to live in
Paris with M. and Mme. Maurice Strakoseh in order to be
near her as much as possible. He was not, however, to enjoy
that pleasure long, for he died there on August 20, 1869,
just fifteen months after the union to which, according to
Maurice Strakoseh, he had from the first been sternly op-
posed.

The worthy Maurice himself held the fixed opinion that
prima donnas, actresses, and dancers should never marry
under any circumstances. "The joys of the domestic
hearth," he said, "are not always for artists; family life is
rarely suited to those idols of the public whose existence is
passed in an imaginary world, and who sometimes have
neither the time nor the wish to appreciate the happiness to
be derived from the peace and calm of a simple life." 1

i "Souvenirs d'un Impresario/' p. 55. M. Strakoseh goes on to
enumerate, in confirmation of his opinion, the examples of Marie Tag-,
lioni, Malibran, Bosio, ITrezzolini, Grisi, Lucca, Trebelli, Marie Sasse,
and Marie Heilbron, all of whom separated from their husbands.

179



180 THE REIGX OF PATTI

Evidently In his heart of hearts lie did not like the Mar-
quis. They were not on bad terms ; Indeed, as we have seen,
both he and the father were present at the wedding. Nev-
ertheless, according to his own account, that event marked
the rupture of relations between Maurice and his sister-in-
law, or rather, as he puts it, "between the impresario and
his pupil." He hastens to state that the separation was
purely voluntary on his part ; for, several times, he says, the
Marquis de Caux asked him to continue in the position he
had previously held "aupres de lime. Patti." " These offers,
however advantageous and honorable for him to whom they
were made, were refused. Having always been against the
marriage, the brother-in-law of Adelina Patti would often
have been in a rather false position vis-a-vis of the Marquis
de Canx."

Whether the latter was quite so anxious to retain his ser-
vices as he tries to make out, we have reason to doubt. It
is also open to question how far the new Marquise herself
was responsible for the < rupture," seeing that she had been
a good many years under Maurice's tutelage and control,
and must have been rather pleased than otherwise at the
prospect of a greater measure of freedom. Still, there was
no quarrel. Strakosch insists that their excellent relations
did not cease after the marriage, when, "in relinquishing
his duties as impresario, he placed in her hands contracts
signed by the directors of the chief European opera houses,
and the total of those contracts amount to the sum of
1,600,000 francs [about 64,000], extending over a period of
three years." 1

Maurice Strakosch foresaw trouble, and the event proved
him to have been right. We shall come to that soon enough.
Meanwhile the lune de miel was shining brightly, and the
seasons in Homburg, Paris, and Russia succeeded each other

i "Souvenirs d'un Impresario/' p. 60.




IN PARIS 1869



THE REIGN OP PATTI 181

amid a steady crescendo of artistic and social triumphs.
During their stay in the French capital In the autumn of
1869 they were frequently guests of the Emperor and Em-
press at the Tuileries. They also entertained a good deal
at their own residence, and their receptions were attended
by the leading notabilities in the worlds of music, drama,
art and literature.

At one of these intime affairs the famous Alboni ap-
plauded the singing of her hostess; and Auber, being asked
what he thought of her, replied: fi l have seen and heard
many singers. I remember Catalan!, Pasta, Malibran,
Grisi, and Sontag. Bnt I never heard so perfect an artist
as Patti. As for her voice, it is without a flaw." This was
a tremendous comparison to make; but the old French mas-
ter was no flatterer : he meant what he said.

They were staying that season at the Hotel du Rhin, In
the Place Vendome, and when the Prince of Orange (Crown
Prince of the Netherlands) came to Paris the Marquis and
Marquise de Caux gave a reception and entertainment in
his honor, which was attended by the flower of the French
nobility, then living their last few months of splendor -ere
the sun set upon the glories of the Second Empire. It was
a memorable night; the crowd was exceedingly brilliant,
and the Prince is said to have enjoyed the concert amaz-
ingly. No wonder. Not only did Patti herself sing, but
she provided a morceau d' ensemble of a wholly unique
description, in the shape of the trio from Cimarosa's opera
"II Matrimonio Segreto/ 7 the artists being the three sisters,
Amalia, Carlotta, and Adelina. They had never sung to-
gether before, and they were never to sing together again.

It is generally acknowledged that the period during which
Adelina Patti was the Marquise de Caux in fact, the dec-
ade covering the whole of the seventies marked the zenith



182 THE REIGN OP PATT1

of her career. As good fortune would have it, It was during
the early part of that period, in 1872, that the writer of
this chronicle first heard her at Covent Garden. It was
her twelfth season in Great Britain, and she had not yet
attained her thirtieth birthday. She was, in short, at the
very height of her powers.

This most memorable of all my operatic experiences hap-
pened on a Whit-Monday. 1 The stalls and boxes were a
trifle less crowded than usual, on account of the holiday.
Nevertheless, it presented a sufficiently brilliant and to
my unaccustomed eyes dazzling spectacle. Mr. Gye, in
Ms corner stage-bos on the pit tier, was duly pointed out
to me; and I recall the entry of a dapper little gentleman,
wearing a broad shirtfront and spotless white waistcoat,
who took his place in the stalls near the orchestra during
the second scene of "Don Giovanni." I was informed that
he was the Marquis de Caux. He was just in time to
witness the entry of Zerlina when she danced on with Mas-
etto. And a lovelier picture than the dainty diva in her
piquant Spanish costume it would indeed have been hard
to conjure up.

It is scarcely necessary to say that every incident of that
night became ineffaeeably imprinted upon my memory. My
impressions of the scene, the music, the singing, the whole
performance, in fact, still remain extraordinarily vivid.
From boyhood upward (in my native city of Norwich and
later in London) I had listened to a good deal of opera. I
had heard the best of Mr. Mapleson's vocal stars Tietjens,
Nilsson, lima di Murska, Marimon, Trebelli. Although
only a lad of sixteen, my ear was sufficiently educated to

1 1 remember the day because I had been to Sheerness to see Brunei's
huge maritime wonder, the Great Eastern, and on my return home I
found that our friend, Mr. John Mitchell, the well-known Bond Street
"librarian," had sent us seats for "Don Giovanni/' with Patti as Zerlina,
There was just time to change and hurry off to the Opera.



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 183

appreciate the art of the greatest singer of the day ; at the same
time, I could fairly estimate the 'qualities which made her
the most ravishing Zerlina that Da Ponte or Mozart can ever
have conceived.

I recollect more especially the strange, dark, penetrating
timbre the voix sombre, as Garcia classified it of Patti's
voice. How unlike it sounded to any other I had heard
so individual in quality, so perfectly in harmony with the
personality of the singer, so elusive in its witchery, so sat-
isfying and entrancing to the ear! Incomparable, too, were
her technique and art. Never before, of course, had I heard
the familiar "Batti, batti/' or "Vedrai carino" sung with
this astounding perfection of easy grace, of persuasive
charm, of pellucid tone in uninterrupted flow, enhancing
even the intrinsic loveliness of Mozart's immortal melodies.

It was a joy to hear her in the concerted music, above
all in La ci darem/ 7 partnered with that consummate
artist, Faure, king of French baritones and prince of Don
Giovannis! Nicolini was the Don Ottavio, Ciampi the Le-
porello, and a Dresden soprano, Emmy Zimmermann, the
Donna Anna. Otherwise not the least interesting member
of the cast was the subsequently famous Viennese singer,
Marianne Brandt, who in this same season made her first
London appearance as Donna Elvira?

Three years elapsed before I heard Patti again. It was in
May, 1875, and I recollect then sitting in the Daily Tele-
graph box with my -friend and harmony teacher, A. H.
Thouless, who introduced me for the first time to Joseph
Bennett, the eminent critic, his future father-in-law.

The opera was Gounod's "Borneo e Giulietta" so en-
titled because sung at this time in the Italian version only.

i Mr. Gye had engaged her to create Elsd; but "Lohengrin," although
it had been definitely promised in 1872, was not given until 1875, and
then Emma Albani undertook the rdle.



184 THE REIGN OF PATTI

It had not been heard at Covent Garden since Mario's re-
tirement, seven years before, when the role of Giulietta was
filled by the same artist. It had failed to please every one
then. Bennett never cared for it. Writing in the Musical
Times of August, 1867, He said :

In the balcony scene occurs some of the best music in the opera.
A eavatina for Romeo would have produced more effect had Signer
Mario been in better voice; but he was hoarse throughout the eve-
ning, and it was an evident labour for him to sing at all. The duet
between the two lovers, although full of charming passages, breathes
little of the Southern warmth and impetuosity so exquisitely por-
trayed by Shakespeare; and, notwithstanding that Mile. Patti sang
like a finished artist throughout this trying scene, the music was
somewhat coldly received. . . . The opera was excellently placed
upon the stage; but, in spite of the reputation of M. Gounod, the
great success of the work in Paris, and the unquestionable merit of
much of the music, we do not predict for it a lasting popularity
with the English public.

Mario was too old for the part of Romeo; in 1867 he was
very nearly sixty. Moreover, his voice was beginning to
fail, and the statement that he was "hoarse" was only an-
other way of hinting at that regrettable fact. His place in
the present revival was filled by Ernest Nicolini, who had
now been singing at Covent Garden since 1873 and was gen-
erally regarded as the best available tenor for the Mario
parts. With Patti and Nicolini "Borneo e Giulietta" pleased
the public rather better, but still did not approach within
measurable distance of the popularity of "Faust," which,
with the same singers and Faure in the cast, would attract
overflowing houses.

Being now an impressionable youth of nineteen, I ought
presumably to have gone into raptures over this perform-
ance of "Borneo." Yet I must confess that it left me cold.
Nicolini 's delineation of the hero was disappointing. It




LA REINE

In "Diamants de la Couronne,"



1870



THE BEIGN OF PATTI 185

lacked manly dignity, robust spirit, tlie true ring of tragedy.
There was not sufficient tenderness in Ms rendering of the
music; he was lovesick enough, but his acting lacked color,
variety, depth of character. Of Patti's GiuKetta I can only
say that she sang divinely, more especially in the waltz air
and the duet of the balcony scene; but as a whole her per-
formance struck me as too calm, too restrained. This does
not mean that she did not satisfy her public. The Juli-
ettes of a later day were adjudged admirable in the part,
notwithstanding that their acting exhibited precisely sim-
ilar deficiencies. But from Patti it was only natural to
expect a great deal, and at this period her delineation of this
role was assuredly not to be ranked with her Caterina, her
Violetta, her Leonora, or her Valentino,.

Thirteen years later there was a different story to tell.
In November, 1888, "Borneo et Juliette'' underwent a kind
of transformation in the city where it was first brought to
a hearing. Removed by order of the State from the Opera
Comique to the Paris Opera, provided with an entirely new
mise en scene and cast, musically revised and added to by
the still energetic composer, it acquired a fresh lease of
life, and therewith a place in popular favor that it had
never filled before. On that memorable occasion Mme. Patti
was again the Juliette, and like the opera itself, improved
beyond recognition. But the incidents of this fragment of
musical history shall be duly related in their proper place. 1
First let us deal with a yet more notable creation belong-
ing to this ripe "middle period" of the artist's career.

The great event of the London operatic season of 1876
was the production of Verdi's "A'ida," which I had the
good luck to witness from the front row of the Covent

i See Chapter XVI; also the author's "Thirty Years of Musical Life
in London," pp. 259-265.



186 THE REIGN OF PATTI

Garden gallery, after a patient "wait" of six hours at the
doors. The work was then four and a half years old. Writ-
ten at the request of the Khedive Ismail, it was first given
at the new Opera House in Cairo (as one of the celebrations
in connection with the opening of the Suez Canal) on
December 24, 1871, and subsequently brought out at La
Seala, Milan, in February of the following year.

In each instance it was acclaimed with enthusiasm as a
work marking a fresh epoch not only in the composer's
career but in the history of Italian opera. The complete
change of style from Yerdi 7 s ' * second manner ' ' was with won-
der noted, and in London at least opera-goers were prepared
to welcome a new musical development; for in the previous
summer they had made acquaintance with Wagner's "Lohen-
grin," and in this same season of 1876 (six weeks earlier)
had enjoyed their first hearing of " Tannhauser. "

Moreover, in the month of May Yerdi himself had come
to London to conduct the first performance in England of
his noble "Bequiem," bringing with him as soloists three
of the artists Teresina Stolz, Waldmann, and Masini
who had taken part (on April 22) in the production of
"Ai'da" at the Theatre-Italien in Paris. After affording
us this wonderful glimpse of the new Yerdi, the master de-
clined an invitation to remain for the premiere of "A'ida"
at Covent Garden and took his departure.

He had long been aware, however, that the title-role was
to be created in London by Adelina Patti. She had, while
in Italy, visited him at his villa at Brussetto and carefully
gone through the part with him. Mr. Gye had duly an-
nounced the fact in his prospectus, together with the proud
statement that "The exclusive right of performance of
'Aida' in England has been secured by the director of the
Eoyal Italian Opera." All this was planned through the
medium of Yerdi 's Milan publishers, the house of Eicordi,



THE REIGN OF PATTI 187

of which the late courteous and talented Giulio di Eieordi
was at that time the head.

Now, if the advent of "Aida" furnished a conspicuous
landmark in the onward progress of the composer's art, it
certainly indicated a similar advance in that of the accom-
plished prima donna who interpreted the principal role in
the initial London performance.

The wiseacres of the period did not expect to be satisfied.
They shook their heads and declared that they could not
see her in the character. It is not," said one of them, C a
Patti part. Imagine the fragile and gracious Adelina with
her face and arms dyed black, or at least a rich copper
color darker, anyhow, than Pauline Lucca made herself
as Selika in 'L'AfricaineM" Then the music would it
suit her? Portions of it, perhaps, such as the solo air "Cieli
azzuri ' 7 in the third act ; but as a whole was it not essen-
tially written for a dramatic soprano, for a singer with a
much heavier voice ? As to whether she would rise to the de-
mands of the part in a histrionic sense that being in her
case somewhat a question of mood opinions were rather more
divided.

However, all doubts were set at rest, all sceptical prophe-
cies wholly belied, on June 22, 1876, when "Ai'da" was
performed at Covent Garden for the first time, with Vian-
esi as conductor. That production provided the occasion
not only for an unprecedented tribute to the genius of
Verdi, but for an all-round individual triumph such as
Adelina Patti had not yet won during her entire seventeen
years of operatic life. It stands easily first among the many
exciting Patti nights that remain indelibly engraved upon
the memory of the present writer.

There was a remarkable sense of newness about the whole
thing. To begin with, the Egyptian mise en scene copying
almost exactly the original Khedival model, with its temples



188 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

of the Pharaohs, its palaces on the Nile, and its wonderful
two-storied interior e< set" where the lovers are interned
a li Ye unfolded a series of pictures familiar enough to-day,
but. at that time entirely unknown to the opera-goer. As
to the eye, so to the ear did C Aida" furnish a complete reve-
lation. The music, with its original Eastern coloring and
exotic atmosphere, its novel harmonies (so unlike the earlier
Verdi), its bold effects, such as the masterly combination
of themes in the second finale (not forgetting the specially de-
signed long trumpets), and the magnificent orchestration
throughout all this, apart from the unique personality of
the central figure, sufficed to impart a new artistic quality
to the representation. The grim Egyptian tragedy, laid
out by the Frenchman Camille du Lode and set forth in
verse by the Italian Ghislanzoni, was considered equal to
the best grand opera libretto that Scribe had ever written
for Meyerbeer; and that was saying much.

Yet, amid all the novel features of the production, none
was more striking than the change that had come over
the art of the great singer who filled the title-role. There
was a new note of tragic feeling in the voice; there were
shades of poignant expression in the "Kitorna vineitor,"
the "Cieli azzuri," and the three superb duets in which
Aida takes part, that seemed to embrace the whole gamut
of human misery and passion. Such tragic depths Adelina
Patti had never plumbed before. And, of all the splendid
Aidas that have since appeared in London, not one has pre-
sented a more highly colored or less exaggerated picture.

She had personally superintended the preparation of her
costumes. It was suggested that she should order them from
Cairo, or Paris, but she insisted on their being made at
Covent Garden from fresh designs. ''Fanciful dresses of
this sort/' she declared, "are always best made for me in
the theatre." Naturally, very great trouble was taken to




IN PARIS, 1870



THE REIGN OF PATTI 189

have everything right. She did not want Aida to look like
another Selika, but an African princess of a different and
more individual type. That she succeeded was the general
opinion. The light brown complexion of her skin seemed just
the right shade, neither excessively dark nor the opposite.
Still Aida was an entirely new figure in opera, and on the first
night at Covent Garden her aspect evoked sympathy for
the artist from no less august a critic than the Princess of
Wales (now Queen Alexandra). Turning to the equerry be-
side her in the royal box (he afterwards told Mme. Patti), her
Eoyal Highness exclaimed: "What a pity for the pretty
little face, to be all smothered up with black !"

Nicolini was the Badames. He gave a far finer portrayal
of the Egyptian warrior than of the Teutonic Knight of
the Swan, whom he had also presented to an English au-
dience for the first time during the previous season. The
best tenor of his day in parts that suited Mm, Nicolini en-
tirely failed to comprehend either the poetry or the music
of " Lohengrin"; but he was a magnificent Radames*

Considering the unusual length of her career in opera r
the number of characters actually created by Mme. Patti
was comparatively insignificant. At Covent Garden she ap-

i "No one in London has ever sung the tenor part in 'Aida-' as it
was sung for some years by Signor Nicolini." Thus writes Mr. Suther-
land Edwards in his book, "The Prima Donna." But it must be remem-
bered that this appreciation was published a few months before Jean de
Reszke made his dgbut as Radames at Drury Lane in 1887, and fifteen
years prior to Caruso's triumph in the same character at Covent Gar-
den. Mr. Kuhe, by the way, in his "Recollections," refers to Nicolini' s
remarkable resemblance to Mario, and adds: "He was very handsome;
his voice was a real tenor of exceeding beauty and most artistically
managed, while his acting was both manly and graceful. Nicolini had
been originally trained at the Paris Conservatoire as a pianist; but,
making the discovery that he possessed a voice of fine calibre, he wisely
devoted himself to its cultivation. He retired from public life far too
soon, ... but he prefers to lead the life of a country squire,"



190 THE REIGN OF PATTI

peared altogether In eight pew roles. Of these, however,
only two occurred In operas not already heard elsewhere:
namely, "Gelmina," by Princess Poniatowski (June 4, 1872),
and "Velleda," a four-act opera by Charles Lenepveu, founded
upon Chateaubriand's "Les Martyrs" (July 4, 1882). The
others were Annetta in " Crisp ino e la Comare" (July
14, 1866); Juliet in "Borneo e Giulietta" (July 11, 1867) ;
Esmeralda in Campana's opera of that name (June 14,
1870); Catenna in Auber's "Les Diamants de la ,Cour-
onne" (July 3, 1873) ; Aida (June 22, 1876) ; and Estella
in Jules Cohen's "Les Bluets" (July 3, 1880), given in
Italian under the title of "Estella."

Of those not already mentioned, two characters only took
a conspicuous place in the singer's repertory, namely An-
netta and Caterina. 1 Campana's "Esmeralda" met with
some success, but survived only for a season or two. It was
originally produced in London in 1862, then heard of no
more until mounted at St. Petersburg for Mme. Patti in
December, 1869. "Gelmina" and "Velleda" were both
written expressly for her. One remembers Prince Ponia-
towsM's merry ballad, "The Yeoman's Wedding," made
popular by Santley; but of his opera every note has long

i Noticing a revival of "Crispino," the Musical World observed that
it was "rendered especially attractive by the rich comic humour of
Signor Eonconi as the cobbler, and the exquisitely refined singing and
acting of Mile. Adelina Patti as the cobbler's wife. . . . The wonder is
that such a coarse lout as the cobbler Crispino should be possessed of
such a charming wife as the Annetta of Mile. Patti. However, if the
consistency of dramatic truth is hereby invaded, the effect of the opera
and the delight of the audience are immeasurably enhanced. Her con-
dolences with her husband in their wretched poverty, her effort to aid
him, her pleadings for pity at the hands of his creditors, her pettish
jealousy at Crispino's description of the fairy's gift, her reconciliation
with him, and that inimitable dance with which she accompanies the
brilliant roulades expressive of her exultation at their good fortune
such a combination of exuberant animal spirits, refinement of manner,
and high, vocal excellence is rarely found in one singer,"



THE REIGN OF PATT1 _ 191

been forgotten. The music of "Yelleda" was equally un-
inspired and made little or no impression, in spite of an
exceedingly good performance, wherein Mme. Patti was
supported by Mme. Yalleria, Mile. Stahl, Nicolini, Cotogni,
and Edouarcl de Eeszke. "Les Bluets" was first brought
out at the Theatre-Lyrique, Paris, in 1867, with Nilsson as
E ' stella. Neither the book nor M. Jules Cohen's music
proved particularly attractive then; and, when given at
Covent Garden thirteen years later, it was generally agreed
that Mine. Patti would have done better to leave the opera
to the oblivion that it deserved. 1

On the whole, however, it must be admitted that admir-
able discretion was shown in the choice of her repertory.
For this, in the early days, the credit should go to her father
and to Maurice Strakosch. The parts that they picked out
for her were the parts she sang during the greater portion of
her career.

Even a heavy role like Valentina in "Les Huguenots' 7
(which she first essayed when a girl at New Orleans, then
took up again at Liege on her return from Russia in 1870)
remained for some years her favorite "tour de force on the
occasion of her "annual benefit 7 ' at Covent Garden. She
sang it there first in July, 1871, with no less distinguished a
Raoul than Mario, who two or three nights later bade fare-

i In a review of the opera season, shortly after the production of
"Velleda" at Covent Garden, the author wrote as follows in the Sunday
Times of July 23, 1882:

"As for 'Velleda,' we can only trust that its failure will prove a
lesson to Mme. Patti not to bring over any more unknown operas jby
obscure Frenchmen for Mr. Gye to produce simply because they provide
soprano parts well suited to the diva's voice >and means. Even the
genius of Mme. Patti cannot redeem from mediocrity music that would
not otherwise be thought wortli taking out of a composer's portfolio;
but as yet not one of her numerous troiivailles has turned out a prize?
and the only result has been to exclude operas that have already. gained
Continental fame or new works by native musicians who can write as
well as either M. Cohen or M. Lenepveu."



192 THE REIGN OP PATTI

well to the stage as Fernando in "La Favorita"; but the
critics, albeit full of admiration for the talent displayed in this
effort, would not allow that it was entirely successful. Here
is a specimen of the guarded kind of language they wrote :

We are so convinced of the earnestness of Mme. Patti in what-
ever she attempts that we prefer awaiting another opportunity of
forming a judgment as to her capabilities for excelling in the new
sphere to which she is now apparently directing her strength.
Though a first experience does not justify a verdict of unqualified
approval, it is equally insufficient, on the other hand, to warrant
condemnation without appeal. The performances of no artist whom
we can call to mind have heen worthier calm and deliberate con-
sideration than those of Mme. Patti.

Two years later the Musical World said:

Although the fresh effort, brilliant as it undoubtedly was, has not
changed our opinion that Valentino, is among those characters which,
for certain reasons, do not lie easily within her means, there were
features in Mme, Patti's impersonation which placed it apart from
any other Valentino, we have seen.

The allusion here was undoubtedly to the rare individuality,
the supreme beauty of her singing in this part. "While abso-
lutely traditional as a reading, it yet seemed to impart a
new aspect to the music. Even Joseph Bennett was con-
strained to say in the Daily Telegraph: "Not in our rec-
ollection at least, has the music of Meyerbeer's Valentina
received so refined, unforced, rigidly accurate, and masterly
a reading."

Another sound adviser was Frederick Gye. So long as
he stood at the helm at the Royal Italian Opera, his chief
prima donna's few errors of judgment were restricted to
those instances in which " undue influence" got the best of
her good sense and good nature. One or two of these have




IDESDEMCHSTA, 1871



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 193

been cited, but Mr. Gye (no doubt after consultation with
Costa) generally counselled the right thing. He may, as we
have seen, have had a habit of strengthening his prospectus
at her expense. Thus he put her down for Eossini's " Donna
del Lago" in 1871 and for Verdi's i Vepres Siciliennes" in
1877, and neither promise was kept.

But the unfulfilled production of " Carmen" set down for
Mme. Patti in 1878, and that of "ilireille" in 1880, whether
seriously intended or not, ought not to be credited to Mr.
Gye. He had, as a matter of fact, retired from management
in 1877, and in December, 1878, he was killed by a gun acci-
dent. With his departure the " halcyon -days" of Italian
opera may be said to have ended.

On the other hand, Patti prolonged for a brief space the
life of operas that displayed her gifts to the highest advan-
tage, but whose Italian popularity was even then moribund.
Among these may be mentioned Rossini's "Otello" (1871),
wherein she had Mongini and Graziani for her associates.
Davison thought her impersonation of Desdemona quite re-
markable :

Her reading of the character is not that of Pasta and Giisi, but
that of Malibran and Sophie Cruvelli the genuine reading, we can
but think. Mme. Patti's Desdemona, while in certain forcible situa-
tions highly impassioned, is eminently graceful and sympathetic.
She is able to achieve the combination of pathetic sentiment with
florid execution. . . . The last act is her very finest. The exqui-
sitely plaintive "Willow Song" is most touching. The embellish-
ments Rossini's own, by the way are as perfectly executed as
they are perfectly composed (Times).

Again, in 1873, when Verdi's "Ernard" was mounted for
the first time at Covent Garden, no one fell in love with the
opera; but the triumph of the Elvira, according to the same
authority, was indisputable:



194 THE REIGN OF PATTI

It is always agreeable to hear Mme. Patti in some new part. She
invariably brings a reading of her own and puts the stamp of her
individuality upon whatever she undertakes. Since Sophie Cru-
velli, who possessed unlimited means for the task, we have not heard
the music of Elvira sung so uniformly well, except by Angelina
Bosio; while it would be difficult to imagine anything more poet-
ically conceived, more justly balanced, or more thoroughly finished
than Mme. Patti's dramatic realisation.

And so with the same composer's "Luisa Miller" in the
following year :

In spite of Mme. Patti's admirable performance, and admirable
it is from beginning to end, worthy of the great artist whom all
acknowledge, it is nevertheless very doubtful if "Luisa Miller" can,
under any circumstances, keep the stage.

These operas were revived occasionally, then by degrees
fell out of the current repertory. Such, however, was not
the fate of Kossini's "Sentiramide," when Mme. Patti
made up her mind to attempt at Covent Garden the Homburg
"honeymoon" role so long identified in London with Grisi
and Tietjens.

Her venture was justified by one of the most emphatic
of all her successes. Given during the season of 1878, with
Scalchi as Arsace and Maurel as Assur, the opera entered
upon a new lease of life, which endured as long as the
stage life of the diva herself. I remember the night well,
more especially for two things Patti 's magnificent singing
of "Bel raggio" with the new Eossini changes and cadenzas;
and the extraordinary effect that she created with Scalchi
in the famous duet, "Giorno d'orrore.' 7 I thought the au-
dience would bring the roof down.

Let it be noted that she had deferred her appearance in
London as Semiramide until after the death of Tietjens,
which occurred in 1877. This was wise, because the char-



THE REIGN OF PATTI 195

aeter had long been associated In the minds of the public
with the ample and imposing personality of that artist, and
it was difficult for old opera-goers to visualize a real Semi-
ramide in the svelte and delicate figure of their beloved
Adelina. "She will be singing Norma nest," said one
grumpy habitue in my hearing. 1 Nevertheless, every one ac-
cepted her in the new part without the smallest reserve, and
had perforce to admit that Rossini's judgment in the mat-
ter had been entirely correct. The general verdict was fairly
reflected in the Pall Mall Gazette:

That Mme. Patti would find all the music of Semiramide well
within her resources must have been known beforehand to everyone
who had ever heard her in Rossinian opera. Others were aware that
her impersonation would, in a dramatic point of view, be all that
could be desired. Mme. Patti does not walk the stage like a con-
ventional stage queen, with measured step, lofty bearing, and head
slightly thrown back in token of general disdain. Always natural,
always entering into the spirit of the character she undertakes, she
is queenly, not through any deliberate assumption of regal airs, but
because in the exercise of her high dramatic faculty she becomes
Semiramide herself. She is as queenly as it is possible to be with-
out ceasing to be womanly.

In attacking one of Pauline Lucca's greatest roles, Selika
in "L'Afrieaine/' Patti was not upon equally safe ground.
The new part, which she first tried at Covent Garden in 1879
(Nicolini the Vasco di Gama; Lassalle, then making his debut,
the N elusive), pleased only a few thick-and4hin admirers.
Comparing the two Selikas, one critic said: "Mme. Lucca's
African queen, admirable according to her individual concep-
tion, partakes more or less of the ideal savage ; while that of
Mme. Patti, in every accent, look, and gesture, reveals the

lAnd why not? She would have made a splendid "Norma. Yet
somehow fche part did not appeal to her, and after l*er childhood sh
scarcely ever sang "Casta diva,"



196 THE EEIGN OP PATTI

tender, anxious, devoted woman." The latter was not, of
course, sufficient to constitute the real Selika. Truth to tell,
she never really felt at home in the part, and only sang it two
or three times altogether.

The "Ai"da ?? year (1876) was big with fate for the heroine
of these pages. For some time rumor had been busy with
stories that suggested growing unhappiness in the marital
relations between the Marquise de Caux and the Marquis.
Those stories were not exaggerated. The pair had been
married nearly eight years, but it had not taken them all
that time to discover that they were ill suited to each other.
During the first year or two things had gone tolerably well.
After that husband and wife began to disagree, until finally
they found that there was scarcely a question upon which
they were of one mind. Then they came to the conclusion
tthat it was time to part* Accordingly, a formal separation
took place in 1877.

Meanwhile to complete this part of our story the Mar-
quis de Caux continued to live in Paris, and duly intimated
his intention of sequestrating whatever sums his wife might
earn in Prance. She made it a point not to sing there. In
1884, however, all obstacles to a legal separation were re-
moved by Mme. Patti making an offer to divide her fortune
with the Marquis. His share was said to have amounted
to about a million and a half francs. In the following year
both parties sued in the French courts for a divorce, and
after considerable delay it was granted in 1885. Thence-
forward the Marquis disappears from the scene.

In 1886 Mme. Patti was married to Signor Nicolini. They
provided themselves with an English or, rather, a Welsh
home, having purchased the freehold of a beautiful estate
in the Swansea Valley, now familiar to all the world as
Craig-y-Nos Castle, This name is derived from the Craig-




MARIE
FiHe du Regiment, 1871



THE REIGN OF PATTI . 197

y-Nos, or " Mountain of the Night," facing the spot on
which the castle was erected. It has been correctly de-
scribed as an " oasis in the desert"; for, while the scenery
in this part of the valley is very striking, the surrounding
country for many miles is wild and rugged without being
interesting. The castle itself was greatly improved and
enlarged by Mme. Patti; but upon this subject there win
be more to say in a subsequent chapter.

The civil contract of the marriage with Signor Nicolini
was signed before the French Consul in Swansea on June
9 ? 1886. The witnesses were M. Thomas Johnson (of the
Paris Figaro) and Mr. Wilhelm Ganz, both old friends of
the bride. On the return to Craig-y-Nos Castle congratu-
latory addresses were presented on behalf of various local
bodies. Next day the religious ceremony was performed
at the (Protestant) parish church of the neighboring vil-
lage of Ystradgynlais, in the presence of a crowded con-
gregation. The vicar, the Rev. G. Glanby, officiated, assisted
by two curates. The bride was led to the altar by M.
Maynard, of Paris, and "Wilhelm Ganz acted as best man.



CHAPTER XIV

Patti and Personal Influences Her New Secretary, Franchl The Ques-
tion of Higher Fees Strakoseh Justifies the Advance Nilsson and
Patti Lead the Way Tours in Italy (1878-80) America Revisited
Experimental Tour in 1881 a Failure Owing to Bad Management
Better "Results under Mapleson (1882) Three Operatic Seasons in
the United States; Terms Rising to 1,000 a Night Opposition in
New York (1883) The Metropolitan and German Opera Visits to
Salt Lake City and San Francisco Twenty-fifth Anniversary of the
New York Debut The Banquet and Various Celebrations Maple-
son's Talent for Descriptive and Other Accounts

THE contrast between the artificial melange of aristo-
cratic and artistic surroundings heretofore imposed
upon the Marquise de Caux, and the tranquil, solid domes-
tic manage now formed by Mme. Adelina Patti-Nicolini was
extremely marked. The effect of the change quickly be-
came perceptible to her more intimate friends; and it did
not diminish as time went on. She was always very im-
pressionable and alike as a woman and an artist pecu-
liarly sensitive to the opinions of those around her. Her
disposition and character, in the moulding of which her father
and her brother-in-law had taken so conspicuous a part,
had undergone little modification during the seven years of
her first marriage. But the Marquis had colored her views
of things and people; and, as always, her ideas had been
largely influenced by her companions of the moment.

Among these, by far the most important at this time was
an Italian named Franchji, who, on the recommendation
of Maurice Strakosch, had been engaged by the Marquis de
Caux in 1869 to act as her secretary and homme d'affaires*

iFranchi worked in a somewhat similar capacity for Strakosch in

198



THE REIGN OF PATTI 199

He had received a good training and proved to be an excellent
man for the post. Nieolini, who had previously met Fran-
chi in Paris, had great confidence in him. His services
were consequently retained under the new regime, and he
remained in Mine. Patti's employ for a period altogether of
about fifteen years. It may be mentioned that she did not
pay him a salary. He received what was probably more
profitable remuneration in the shape of a substantial com-
mission upon her earnings.

In a business sense, the combined influence of Nicolini
and Franchi quickly became apparent: first of all in a
sensible augmentation of her fees, and later on in a dispo-
sition to accept engagements for countries that the famous
singer had not visited hitherto. Her terms for Covent Gar-
den had so far remained unaltered. Mr. Gye had paid her
100 a night for several years, and would most likely have
continued at that figure until the end, had she not heard
that Nilsson was getting 200 a night from Mr. Mapleson.
For Patti to accept lower fees than Nilsson was, of course,
out of the question. Mr. Gye was obliged not only to spring
at one jump to the higher amount, but to exceed it. Her
cachet was accordingly fixed at two hundred guineas, and
from that level it never afterwards rose or fell as long as
the Gye management lasted.

But, if her terms for the Continental opera houses went
steadily up, it was not at a greater rate than was warranted
by the diva's drawing powers. She was invariably a source
of substantial profit. Maurice Strakosch observes : 1

Paris in 1873, when the latter, whom the Ministre des Beaux-Arts had
appointed director of the ThSatre-Italien, was engaging his artists. At
the end of the season, however, the Minister, finding that Strakosch
was unable to carry on the undertaking without loss, withdrew his sub-
vention (100,000 francs), whereupon he resigned his position and r-
fiunaed work as a teacher and agent,
i "Souvenirs d'un Impresario."



200 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

The trouble Is that the cantatrices of to-day all reckon themselves
Pattis and Nilssons, and regard themselves as their equals, if not
for their qualities, at least for the extent of their fees. If Mme.
Adelina Patti could sing every evening, there would be no harm in
according her an extraordinary sum for each representation, since
the director would assuredly find his balance on the right side; and
if that director could solve the problem of arranging for Mme. Patti
and Mme. ISTilsson to sing on alternate, nights, his fortune would
be made. But when one or other of these artists has to be replaced
by singers of inferior class, who ask relatively the same figures
for their sendees, ruin is almost certain.

As will have been seen, it was not Patti but Nilsson who
led the way in the demand for higher fees. The former
did not follow the example of her Swedish contemporary
abroad until she found that foreign operatic managers were
willing to pay her more. This they really did, because they
knew her to be under all circumstances what Americans call
a "money-making proposition"; and it was an indisput-
able fact, universally admitted, that no European impres-
ario who secured a contract with Patti ever incurred a loss
over it. The same record applies to the United States, save
in the one or two instances where the enterprise was marred
"by pure mismanagement.

Obviously, Patti had a perfect right to double or treble
her terms if she pleased; and at the instigation of Nicolini
and Franchi.she did so. But it would be unjust to charge
her, on that account, with having inaugurated the era of
exorbitant operatic fees. She was not the first great prima
donna to command huge salaries, though, as we shall see,
she was to break every record in that direction and receive
the largest sums ever paid to a singer. It was not her fault
if opera singers less gifted and endowed, with inferior earn-
ing capacity, also began to raise their terms, and found man-



THE EBIGN OF PATTI 201

agers weak enough to accede to their demands. On the other
hand, the artistic consequences of the new development were
frequently regrettable in the extreme.

Thus, the more the impresario had to pay Mme. Patti,
the less he could afford to expend upon the remainder of
his troupe; and when the supporting artists were unworthy
of association with her, the ensemble suffered in proportion.
A well-known contemporary critic referred to the practice in
these terms :

No person of ordinary musical taste can care for an operatic
representation in which one singer is as admirable as, under the
circumstances, she can be, while the others are quite incompetent.
. . . Rachel, Ristori, Sarah Bernhardt, have all been guilty of the
fault charged against Mme. Patti, and which in the early part of
the century used to be charged against Mme. CatalanL But an
artist, however great, who consents to perform in the midst of in-
adequate supporters ceases to be more than a highly interesting
curiosity, or, let us say, phenomenon. 1

Maurice Strakosch told the writer of the lines just
quoted that "When she sang in Vienna at the beginning of
1863 she was receiving one thousand pounds a month.*' A
quarter of a century later she wan to receive (in the United
States) one thousand pounds a night! Midway between
these periods Franchi was being instructed to "arrange the
contract " with the Continental impresarios at anywhere near
5,000 francs (200) a performance.

Nicolini always insisted on her being paid her full terms.
As a rule, too, besides singing with her himself, he stipu-
lated that a strong supporting company should be provided.
In 1878 he -persuaded her to accept a liberal offer from
Maurice Strakosch to undertake a tour in Italy. It com-
prised visits to Milan, Genoa, Florence, Borne, and Naples ;

i "The Prima Donna," by H. Sutherland Edwards, Vol. II, p. 83.



202 THE EBIGN OF PATTI

and everywhere there was the same tale of triumphant
success. The most remarkable demonstrations occurred at
Milan, where Patti and Nicolini appeared together at La
Seala in "A'ida" for ten consecutive representations.

Maurice Strakoseh in his "Souvenirs" thus comments upon
this Italian tour :

One cannot imagine the enthusiasm that the Italians displayed
towards the diva; it sounds more fairylike than real. ... In the
towns which Patti passed through the hotels were crowded to excess ;
the people from the country round about simply rushed to hear
her; they slept literally in the streets and in the public places.
However vast the theatres in which she sang, the stage every night
was completely strewn with flowers. The price of entrance alone
cost 20 francs; it might be impossible to see Patti, but she could be
heard from a corridor, and that was enough the public was de-
lighted. Stalls cost 50 francs and private boxes any price up to
2,000 francs (80). The average receipts always exceeded 40,000
francs (1,600). . . . M. Nicolini, whose tenor voice was of beauti-
ful quality, shared with Mme. Patti the applause of the spectators.
He had previously left pleasant memories in Italy, and the cordial
reception accorded him during this last tour proved that be had
not been forgotten.

For a couple of years after this successful Italian venture,
Europe continued to satisfy the ambitious -cravings of Nico-
lini and Ftanehi. Then there slowly loomed upon the hori-
zon the beckoning shadow of another continent, from whose
shores at that time artists of distinction were wont to return
with exciting reports of fabulous wealth, a fanatical love
of music, and profits galore. It did not need a great deal
or argument to convince Mme. Patti that she might with
advantage revisit the country of her infancy and girlhood.
She decided to do so in the late autumn of 1881, at which
date she had been away from America rather more than
twenty years.



THE REIGN OP PATTI 203

Tlie expedition took the form of a concert tour, and un-
fortunately it was not, from the American point of view,
well organized. The services of a transatlantic manager be-
ing dispensed with, there was a decided lack of the "bold
advertisement*' and sensational trumpet-blowing that usu-
ally lend eclat (and consequent profit) to the American
visits of artists of international fame. Doubtless it has been
expected that the name Patti would alone suffice to "do the
trick" But, as it turned out, the new generation of New
Yorkers "knew not' 7 Patti. Asked to pay ten dollars a seat
to hear her, they politely relinquished that privilege to her
old friends and admirers, who did not muster audiences
big enough to fill the room. The receipts at the first New
York concert amounted to no more than $3,000; at the
second to as little as $1,000 ! Only after the diva had sung
on behalf of a charity and cut down the charge for seats
to five dollars (reserved) and two dollars (unreserved) did
the business begin to improve.

She then placed the direction of affairs in the hands of
Mr. Henry B, Abbey, who had earned some repute as Ameri-
can manager for Mme. Sarah Bernhardt. He speedily organ-
ized a concert tour in the Eastern States which on the whole
prospered fairly well. But New York wanted to hear Patti
only in opera. So a few performances, with an exceedingly
weak supporting company, were given in February and
March, 1882, at the old "Wallack's Theatre on Broadway,
and with these the ill-starred undertaking came to a conclu-
sion.

Evidently Pranchi had not understood American cam-
paigning. However, Mme. Patti was not the woman to be
discouraged by that rarest of all her experiences, a quasi-
failure, particularly when she knew the cause and perceived
the remedy. The latter presented itself on the spot in the
burly person of Colonel James Henry Mapleson, who by now



204 THE BEIGN OF PATTI

was an established impresario in both hemispheres. His sea-
son at the Academy of Music, New York, had been running
concurrently with the before-mentioned Patti concerts, and
she had in course of her tour sung under his management
at the Cincinnati Opera Festival, receiving a very high fee.
Moreover, Messrs. Ernest and Herbert Gye (sons of Fred-
erick Gye, and now her Covent Garden directors) were inter-
ested at this time in Mapleson's American speculations.

"When, therefore, the persuasive Colonel offered Mme.
Patti big terms to sing for him at the Academy of Music
the following winter, he found a ready listener; and when
he further consented to engage Signor Nicolini as principal
tenor, all obstacles were removed. The bargain was signed
and sealed before they quitted New York.

The new company arrived from England early in the
month of October, 1882; and this time a " Patti boom" was
engineered in masterly fashion. Mapleson has himself de-
scribed the reception in his own picturesque language : *

Of course, all the attention of the public was concentrated on the
expected arrival of Patti. ... I had left orders for a telegram to
be sent to me as soon as the vessel passed Fire Island, in order that
I might be in time to dress and go down to one of the specially
chartered steamers with Signor Franehi, Patti's agent, Commander
Herbert Gye, and a party of artists and reporters, accompanied by
military bands, fireworks, etc. The Servia was out in the middle
of the stream, and we steamed up alongside, when we saw Patti,
who had been up since half-past four in the morning, in feverish
anxiety to reach terra firma. Our band struck up "God Save the
Queen," and everyone bared his head; the Englishmen partly from
traditional reverence, but most of those present from admiration of
the lyric queen who had come for another reign to the delighted
people of New York. ... In the evening there was a midniglu

i "The Mapleson Memoirs," London, 1888. Vol. I, p. 289.




AIDA, 1876



THE REIG-N OF PATTI 205

serenade in front of the Windsor Hotel, and ultimately la diva
had to appear at the window, when orchestra and chorus, who were
outside, performed the grand prayer from "I Lombardi." After
three hearty cheers for Adelina Patti, people went home and she
was left in peace. She made her debut a few days afterwards in
"Lucia di Lammermoor."

Mapleson paid Mme. Patti $4,500 (900) a performance
for the American season of 1882-83, including the services
of Signor Nieolini whenever lie sang. Allowing for that
stipulation, these were the highest terms she had yet re-
ceived, albeit not so high that they did not permit the im-
presario to reap a satisfactory margin of profit. The com-
pany was a strong one, the repertory attractive, the public
enthusiastic in its response. Although for forty perform-
ances she received the (then) record sum of $175,000,

Once, when Patti and Scalehi appeared together in
"Semiramide/ 7 the receipts at the Academy of Music
amounted to $14,000. Elsewhere in the United States, dur-
ing a prolonged and successful tour, the same figure was
also reached when well-worn operas like " Lucia" were given
with Patti as the solitary star. She had now not only re-
conquered America, but achieved fame of a more enduring
bind than the evanescent popularity of her girlhood days.

The second season wound up, like the previous one, with
an operatic festival at Cincinnati, in the course of which
she appeared in "Ai'da," "La Traviata," "Semiramide,"
and "Don Giovanni." The leading singers of Mapleson 's
troupe further comprised Albani, Fursch-Madi, Valleria, Min-
nie Hauk, Scalehi, Nieolini, Campanini, Mierzwinsky, Eavelli,
Galassi, and Del Puente, with Arditi as conductor-in-chief
Before leaving for England Mme. Patti again signed with
the same manager for the following season. But the con-
ditions were by then to have undergone a considerable
change.



206 THE REIGN OF PATTI

In 1883 the old Academy of Music in New York was for
the first time faced with opposition from the newly erected
Metropolitan Opera House. The primary purpose of the
latter was presumably to furnish a handsome and more
commodious opera house for the display of New York society
in all its wealth of finery and jewels and luxurious extrava-
gance. The Gyes of Covent Garden had struggled in yain
to secure the control and management of the new establish-
ment. Mr. Vanderbilt and his co-stockholders were anxious
for it to be directed by an American manager, and inci-
dentally to prove, if necessary, that New York was quite
capable of supporting two opera houses.

At the same time, they were desirous of securing Mme.
Patti for their opening season, and, having appointed Mr.
Henry Abbey manager of the Metropolitan, they made
strenuous efforts through him to lure her from the Maple-
sonian fold. In this they did not succeed, although Mr.
Abbey's offer of $5,000 a night for her services compelled
the Colonel ultimately to advance to that figure before the
diva would consent to bind herself to him afresh.

Mr. Abbey contrived, nevertheless, to carry off several of
the artists who had previously sung at the Academy of Music ;
so that, with Christine Nilsson for his prima donna assoluta
and a brilliant debutante in Mme. Mareella Sembrich, the
Metropolitan possessed a strong company. Both managers,
indeed, were in the position to wage a tremendous warfare;
and wage it they did. They opened on the same evening
(October 22, 1883), and fought their campaign steadily until
Christmas. Resuming in the early spring, they went on until
Easter, and by the time the struggle ended each side had sus-
tained ruinous losses. According to Mr. John B. Schoeffel
(Mr. Abbey's partner), the deficit at the Metropolitan
amounted to nearly $600,000.* Mr. Abbey then threw up

i "Chapters of Opera/* by H. E, KrehHel.



THE REIGN OF PATTI 207

the sponge and resigned the direction of the Metropolitan,
which remained shut until the autumn of 1884.

Colonel Mapleson lost heavily, as has been said; yet less
severely than his opponent, and thus was able to continue
the fight for two more seasons. For this he had to thank
Mme. Patti, who, in spite of her fee of $5,000 a performance,
" pay able in advance," drew sufficiently crowded houses to
be his main source of profit. She had made her rentree
in Rossini's "La Gazza Ladra," which had not been heard
in New York for many years. Otherwise her repertory for
the season contained nothing fresh until her return visit
to the Empire City in the spring of 1884, when she appeared
with Signor Nieolini in the Italian version of Gounod's
"Romeo et Juliette" for the first time in America.

It was during the provincial tour that followed the New
York winter season of 1883 that Mme. Patti 's manager
found it hardest to make ends meet. To make sure of her
cachet, she had to insist upon the fulfilment of the clause in
her contract requiring the money to be paid to her agent
before each performance began. Mapleson himself relates
in his "Memoirs" an amusing story of what happened in
Philadelphia on the night when she was to sing in "La
Traviata." If not accurate in every detail, at least it shows
in a favorable light the Colonel's (and Signor Franchi's)
sense of humor. 1

In the same pages there is a vivid account of many other
adventures in which Mme. Patti was concerned during the
progress of this American tour. Most of them appear to
have been the outcome of an acute rivalry between herself
and the gifted Hungarian soprano, Etelka Gerster, who was
unwise enough to consider that she ought not to play "sec-
ond fiddle" to any other living singer not even Adelina
Patti.

i See Appendix T.



208 THE EEIGN OP PATTI

The intrigues and quarrels that occurred en~ route pro-
vided ilapleson with constant excitement and much mate-
rial for his book. They seem to have culminated at San
Francisco, where, however, a timely earthquake brought
everybody to their senses. Says Arditi: "Words fail me to
give an adequate description of the sensation caused there
by Patti and Gerster," Nevertheless, although their mana-
ger announced them to appear together as Valentino, and
the Queen in "Les Huguenots" they steadfastly declined to
do so. 1

On their way to California the company paid a visit to
Salt Lake City. There the "little lady" made great friends
with the Mormon Prophet, Brigham Young, and, accompa-
nied by some of his apostles, he partook of a dejeuner in
her private car, which stood, as usual, in a siding at the
railway station. He requited her hospitality by allowing
her to sing at an afternoon concert in the vast Mormon
Tabernacle, which until then had never been utilized for
any but religious services. The prices were fixed at a low
figure (two dollars and a dollar), and the huge place was
packed. Brigham Young was so delighted that he subse-
quently attended a performance of "Lucia" in which Patti
sang at the Salt Lake Theatre on the same evening.

Still, nothing in the course of the whole tour could com-
pare with the scenes enacted at San Francisco. There the

i This was in consequence of what had happened at Chicago earlier in
the tour. There they actually did sing together in Meyerbeer's opera,
but, through a mistake on the .part of the ushers, an enormous collec-
tion of floral tributes, which should have been handed to Mme. Patti
at the end of the third and fourth acts, were carefully presented to her
at the close of the first, where Valentino, has practically nothing to
sing and the honors were all Mme. Gerster's. The diva was much
upset by the contretemps, for which she was in no way responsible; but,
under the conditions, no sort of assurance would have explained it away,
nor could the two singers ever after be persuaded to appear together in
the same opera.



THE REIGN OP PATTI 209

"Adelina Patti epidemic," as Mapleson called It, developed
from a fever into a condition of delirium that attacked the
whole population of the city, and lasted, despite the occur-
rence of the aforesaid earthquake, until the end of the visit.

The excitement began with the preliminary sale of tickets
for the Patti representations. The crowds stood in line
during the whole of the night, and many sold their places
next morning at from ten to twenty dollars apiece. Specu-
lators obtained fabulous prices for seats. Thousands of
people were unable to obtain admission at the opening per-
formance; moreover, a fraudulent issue of bogus tickets
led to overcrowding and serious trouble inside the opera
house just as the curtain was rising on "La Traviata."
Next day the police intervened, and Mapleson was charged
before tbe district magistrate with violating the city ordi-
nance regulating the obstruction of passageways in theatres.
He was convicted and fined $75; which, however, the im-
presario declares that the judge, "evidently a lover of music,
consented to take out in opera tickets. ' 7

The reception accorded to the great prima donna when
she appeared as Violetta was marked by indescribable en-
thusiasm. The rush to hear her on subsequent nights was
such that the stay of the company had to be extended an
extra week. Altogether the Californian receipts must have
helped in a considerable measure to reduce the total losses
on the New York season, which, on being resumed after the
close of the tour, proved no less disastrous than before.

Yet, in spite of Mapleson 7 s evil fortune, Mme. Patti signed
another contract with him for the season of 1884-85. He
had paid her regularly, and in the course of the two pre-
ceding tours she received from him a total sum falling not
far short of 90,000, then nearly half a million dollars. She
was aware, moreover,- that he was again to be backed by the



210 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

stockholders of the Academy of Music a very important
security. Owing to these elements of strength, certain ef-
forts now made by the stockholders of the Metropolitan
Opera House to win Mapleson over to their establishment
proved a failure. Poor Henry Abbey was too near ruin to
take up the reins again; and, although the Gyes entered
into further negotiations, their attempts to gain a footing
in New York were consistently doomed to failure. For a
time it really seemed as if there would be no opposition to
the season at the Academy.

On Mme. Patti's arrival in New York late in October,
1884, she learned of the recent death of her old companion,
Signor Brignoli, who it will be remembered, had sung Ed~
gardo on the occasion of her operatic debut in " Lucia" in
1859. Knowing that he had been in embarrassed pecuniary
circumstances, she at once offered to defray the funeral ex-
penses; but this had already been done by another friend.
She was met, as usual, at quarantine by a steamer with the
Colonel and a military band on board. The newspaper re-
porters were received on her behalf by her new secretaxy
and manager, Mr. Charles Levilly, an Englishman of French
descent, who, a few weeks before, had succeeded the diplo-
matic Signor Franchi.

The official prospectus inaugurated a new form of Maple-
sonian joke one that was destined to become classical. It
declared this to be Mme. Patti's " farewell season in Amer-
ica/' As we shall see, it proved to be a premature an-
nouncement. Happily, no one appears to have taken it
seriously. For the time being, however, it was not con-
tradicted, and, indeed, when the reporters put the question
to the prima donna herself, she replied:

"This is the last time I shall come to America, as the
physical discomfort of crossing the ocean is too great for
me to be repeatedly subjecting myself to it."



THE REIGN OP PATTI 211

Other great artists have probably said the same thing
just after passing Sandy Hook at the end of a disagreeable
voyage. It would have been as well, all the same, had the
word "farewell" not been uttered in connection with Mme.
Patti for another fifteen or twenty years.

The season began early in November, Mme. Patti mak-
ing her reappearance as Rosina in "II Barbiere." On the
17th of the same month the Metropolitan opened its doors
with German opera, now exploited for the first time in New
York with a completely organized company of German art-
ists. The venture was under the direction * (managerial as
well as artistic) of Dr. Leopold Damrosch, a talented con-
ductor hailing from Breslau, who had already lived twelve
years in America. The troupe included some of the better-
known Wagnerian singers notably Materna and Marianne
Brandt then popular at Bayreuth and elsewhere. The per-
formances were for the most part excellent, and fulfilled a
want that New York, with its large Teutonic element, had
long felt.

The remarkable success of the new enterprise had an im-
mediate effect upon . the receipts at the older house. It
became increasingly evident that New York was losing its
taste for Italian opera of the old school. Not even the
magic name of Patti was capable of saving the unfortunate
Colonel Mapleson from renewed financial disaster. At the
critical moment the stockholders withdrew their support, and
the season ended in December, says Mr. Krehbiel, "with ruin
staring the impresario in the face." Still, the tour that
followed helped him somewhat to recoup his losses. It had
its golden moments, especially at San Francisco and Chi-
cago; above all whenever Patti and Scalchi appeared to-
gether in "Semiramide," "Linda di Chamouni," "Martha,"
or"Aida."



212 THE REIGN OF PATTI

One interesting incident of this unsatisfactory New York
season remains to be narrated, namely, the celebration of
the twenty-fifth anniversary of Patti's first appearance in
opera at the Academy of Music, on November 24, 1859.
llapleson had first arranged to give an anniversary per-
formance of the same opera (" Lucia 7 ') with the same tenor,
Brignoli, in the part of Edgardo; but the death of that
artist a few days before the date compelled an alteration
in the programme. " Martha' 7 was therefore substituted, with
Sealchi, Nicolini, and De Anna in the other leading parts;
and an unusually brilliant audience assembled to do honor
to the occasion. At the close there was a demonstration upon
the stage, Patti appearing in the midst of a vast floral display
with a huge American eagle for its central feature. A mili-
tary band played a march, and the house cheered frantically
for twenty minutes by the clock.

Mapleson has related with much gusto in his how the diva was subsequently escorted to her hotel, in "a
carriage with four milk-white steeds," by a procession of
torch-bearers and mounted police, followed by a wagon from
which men were burning colored fires and letting off fire-
works. All of this, in addition to an orchestral serenade
under her hotel windows, was organized by the wily Colonel
Mmself, who, according to his own account, was "to have
taken command of the troops as brigadier. My horse, how-
ever, never reached me. It was found impossible to get it
through the crowd. This did not prevent the illustrated pa-
pers from representing me on horseback, and in a highly mili-
tary attitude.''

On the other hand, Mr. Krehbiel in Ms " Chapters of
Opera" chronicles the whole episode with undisguised con-
tempt. He declares that the " milk-white steeds" were un-
harnessed and the carriage dragged through the streets to
the hotel amid wild rejoicings all as prearranged by the



THE REIGN OF PATTI 213

Colonel, who, however, fails to mention the circumstance.
Mr. Krelibiel assures us that " Colonel Mapleson had re-
solved that the scene should be enacted. " He adds:

To make sure of such a spontaneous ovation in staid ISTew York
was a question which Mapleson solved by hiring fifty or more
Italians [choristers, probably] from the familiar haunts in Third
Avenue, and providing them with torches, to follow the carriage,
which was prosaically dragged along to its destination at the Wind-
sor Hotel. As a demonstration it was the most pitiful affair that I
ever witnessed.

This impression it was, no doubt, that inspired Mr. Kreh-
biel to set about arranging a celebration of the twenty-fifth
anniversary in a fashion rather more after his own heart.
It did not, for certain reasons, assume quite the form that
he intended. Nevertheless, a banquet took place a "stag
party," as they call it in America at which some seventy
gentlemen acted as hosts, and the Colonel made his appear-
ance "in the glory of that flawless, speechless dress suit, with
the inevitable rose in the lapel of his eoat. Not a glance did
he give to right or left, but with the grace of a practised
courtier he sailed across the room, sank on his knees before
the diva, and raised her hand to his lips. Such a smile as
rewarded him!"

After the banquet, speeches were made by William Stein-
way, William Winter, Dr. Damrosch, and other notable men,
including doubtless Mr. Krehbiel himself; for beyond ques-
tion the able critic was at that time a genuine and fervent
admirer of Patti. 1 But the real hero of the occasion was
her oldest American manager, Max Maretzek, who told stories
about her early life and career. Says Mr. Krehbiel :

Amongst other things, he illustrated how early the divine Adelina
had fallen into the ways of a prima donna by refusing to sing at
i Sea Appendix XJ.



214 THE REIGN OF PATTI

a concert in Tripler Hail unless he, who was managing the concert,
would first go out and buy her a pound of candy. He agreed to get
the sweetmeats, provided she would give him a kiss in return. In
possession of her "box,, she kept both the provisions of her contract.
When the toastmaster [i.e., the chairman of the banquet] declared
the meeting adjourned, Patti bore straight down on her old man-
ager and said:

"Max, if I gave you a kiss for a box of candy then, 1 7 11 give you
one for nothing now !"

And she did. 1

After paying return visits to New York and Boston, the
Mapleson company sailed for England on May 2, and on
their arrival Mme. Patti and Signor Nicolini travelled, as
usual, direct to Craig-y-Nos Castle.

Exactly how Colonel Mapleson stood financially at the end
of this venture it would be hard to state with accuracy. Ac-
cording to Ms own account, it had netted him 30,000. He
congratulates Mmself on having severed Ms connection with
the "Boyal Italian Opera Company, Limited" (then in
liquidation), as otherwise "I should have been obliged to
hand them 15,000, being half the net profit of this last
American tour/' Very different, however, is the version
given by Mr. Krehbiel, who declares that Mapleson had con-
trived (surprising fact!) to finish up the season owing five or
six thousand dollars to Mme. Patti, and instituted a suit at
law in New York against Nieolini "to recover ten thousand
dollars for failing to sing." One bill, of course, would have
comfortably offset the other. But, as we shall perceive, the
sequel does not indicate the existence of any serious break
between the parties. "A fallacy somewhere!" as "W. S.
Gilbert observes in
The probabilities are that Mapleson grossly exaggerated
the total of his profits in order to aim a shaft at the Gyes,

* "Chapters of Opera," pp. 72-74.



THE REIGN OF PATTI 215

witli whom lie had quarrelled, and who had now been com-
pelled to terminate the long family reign at Covent Garden
for lack of capital to carry on the concern. Indeed, a merely
cursory perusal of the C Mapleson Memoirs" will suffice to
convince the reader that their author regarded accurate facts
as of much smaller importance than proving his own case
or hitting out at persons whom he owed a grudge. His
treatment of Mme. Patti in this respect was not always fair.
She figures largely in the story of his career. He "ex-
ploited" her in America to their mutual advantage. It is
evident that he admired her immensely, and that he was
proud of his association with the great artist.

At the same time, Ms numerous innuendoes and doubtful
anecdotes make it clear that there was generally an arriere
pensee. He could never quite forgive her for having
brushed him aside, when she first came to London, to ally
herself with Frederick Gye at Covent Garden. 1 Further-
more, loudly as he boasted of paying her 1,000 a night in
the United States, he never thoroughly relished a proceed-
ing that made such a serious inroad upon the huge stacks
of dollar notes and gold eagles which it was his joy to see
pouring into the box-office.

On one point Mapleson had a possible grievance, and it
is of sufficient interest to warrant mention here. His con-
tracts with Mme. Patti contained a clause liberating her from
all liability to attend rehearsals :

During the three or four years that Mme. Patti was with me in
America [he says] she never once appeared at a rehearsal. When
I was producing "La Gazza Ladra," an opera which contains an
unusually large number of parts, there were several members of
the cast who did not even know Mme. Patti by sight. Under such

i Yet Mapleson knew perfectly well that the blame for this diplo-
matic move was due, not to the youthful Adelina, but to her brother-
in-law, Maurice Strakosch.



216 THE F/SIGN OF PATTI

circumstances all idea of a perfect ensemble was, of course, out of
the question. It was only on the night of performance, and in
presence of the public, that the concerted pieces were tried for th
first time with the soprano voice.

TMs non-attendance at rehearsals was, as has already
been related, part of a plan originated by Maurice Stra-
koseh for sparing his sister-in-law the "wear and tear"
of what is perhaps the most fatiguing duty that a prima
donna has to undergo. At that more juvenile period of her
career it was unquestionably a wise precaution. It became
a fixed custom, and, save in the ease of final rehearsals of
a new opera, Mme. Patti was seldom known to depart from
it.

There is, however, the good excuse that the round of char-
acters in which the public demanded to hear her on her long
tours in America were familiar and comparatively limited.
This necessitated constantly going over the same ground. Im-
agine, therefore, the amount of physical labor that would
have been added to the total strain of her long stage career
if, among her other indulgences, she had not been relieved
from the hard work of rehearsing hackneyed roles at every
opera house she sang at!



CHAPTER XV

Decay of the Gje* Regime Mapleson Attempts a Covent Garden Sea-
son (1885) He Secures Patti; Also the Bond Street Libraries The
Diva's Contract and Her Colds The Author Is Introduced His First
Interview with Patti and Nicolini Her "Carmen" Secret Comes Out
An Ambition that Involves a Failure The Assumption of Bizet's
Heroine Analyzed The Twenty-fifth Covent Garden Anniversary
Craig-y-Xos Castle and Its Host and Hostess in the Eighties Start
of the Patti Concerts at the Albert Hall "Home, sweet home"
Abbey Devises a "Farewell" Tour in America The Question of Patti's
Farewells She Tries "Carmen" at New York Her One and Only
Appearance at Her Majesty's Theatre Death of Maurice Strakosch

DUBING the intervals between tlie visits to America
recorded in the last chapter Mme. Patti punctually
appeared at Covent Garden every summer. But there the
old order was changing. The managerial talents of Fred-
erick Gye had not been inherited by his successors, and the
fortunes of the Eoyal Italian Opera were slowly but surely
on the wane.

Each year the subscription grew smaller; each year one
noted a deterioration in that atmosphere of stately pomp
and stiff exclusiveness that had so long been the peculiar
social appanage of the Covent Garden season. The history
of the house in the early eighties furnishes some melancholy
chapters of decaying grandeur, of diminishing artistic ef-
fort and public support. The affairs of the limited liability
company which had carried on the undertaking after the
death of the old impresario went from bad to worse; and
with the close of the season of 1884 the regime of the Gyes
had passed for ever.

The share taken by Mme. Patti in these concluding seasons

217



218 THE REIGN OF PATTI

does not call for comment. Such new roles as she sang during
the^period they covered were unimportant j they have, Indeed,
been already enumerated In these pages, among the limited
group of characters actually created by her In course of her
uninterrupted series of annual appearances at Covent Gar-
den from 1861 till 1884.

The season of 1885, In which she was also to take part,
boasted more noteworthy features. It had been fully ex-
pected that there would be no opera at Covent Garden that
year. The house had been closed for some months, and down
to the middle of May no sign was forthcoming that it would
reopen. Society seemed not to care a jot. There was neither
bitterness in Belgravia nor mourning In Mayfair. English
opera was at that moment flourishing anew, under Carl Eosa.
Italian opera was "going to the dogs/' and not a hand, appar-
ently, was being raised to save it, when an extraordinary
thing happened. There was a sudden cry of "Mapleson to the
rescue!"

It was like a bolt from the blue. Back from America, with
according to his own account a few thousand dollars in
his pocket, and certainly no one in the field against him,
the doughty Colonel had seized opportunity by the forelock:
he had secured Covent Garden for the last five weeks of the
London season. To perform what ? he hardly knew ; Italian
opera of some sort, of course. The "class" would have to
depend upon the support, and in that direction things could
not have looked more unpromising. Society was out of sorts.
The Queen might not even subscribe for the Royal box which
she never used. The Prince of Wales loved opera, but was
not yet making a hobby of it. Aristocratic patrons, except a
few of the old guard from Her Majesty's Theatre, would prob-
ably keep severely away. There remained the "libraries."

Accordingly, Colonel Mapleson marched up and down Bond
Street and canvassed the " trade." But the trade steadfastly



THE REIGN OF PATTI 219

refused to come in. What inducement, they asked, was there
to guarantee a season at Covent Garden when the public was
sick and tired of Italian opera and there was no prospect
of a "star" who could attract them? Mapleson ? s announce-
ment that he had taken the house had not evoked inquiry for
a single stall. Then he disappeared from the metropolis, and
not even his closest friends knew whither he had journeyed.

The silence that ensued lasted about a week, the third
week in May or thereabouts, and it was fast deepening into
mystery when the impresario suddenly reappeared in town.
This time he did not " march' 7 he took a hansom direct to
Mitchell's, and Bubb's, and Lacon and Oilier J s, and Keith,
Prowse's; and he flourished before their wondering gaze a
document that made them dance to a very different tune.

What was it that moved them to say, "We will 'come in'
with pleasure' '? Nothing more or less than a newly signed
contract with Patti for "a series of eight operatic representa-
tions in Italian, or, failing these, high-class concerts, to be
given under his direction from the 16th of June to the 16th
of July, " at a fee of 500 a representation or concert. There
it was in black and white; there could be no mistake about
it. It meant at least five weeks of opera at Covent Garden
with the diva at the head of the company.

Yet they could scarcely believe their eyes. For had not
the liveliest stories come from New York of quarrels and liti-
gation between Nicolini and Mapleson, of cachets unpaid and
general disagreement? All of these the Colonel now dis-
missed as groundless and absurd. "Otherwise," said he,
"how could I have been down to Craig-y-Nos Castle and re-
ceived there as an honored guest, or have persuaded Mme.
Patti to sign her first London engagement with me?' 71 If

* This was literally true. Colonel Mapleson always declared that, so
far as Europe was concerned, he was the man who "discovered" Patti.
Be that as it may, their American relations notwithstanding 1 , she had



220 THE REIGN OF PATTI

obstacles had really stood in the way, the astute impresario
had unquestionably overcome them, and that was enough, for
the libraries.

Within twenty-four hours the projected season was made
known to the public in a brief announcement, which stated
that Covent Garden would reopen on June 16, and that Mme.
Patti would appear on the inaugural night. Mapleson then
set to work to collect and reinforce his company, the ma-
jority of whom had remained in London after their return
from New York in the middle of Slay. He also conveyed to
the press a sly hint that the principal novelty of the season
would be "Mme. Patti in a new character/' What that char-
acter was to be he did not reveal until a few days later,- then

sung In London twenty-four years before she entered into a contract lo-
sing there, either in opera or concert, under his management. He was
particularly proud of this contract so proud that he printed it in his
''Memoirs," and there made it the text for a lengthy sermon upon the
unfair, tyrannical conditions imposed upon operatic managers by dis-
tinguished prima donnas. Years afterwards, by a curious chance, the
original document, bearing the simple signature "Adelina Patti,' ? came
into the possession of the author of this book.

It certainly contained some clauses concocted, doubtless, by MM.
Nicolini and Levilly which had never figured in her contracts with Mr.
Gye or even with her French and Russian managers. For instance, one
stipulated that the diva's name should appear on. all posters "in a sep-
arate line of large letters . . . at least one third larger than those
employed for the announcement of any other artiste" Another pro-
vided that l 'in the event of an epidemic of cholera f smallpox, fever, or
other contagious deadly disease, Mme. Patti shall ~be at liberty to
cancel this engagement" Then there was the clause about rehearsals,
to which allusion has already been made. To this and to the one re-
lating to the sue of the letters Mapleson had been accustomed in Amer-
ica; for he tells a story in his "Memoirs" of how during the Chicago
Festival he "saw Signer Nicolini, armed with what appeared to be a
theodolite, looking intently and with a scientific air at some wall pos-
ters on which the letters composing Mme. Patti's name seemed to him
not quite one third larger" than those of some other "artiste." To
make sure, however, "he procured a ladder, and, boldly mounting the
steps, ascertained by means of a foot-rule" that his eyes and the theodo-
lite had not deceived him. Naturally, a vigorous protest was tho re-
sult, and the discrepancy was duly corrected.



THE REIGN OF PATTI 221

lie gave what proved to be a rather surprising piece of infor-
mation, namely, that the diva intended to sing, for the first
time, the part of Carmen!

But alas for the vanity of human hopes and anticipations !
She caught a couple of colds in quick succession that upset
all Mapleson's arrangements, the first compelling him to post-
pone his opening for nearly a week. 1 Then her essay as Car-
men was to culminate in the one decisive disappointment of
her career: an artistic failure! But, before dealing there-
with, the writer craves leave to make a short digression for
the purpose of recording his first interview with Mme. Patti,
which occurred upon the day preceding her debut in Bizet's
opera.

By the summer of 1885 thirteen years had passed since,
as a youth, I first heard Patti. During the latter half of that
period I had been slowly climbing the ladder as musical
critic of the Sunday Times and other papers. I had long
cherished a desire to know the most celebrated singer of our
time, -but somehow the fact is not altogether easy to explain
I had never sought to gratify my wish, even when it would
have been comparatively easy to do so.

My reticence had nothing in common, most assuredly, with

i In his "Memoirs" Mapleson rather unjustly blames Nicolini for this
catastrophe, which he declares cost him a thousand pounds. He at-
tributes it to the husband's parsimony in not bringing his wife to
London until the day before, in order to save hotel expenses, "or from
some uncontrollable desire to catch an extra salmon." Why she should
have caught cold driving to the station on that account is not alto-
gether clear, particularly when we remember that it was the month of
June and that Mme. Patti was accustomed to driving in the Welsh
mountains every day in all winds and weathers. Besides, it was her
general custom, when she had to go direct from home to sing in Lon-
don, not to leave until the day before. The impresario's loss of temper
is, however, easy to understand; and it was doubtless accentuated by
the second cold, which she caught in London after the season had
started.



222 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

narrow views regarding tlie relations and Intervening dis-
tances that should be preserved between artist and critic.
(I have never shared those views, never having felt that
friendship ought to interfere with the candid expression of
one's professional opinion. Musicians are proverbially su-
persensitive ; but if they -cannot suffer honest adverse criti-
cism, so much the worse for them.) Still less will it be
imagined that such considerations could arise in the case of
this illustrious exponent of her art, whose efforts, ninety-nine
times out of a hundred, were entirely beyond criticism.

The true reason, I think, was a purely sentimental one, hav-
ing its root in the intensity of the admiration profound, un-
qualified, sincere that I had always felt for Mme. Patti.
She represented to my mind the perfect ideal of what a
singer should be. The world had placed her upon a lofty
pedestal apart from all others, and was content to worship
its goddess from afar. Ought not I to do likewise? I had
asked myself the question again and again ; and so far I had
resisted the temptation to answer it other than in the affirma-
tive.

But one day it must have been towards the end of May,
1885 a brother journalist, who was one of her intimate
friends, surprised me by telling me point-blank that the first
time Mme. Patti came to London again he meant to intro-
duce me to her. I asked what had made him think of doing
so.

"Simply/* he answered, "because Mme. Patti, when your
name was mentioned a short time ago, expressed a wish to
know you; and a wish from that quarter, like one from
royalty, is equal to a command.'*

I acknowledged it might be so, and did not disguise the fact
that I was delighted. At the same time, I explained as well
as I could the peculiar hesitancy, the almost shy feeling, that



THE REIGN OF PATTi 223

had deterred me from seeMng to make the personal acquaint-
ance of the great artist.

"You need not hesitate/' was my friend's reply. "She
is very wonderful in that respect. Like the Queen of Eng-
land, she makes you feel perfectly at your ease in her pres-
ence, without losing an iota of her sense of dignity. Yet,
sucii is her charm, her natural simplicity, her magnetic power,
above all, her sustained vivacity and spirit, that you never
for a moment cease to realize that the Patti of the drawing-
room is the Patti of the stage and of your dreams ! 77

A few days later I was to judge for myself how true this
was.

In spite of the postponement, Mr. Mapleson's season opened
brilliantly enough with rf La Traviata," and Mme. Patti had
shaken off the effects of her cold sufficiently to do herself fuU
justice in what was at this time her favorite role. She was
to have sung Lucia next, but had unluckily to disappoint her
audience at the last moment, owing to an attack of "hay
fever. 7 ' l It was too late to change the opera, and the part
of the heroine was sung by a Swedish debutante, Mile. Alma
Fohstrom, who made a favorable impression and afterward
achieved some popularity. A day or two after, I accom-
panied my journalistic friend to the Midland Grand Hotel,
by appointment, to pay Mme. Patti and Signer Nicolini an
afternoon visit.

When we were ushered into the large, lofty apartment that
they used as a salon with its gaunt Gothic windows facing the

iMapleson, by the way, has not made Nicolini responsible for this
second indisposition. Probably he could not find a colorable excuse for
doing so. And yet, no one knew better than the Colonel that Nicolini
(despite his selfishness and his passion for angling) was more inter-
ested than any one else to keep Mme. Patti well and in fit condition to
fulfil her engagements.



224 THE EEIGN OP PATTI

Euston Road (they never, I think, stayed there except during
this one season), Mme. Patti came forward and greeted us with
much cordiality. I had already met Nicolini, and it was he
who formally presented me to the famous " little lady." Her
bright smile and gracious manner instantly put me at my
ease. She bade me sit beside her, and began to talk in those
deep, rich contralto tones that always belied so curiously
the brighter timbre of her singing voice.

She looked astonishingly young. Though in her forty-third
year, she did not appear to be a day more than thirty, and
her movements seemed still to retain the impulse and freedom
of girlhood. The merry laugh, the rapid turn of the head,
the mischievous twinkle in the keen dark eyes when she said
something humorous, were as natu*al to her. as that rapid,
forward elan when she extended her hand to Alfredo in the
supper scene of "Traviata." I could now see that my col-
league had spoken truly. The Patti of the stage and the
Patti of real life were, in outward semblance and deportment,
one and the same. It followed, therefore, that the woman
was as unaffected, as fascinating, as the artist.

She began :

"I must tell you that I rarely look at a newspaper, and
I read very few notices of the opera. But I generally know
what is written about me, and by whom. Some of the things
you have said have given me a great deal of pleasure. I
thought you were much older, though; how long have you
been a critic?" I told her seven or eight years, but that I
had heard her long before I began to write. Her gay laugh
echoed through the room.

"What, a critic in your school days? Then I must have
formed part of your musical education. "Well, at least you
can say that you started off with the old Italian school.
There is none like it." Which remark led me to mention that



THE BBIGX OF PATTI 225

I had studied some time under flannel Garcia: On hearing
his name she evinced the liveliest interest.

*He must be a wonderful teacher. I am sorry to say I
have never met him. 3Iais," turning to Nieolini i ''figure-
ioi, Ernest, le maitre de Jenny Lind est encore vivant!
And still teaching in London, c'esi merveilleux!" Then, ad-
dressing me again : * *Do you think lie ever heard me ? ' '

*'I know he has heard you/ 7 was my reply. * ( I remember
his saj'ing once that he admired your Rosina immensely. In
fact, lie declared that yours was the only one he had eared
for since his own sister, Malibran, whose great part it was."

"He said that! Mais comme c'est gentil, n'est ce pas,
Ernest! Do you know ? Rossini himself once said the same
thing to me. Therefore- it must be true. 77 And she laughed
again. "But, seriously, I shall enjoy singing the 'Barbiere'
more than ever now, and it is one of the parts I love most.
Which is my actual favorite? To be frank with you, I don 7 t
know. I am so often asked the question that I generally an-
swer one or the other, Rosina., Zerlina, Violetta, as I feel
at the moment. But in reality I cannot make a definite
choice. I love each of my characters in turn as I sing it. 73
Then, after a pause, she added: ic And maybe I shall like
ray next one best."

As she spoke she turned to a corner of the room where,
hanging on a chair, there lay a dainty Spanish skirt of yellow
satin, with a crimson shawl flung carelessly across it.

"Carmen!" I murmured.

An eager, sparkling glance shot from her eyes as she echoed
the name.

"Yes, Carmen! I have been longing to sing it for years,
and I am going to do so at last. I adore the opera. Ah, poor
Bizet, how I wish he were still alive to hear me ! I love the
story, I love the music, I love the Spanish scenes and types;



226 THE REIGN OF PATTI

cnfin, j'aime tout ce qui est Carmen! You will see me dance;
you will hear how I play the castanets. I have never longed
so impatiently for anything in iny life."

f< 21ais, ma tnignonne, tit paries irop fort et tu causes tro$*
II faitt soigner un pen ta voix, n'est~ce pas?" It was the
watchful Nieolini who Interrupted, ever on the lookout to
check such moments of girlish excitement and self-forgetful-
ness. It was true that, her voice had gradually increased to a
forte.

Mon cher, tu as raison." And she rose. It was the sig-
nal for us to depart. "We shall hope to see you before we
return to Craig-y-Nos. You must visit us there sometime.
Je suis enchant ee d'avoir fait votre connaissance, et j& Ural
votre article sur 'Carmen.' Au revoir!"

She held out her hand with a regal gesture that seemed
quite natural, nay, inborn ; and, just as naturally, albeit the
custom was not English, I took the hand and kissed it. Then
Nieolini, en grand seigneur, canie to the door and bowed us
out.

You see," said my friend as we walked downstairs, fc she
is expecting a great triumph as Carmen/ 9 And he added,
sotta voce, "I wonder!" A few hours later neither of us
wondered. I only know that I paid no more visits to Mme.
Patti that season, nor did I converse with her again until two
years later, when she was in a box one night at Drury Lane,
during Sir Augustus Harris's first Italian season.

The character of Carmen belongs wholly neither to comedy
nor to tragedy. As far as the stage is concerned, she is of
the realistic type that one finds only in sheer melodrama. A
creature of every-day Spanish life, she requires, as drawn
by the master hand of Prosper Merim.ee, those graphic touches
of realism that reveal the true woman of the people, passion-
ate in her ardor, crude in her coquetry, unblushing in her



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 227

sensualism, merciless in her infidelities, reckless in her de-
fiance of fatalistic warnings and physical danger. These
were traits readily depicted by a Galli-llarie, a Pauline Lucca,
a Minnie Hank, and later on by a Calve or a Zelie de Lussan.
But they made no sort of appeal to an artist with the tem-
perament of Adelina Patti, who had -been reared in opera of
the classical schools. Her personality could express a viva-
cious nature with distinction and grace, but was never fitted
for the embodiment of a commonplace woman of the people.

In a word, her Carmen proved to be clever but colorless.
It was a skilful tour de force, nothing more. That she, should
have even got through her task with credit showed clearly
what "an advance she had made in the technique of the ac-
tress's art. Her rare gift of "pantomime/ 7 soon to develop
to remarkable heights, stood her in good stead; but nothing
could metamorphose the grande cantatriee into a Carmen,
To the regret of an assemblage of her admirers that filled
Covent Garden from floor to ceiling, the representation fell
painfully flat.

The charm of the incomparable voice and much beautiful
singing could not ward off this penalty, for the simple reason
that most of the music lay too low for her. A pure soprano
is very seldom heard to advantage in a part that has been
written for a mezzo-soprano ; and in 1885 Mme. Patti had not
developed her lower medium and chest tones to the degree of
fulness that became noticeable in later years. She elected to
raise the tessitura of Carmen's music by making numerous
changes and introducing "ornaments" which were out of
keeping with the design of the composer. This naturally
aroused adverse criticism ; indeed, the press notices as a whole
were frankly unfavorable. 1 The performance at Covent Gar-
den was repeated once, but that was all.

i See Appendix V.



228 THE REIGN OP PATTI

Joseph Bennett, reverting to Mme. Patti's Carmen twenty-
one years later (on the occasion of her final "farewell" at the
Albert Hall), remarked in the Daily Telegraph that the Span-
ish gipsy was

A character part demanding a temperament not hers, and one,
moreover, which demanded an actress rather than a singer. It is
likely that the artist had some doubts as to the result of this ven-
ture, but it was necessary for her to take it up in order to share
in the applause which the public were eager to bestow upon every
representative of a character in part repellent, yet altogether fasci-
nating-. In her embodiment of the heroine Mme. Patti, with singular
good judgment, elected to rely more upon the fatalism in the gipsy's
nature than upon more demonstrative traits. I remember being
struck with the intensity of the impression she made in the card
scene and in the final situation. So far, good; but Mme. Patti's
Carmen, with all its merits, failed to hold the public securely, and
the artist did not persevere.

This was, on the whole, a just criticism, though I do not
agree that it was " necessary" for the artist to attempt a part
that did not suit her, least of all for the sake of applause
a stimulus whereof, throughout her life, she was vouchsafed
a superabundance.

By the way, the supporting cast of "Carmen" in this in-
stance included Signor del Puente as the Toreador, M. Engel
as Don Jose, and Mnie. Dotti as Mioaela.

It is a curious fact that neither Mapleson in his "Memoirs"
nor Arditi in his "Reminiscences" (the popular "Luigi"
was the conductor of this odd season) makes the smallest allu-
sion to Patti's Carmen. Yet both of them call attention to
her frequent disappointment of the public in consequence of
indisposition ; and both give picturesque accounts of the cele-
bration, held on the last night of the season, in honor of her
twenty-fifth annual engagement at the Eoyal Italian Opera.



THE REIGN OF PATTI 229

The omission might perhaps be susceptible of explanation
if explanation were needed.

The celebration just referred to was, on the whole, a more
successful function than that "engineered 75 by the same im-
presario in New York a few months earlier. It wound up
with the now customary torchlight procession, upon which
the Colonel appeared to set such store ; but here it aroused a
much more spontaneous response from the public. It also
began with far more dignified proceedings in the interior of
the opera house. 1 The latter included the presentation to
Mme. Patti of an address of congratulation and the gift of a
diamond bracelet subscribed for by a large and representa-
tive "Testimonial Committee." This ceremony took place
after the termination of a performance of "II Trovatore,"
which was distinguished by the most magnificent rendering
of the part of Leonora that I can recall among ray personal
memories of this supreme artist.

Patti was still to appear at Covent Garden a few times
more, though at intervals only. Her career as a concert
artist was to be prolonged for another twenty years. But
this particular night was practically the last in the history of
her unbroken quarter of a century's work unique, brilliant,
amazing in every sense as the unchallenged and unapproach-
able star of London's leading opera house. Few could have
guessed that it marked the close of a great era in the story
of opera in Great Britain. Still fewer could have foretold
the interregnum and the renascence that were shortly to occur
in turn. Be it said, however, that, as far as Adelina Patti
was concerned, "the finish crowned the work."

She now took a well-earned holiday. For several months
she did not leave her charming "Welsh retreat, and all en-
deavors to persuade her to undertake another American tour
proved, for the time being, fruitless. She had lost confi-

i See Appendix W.



230 THE EEIGX OF PATTI

clence In llapleson as a transatlantic manager; and it was

perhaps fortunate that. she had, since his season at the Xew
York Academy of Music in the winter of 18S5-S6 turned out
the most disastrous of the series, and the tour terminated
with a declaration of bankruptcy. Mapleson never took an
opera company to America again.

More than a year slipped by. Early in the summer of 1886
occurred the wedding functions in South Wales, already
briefly recorded at the close of a previous chapter. Many
guests were invited to make a stay at Craig-v-Nos Castle,
which had undergone considerable alteration and enlarge-
ment, though not to the extent that was to culminate five
years later In the addition of a new wing and a private
theatre. Of that there will be more to say auon. In the
meanwhile the tranquillity and restfulness of these early days
at Craig-y-Xos were thoroughly appreciated by the hard-
working prima donna, who now probably knew the joys of the
dolce far niente, coupled with true marital happiness, for the
first time in her busy lifetime.

Originally the mansion facing the "Koek of the Night" on
the road from Brecon to Ystradgynlais had afforded some-
what limited accommodation. Beautifully situated half-way
down the broad northern slope of the Swansea Valley, its am-
ple grounds extending for several acres along the banks of
a swift trout stream, it constituted a delightful home for a
small family in search of railroad inaccessibility and seclu-
sion from the world. It had been purchased on the advice
of Sir Hussey Vivian, M.P. (afterward Lord Swansea) and
his brother, Mr. Graham Vivian, with whom Mme. Patti and
Signor Nicolini stayed when they originally visited the neigh-
borhood. 1 The fishing was not its smallest attraction in the

i They also resided for a short time at Waterton Hall, near Bridgend,
and at Cadoxton Hall, ISTeath, tlie old liome of Mrs. Henry M. Stanley.



THE REIGN OF PATTI 231

eyes of the genial tenor: he could throw a < fly" with toler-
able skill.

For a while the castle served its purpose well enough. But
Mme. Patti liked to have her friends around her, and, find-
ing that there was not sufficient space to entertain a goodly
number of them, she caused some important additions to be
made to the main structure. From first to last her Craig-y-
Nos improvements were said to have cost her nearly 100,000.
Nicolini being an ardent devotee of French or American bil-
liards, a new billiard-room and a spacious drawing-room, with
several bedrooms above, were added at one end. At the other
was erected a huge conservatory, flanked in turn by a lofty
winter garden containing some splendid palms and exotics.
In this winter garden the hostess was wont in bad weather
to take her midday stroll just before dejeuner, stopping now
and then to converse with her favorite cockatoo, an enormous
bird that was pleasanter to look upon than listen to.

Two novel features at Craig-y-Nos Castle at this period
may here be mentioned. One was an installation of the elec-
tric light that was said to be among the first to be put up
in a country house in the United Kingdom. The other item
was a large orchestrion, made at Fribourg, in Switzerland, the
musical resources of which were equally new to dwellers in an
English (or Welsh) home. It stood in the billiard-room, and
was worked by electricity. It had a rich pipe-organ tone,
and if it could not compare, either in perfection of mechanism
or variety of tonal combinations, with the more elaborate
"orchestrelle" of a later day, it was nevertheless considered
a remarkable instrument of its kind, and Mme. Patti was
immensely proud of it. Moreover, while it was being played
generally in the evening, after dinner the click of the
billiard balls was bidden to cease, silence being requested ex-
it was during their stay at Cadoxton Hall that they heard Craig-y-Nos
Castle was for sale.



232 THE KEIGN OF PATTI

cept for the lighter pieces, such as the "Espana" of tlie
gifted French composer, Chabrier (Nicolini's cousin, by the
way), when the hostess would call for her castanets and ac-
centuate the rhythm of the waltz with characteristic dash
and energy. Her castanet-playing was, indeed, exceptionally
good.

She did not always spare her throat on these occasions.
The orchestrion had only to give out some melody that she
eared for, and her gorgeous voice would instantly be ringing
through the spacious room, blending deliciously with the full,
deep tone of the organ pipes. Strange and lovely did the
familiar golden notes of Patti sound under such conditions !
But it was always something good that "drew her out." She
was not very fond of the merely tuneful morceaux or the worn-
out operatic selections; and as time went on she enjoyed more
and more listening to Wagner and certain of the "advanced"
composers of that day.

This, then, was as a rule the nightly scene at Craig-y-Nos
during the early years of the Patti-Nicolini period. Later on,
after the theatre had been built, I was to have the privilege
of joining the circle and witnessing it for myself, as will
be seen in due course. But the picture varied little either
now or in the time to come. "When dinner was over there was
usually an informal procession from the conservatory or the
dining-room, the former in summer, the latter in winter,
headed by the "little lady" leaning on the arm of her prin-
cipal male guest.

Always en grande toilette of the latest Parisian model ; al-
ways wearing some wonderful necklace, with bracelets, rings,
and occasionally a dazzling tiara, chosen from her priceless
collection of jewels ; seated upon one of the comfortable lounges
that skirted three sides of the billiard-table, she was invari-
ably the centre of a bright, animated group, a veritable queen
in the midst of her courtiers. For courtiers they were, most



THE REIGN OF PATTI 233

of them, male and female, ready with a flattering speech, ever
bidding for the gracious smile that each endeavored to win in
turn. There they would drink their coffee and smoke (Mme.
Patti did not object to the " fragrant weed, 57 though she never
indulged in it herself), while talking over the events of the
day, making plans for the. morrow, discussing various people,
social and artistic, or, as has been said, listening to the orches-
trion. Gifted with an abundance of ready wit and lively
repartee, with an easy command of at least five languages, the
Queen of Song, surrounded by her court, made a striking and
alluring picture ; nor could one ever forget that the personality
of the central figure was that of Adelina Patti.

Among the wedding guests at Craig-y-Nos Castle was that
able, straightforward, but unlucky American manager, Henry
E. Abbey. Apparently he had arisen, phoenix-like, from the
ashes of his colossal failure at the New York Metropolitan,
three years previously; at any rate, he was here, either as
principal or ambassador, with some fresh proposal in view.
His object, of course, was to tempt the diva away from her
Arcadian retirement. And, thanks once more to Nicolini's
businesslike disposition, stimulated by enormous terms, he did
not tempt in vain.

"Farewell" was now the leitmotif of Mr. Abbey's artful
serenade farewell, namely, to the American public, with a
concert tour all over the United States and perhaps a few
operatic performances in New York to wind up with. On
reflection it seemed a good idea. For in many respects it
harmonized with the singer's views concerning the nature of
the work that would be most congenial to her during the re-
mainder of her career.

Italian opera in England had, as has been said, gone from
bad to worse. Its plight was now deplorable. Covent Gar-
den only opened in 1886 for another brief season with chiefly



234 THE REIGN OF PATTI

moderate artists, under the management of Signor Lago, Mr.
Gye's former regisseur. The glory of the house had departed;
nor was there any apparent prospect of its revival. Mme.
Patti had no alternative but to keep aloof from such second-
rate enterprises. Not even her immense reputation could have
rescued the old institution from the impending debacle. This
might mean, therefore, that the greatest lyric artist of her
time, while still in full possession of her vocal resources, would
be allowed no further chance for the display of her unrivalled
gifts upon the boards of a London opera house.

Such were the main considerations which, for the moment,
at any rate, turned her aside from the branch of her art that
she most loved, and with which she was most 'closely identified
in the eyes of the world. It was not without regret that she
followed the advice of her practical husband, backed up by
her new secretary, Mr. Morini. There was no help for it.

She might, of course, have retired then and there, had she
desired. Her savings, carefully guarded and advantageously
invested for her by her old friend, Mr. Alfred de Rothschild,
would even now have sufficed to keep her in luxury to the end
of her days. But neither Mme. Patti nor Signor Nicolini
dreamed of taking such a course. Indeed, both had begun to
chafe under their life of enforced idleness when the festivities
connected with the wedding had brought a crowd of friends
to the castle, and among them not only the American but an
English concert impresario. It was the latter who contrived
to get in a successful broadside first. We shall see how.

To Mme. Patti the British Isles, as a sphere for concert en-
terprise, offered practically virgin soil. It might furnish a
highly profitable substitute for the temporarily or who could
say! perhaps permanently barren field of opera. But the
responsibility for working the new territory would have to be
undertaken by some one with capital other than her own. She



THE REIGN OF PATTI 235

harbored no semblance of a desire to renew the experience o
that unlucky tour in the United States which had been mis-
managed by Signer Franchi in the winter of 1882. Neither
was there heard from her side so much as a whisper of "f are-
well. J? That word was left solely for the American entre-
preneur to pronounce.

Down to this time her appearances on the London concert
platform had been few and far between. The Floral Hall
concerts at Covent Garden of the early Gye days, the annual
concerts given by Sir Julius Benedict and Mr. Kuhe, and her
own "grand morning concerts" were now things of the past. 1
But in June, 1882, a "miscellaneous" concert was given by the
artists of the Royal Italian Opera at the Eoyal Albert Hall.
Among them were Patti, Albani, Sembrich, Nieolini, Mier-
zwinsky, Gotogni, and Edouard de Reszke. It was one of the
first experiments of the kind attempted in the big hall, and it
drew an overflowing audience, the diva contributing among
other solos "I know that my Redeemer liveth." In the fol-
lowing month a similar undertaking was tried, with less suc-
cess ; and after that the form of entertainment does not seem
to have been persevered with.

Then, in 1885, Mr. George Watts, a Brighton music-seller,
engaged Mine. Patti for a London concert, and gave it, not in
the Albert Hall (the directors for some reason refusing to let
it to him), but at the old St. James's Hall, which was easily

i She sang again several times for Mr. Kulie, but generally at his
Brighton concerts. In MB "Reminiscences" he mentions her singing
there the entire garden scene from "Faust" as an operatic recital, the
success of which "was nothing leas than sensational." He reminds us
that Aclelina Patti sang for him at Brighton in 18G1, the year of her
English clelmt, when "the expenses of the concert (including- the sal-
aries of the other vocalists) amounted to no more than 150." At his
first Floral Ball concert she also appeared among the other Covent Gar-
den stars, the arrangement with Mr. Gye being that he paid 400 and
shared with him all receipts over and above that sum. Afterwards
Patti grew more expensive.



236 THE REIGN OF PATTI

filled to repletion. By an unlucky chance, Mr. Watts a
capable and enterprising individual caught a chill and died
on the very morning of the concert ; and therewith ended his
activities. He had, however, had an energetic co-worker in
Mr. Ambrose Austin well known as the manager of St.
James's Hall and organizer of the annual Scotch and Irish
Ballad Concerts an astute, reliable man, thoroughly trusted
by the public. Mr. Austin it was who now came to the much-
sought prima donna with a proposal for four concerts at the
Albert Hall, to be given in June and July, 1886, with an or-
chestra under Mr. (afterwards Sir) W. G. Cusiiis, the con-
ductor of the Philharmonic Society. Terms were agreed upon,
and the matter was arranged without delay.

These concerts proved a tremendous success ; and they re-
sulted in a huge profit for Mr. Austin, He had the good sense
to surround his "leading lady" with artists of the first rank.
In addition to Trebelli still a beautiful singer there were
Edward Lloyd, Santley, and Foli, three of the finest native
vocalists. Sims Reeves had also been engaged for one con-
cert ; but the grand old tenor, now close on seventy, was placed
hors de combat by his regular summer attack of hay fever, and
Nieolini sang in his stead. The instrumentalists were also
first-rate, and the combination of talent at each concert was
such as has rarely been equalled at affairs of the kind.

Thus was inaugurated the famous "Patti Concerts," which
for a couple of decades longer were to draw the public in
"tens of thousands" to the gigantic building at Kensington
Gore. They served their purpose well enough. They afforded
Londoners practically their sole opportunity for hearing the
phenomenal singer who had hitherto east her spell over two
generations of opera-lovers. It may be admitted that the per-
sonal charm of the artist and the fascination of the actress
could never be exercised at the Albert Hall as they had been,
at Covent Garden. Still, the glorious voix d'or was ir resist-



THE REIGN OF PATTI 237

ible even in that vast space. The carrying power of her soft-
est mezzo, voce was a miracle of nature and art combined that
never failed to awaken astonishment in the listening multi-
tudes.

This wonderful gift of Patti 's received its most striking
manifestation in the inevitable "Home, sweet home," which
always used to send the people away happy. I "have dwelt
upon it already, but cannot resist speaking of it again. Kav-
ishing in its grace, unsurpassable in its sweetness and ten-
derness, her singing of the old ballad never failed to create
a genuine and profound emotion. At the Albert Hall it was
an experience absolutely unique. Merely to watch the breath-
less and expectant audience with heads bent forward, hang-
ing eagerly upon every note as it issued like a pearl from
Patti ? s lips, was ever an extraordinary sight. What is more,
the well-worn ditty helped, perhaps better than certain of
the more showy operatic morceaux, to compensate for what
was lacking of artistic quality in the material of these com-
posite entertainments.

Besides singing at the new Albert Hall concerts, Mme.
Patti further helped to relieve the dulness of a singularly
quiet season by making a solitary appearance in opera, on the
afternoon of July 15, for the benefit of Colonel James Henry
Mapleson, who, sad to relate, was now reduced to sore pe-
cuniary straits. The performance took place at the Drury
Lane Theatre lent for the occasion by Augustus Harris
and it drew an overflowing audience at augmented prices,
netting a goodly sum for the beneficiary. The opera was "II
Barbiere/ 7 and, as it happened, London in the summer of
1886 was full of Colonial visitors, ready to pay any price for
the privilege of hearing Patti in her renowned assumption of
Eosina, Happily, she was not only in good voice, but well
supported by Nicolini as Almaviva and Del Puente as Figaro,
with Arditi as conductor.



238 THE REIGN OF PATTI

We have kept Mr. Abbey waiting some time for the reply
to his tempting proposition. As a matter of fact, he obtained
his contract very soon after Mr. Austin got his; for the two
ventures did not clash, the American tour being projected
for the following winter and spring of 1886-87. The rea-
sons why the latter appealed to Mine. Patti have already been
made clear; and, apart from the lure of Mr. Abbey's mu-
nificent terms ? $5,000 for each appearance, or a total of
$250,000 (50,000) with a guaranteed minimum of fifty per-
formances, there can be no doubt that she was genuinely
desirous of bidding what she then regarded as a definite fare-
well to the warm-hearted public that had witnessed her earliest
successes in the opera house and the concert room.

In the light of what subsequently happened, it is well to
lay stress upon the artist 7 s honesty of intention in this matter
of American "farewells.' 7 For other good-bye visits were to
follow after the one now referred to the actual final "fare-
well" not, indeed, until seventeen years later. It will be re-
membered that the ball was originally set rolling by Mr. Ma-
pleson. He did so entirely on his own responsibility. Never-
theless, the present Abbey tour was generally described in
the United States as "Farewell No. 2"; so that, when further
repetitions occurred, it became increasingly difficult for the
sceptical American journalist ("from Missouri/' let us say)
to believe that the whole thing was not in the nature of a
business dodge akin to the oft-repeated "compulsory sale 77
of jewelry or furniture i.e., to make money by deceiving the
public.

Whatever her managers may have done, Mme. Patti was
unquestionably above trickery of this sort. It may be argued
that, having once bidden adieu to America, she ought never to
have gone there again; but to do so is to ignore the view-
point of the American public, which learned from Europe
year after year that its old favorite was singing as well as



THE BBIGN OF PATTI 239

ever. "Was she to refuse tliem tlie opportunity of hearing her
once more because it had been announced as she no doubt
thought at the time that the previous visit would be her
last ? It may have been an erroneous supposition. It may
even have been a profitable mistake. But it was not a mere
excuse, a discreditable device for squeezing dollars out of
American pockets, as one or two influential writers (wLo ought
to have known better) thought fit to assert..

Moreover, it is only fair to add, in extenuation, that the
"farewells" of great singers have often been renewed, not
once, but again and yet again, and have been extended over
lengthy periods, to the entire satisfaction alike of old and
new generations of admirers. For, as long as the voice re-
mains young, the age of the artist is immaterial. And, in the
case of a singer whose organ remained so wonderfully pre-
served as that of Adelina Patti, there was abundant justifica-
tion for prolonging her adieux until late in life.

In 1886-87 she was so completely in possession of her full-
est powers that many of her transatlantic critics refused, and
wisely, to contemplate the possibility of her never coming
back. On the whole, the tour was an unprecedented success.
The receipts "on the road" touched unparalleled figures, and
Mr. Abbey must have done well by his enterprise. Yet at the
outset New York was characteristically coy. It had never, as
we know, cared to hear the diva in aught save opera. A mis-
cellaneous concert programme, ending with an act from "Mar-
tha" or " Semiramide, " did well enough in the provinces;
but four concerts, consisting of this sort of pot pourri, start-
ing the tour at the Academy of Music in the month of No-
vember, met with that cool indifference which New York,
better than any city in the world, knows how to display to-
wards the star who does not give it what it wants.

On her return from the Western States in the following



240 THE REIGN OF PATTI

April, there was another story to tell. Abbey, now pos-
sessed of the requisite capital, as well as the courage, took
the Metropolitan Opera House, and announced Mme. Patti
in six "farewell" representations, with the artistic support
of excellent singers like Scalchi, Galassi, Del Puente, Abram-
off, and Novara, the indispensable Arditi conducting. The
response of the public was immediate and sensational; the
receipts for the half-dozen nights amounted to about $70,000
(14,000). As a faithful chronicler has since written:
"Prices of admission were abnormal, and so was the audi-
ence. Fashion heard Patti at the Metropolitan, and so did
suburban folk, who caine to $10 opera in business coats, bon-
nets, and shawls. Such audiences were never seen in the
theatre before or since." 1

The six operas given were "La Traviata," " Semiramide, ' 7
"Faust," "Carmen," "Lucia/ 7 and "Martha"; and as re-
gards the fourth of these it may be noted that New York did
not reverse the verdict of London. It did not hail in the new
Carmen another Minnie Hauk plus the personality and voice
of Patti. On the contrary, the house was frigid, and the
critics, plain-spoken as usual, declared that this was not Car-
men. One asks, how came the sensitive prima donna to risk
such confirmation of a distinctly adverse opinion? The nat-
ural conclusion is that she did not feel inclined to accept the
Covent Garden decision; that she thought the American pub-
lic might take the opposite view and acclaim her in the part.
Moreover, there were those lovely Spanish costumes lying
ready in her trunks. "What a pity not to show them beneath
the broad proscenium of the Metropolitan !

Thus was finally frustrated a wish that had evidently been
very dear to the heart of the artist. That it involved an error
of judgment was never, in all probability, realized either by

i "Chapters of Opera/' by H. E. Krehbiel, p. 16.




MME. PATTI WITH HER NIECE CARLINA, 1887



THE EBIGN OF PATTI 241

herself or by those around her ; otherwise it is hard to believe
that she would have elected to tempt Providence more than
once and on both sides of the Atlantic. And, after all, how
few ambitions did she cherish that were not fulfilled at some
period of her extraordinary career !

On her return home (May, 1887) it was stated in the Eng-
lish newspapers that Mme. Patti had paid her last professional
visit to the United States ; and the announcement was no
doubt made and received at the time in perfect good faith.
But, as will be seen, it again proved to be ' premature."
Meanwhile her labors for the summer of 1887 did not end
until she had sung at two Albert Hall concerts, under the
management of Ambrose Austin, followed by a solitary per-
formance in opera at Her Majesty's Theatre on Friday,
July 1.

The latter event derived its chief interest from the fact
that it marked Mine. Patti 's one and only appearance upon the
boards of the old opera house in the Haymarket. It was
wholly unexpected. Some strange happenings were, however,
connected with this, the concluding phase of a melancholy
Maplesonian campaign which had started under difficulties,
which nobody wanted, and which was to terminate its miser-
able existence at the very moment when Augustus Harris was
laying the foundations for the renascence of opera in Great
Britain at Drury Lane Theatre. The diva's share in her old
manager's last desperate plunge is epitomized in the follow-
ing paragraph, taken from the pages of a chronicle of the
time : *

Mme. Adelina Patti made her first (and only) appearance on the
boards of Her Majesty's Theatre in Verdi's "Traviata," on Friday,

* Musical Notes, an "Annual Critical Record of Important Musical
Events," by Herman Klein: London, The Stage Office, 1888.



242 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

July 1, 1887. To the vast majority of Mme. Patti's admirers her
performance in opera during the present season came as a surprise.
At the time of her return from America it was anticipated that she
would sing at one or other of the London opera houses; but the
negotiations all fell through, and when Mme. Patti went home to
Craig-y-Nos after her last concert in town, it was distinctly believed
that she intended remaining there for her summer holiday.

However, Mr. Mapleson subsequently arranged matters with Mr.
Abbey (who then had the exclusive right to Mme. Patti's services
in London), and here was the diva once more exercising her old
fascination, in the character of Violetta, before an audience that
filled every available nook and corner of Her Majesty's. It is
scarcely needful to add that the great artist was enthusiastically re-
ceived. For herself, indeed, the evening constituted a long series
of triumphs. Of her supporters on the stage the less said the bet-
ter.

Mme. Patti was to have appeared in "II Barbiere" on the ollow-
ing Tuesday, but an attack of hoarseness was declared to be the
cause that prevented her singing. This circumstance compelled Mr.
Mapleson to close his theatre once more. He announced that it
would reopen on the Saturday with ''Faust;' Mme. Patti appearing
as Marguerite. The house opened, truly, but the opera given was
"Carmen," with Mme. Trebelli in the title-character, and, curious to
relate, no charge was made for admission to the performance [sic].
This, however, was the "last dying flicker." Thenceforward the
doors of Her Majesty's remained closed, so far as Mr. Mapleson was
concerned, terminating the most remarkable series of operatic ven-
tures ever conducted by an impresario in course of a single season.

In October of 'the same year Maurice Strakosch died in
Paris, where he had been living for some time. Just before
his death he wrote and published the amusing but unreliable
and somewhat straggling volume of " Souvenirs 77 so frequently
quoted in these pages. The most conspicuous feature therein
is the author's name, which it must have afforded him sin-
gular pleasure to see in print, since he speaks of himself only



THE REIGN OF PATTI 243

in the third person and does so on nearly every page. The
portion of the book that he devoted to his renowned sister-in-
law was relatively small; but he bore her no malice, and was
obviously proud of his association with her, though too prone
occasionally to overestimate the value of his own services,
artistic as well as commercial. On the whole, Maurice Stra-
koseh was what the world to-day would describe as 4f not a
bad sort/' and, all allowances made, it is fair to assert that
Adelina Patti owed a great deal to his practical experience
and sage counsel at the most critical period of her life.



CHAPTER XVI

Pattfs "Banner" Year (1888) First Visit to South America Past and
Present Operatic Fees Compared: All Records Broken Enthusiasm
and Gold in the Argentine Total of 100,000 Earned in Eighteen
Months "Romeo" Transferred to the Paris Opera Historic Gala
Performance: Patti and Jean de Reszke Sing, Gounod Conducts
The New Juliette American Tours of 1889-90 under Abbey and Grau
Patti Sings Lakm6 A Visit to Mexico Showers of Gifts and Hon-
ors Return to London, Summer of 1890 A Cold and Its Conse-
quences Patti's Voice Attains Its Zenith The Secret of Its Preser-
vation Her "Advice to Singers" Anecdotes of Her Presence of
Mind (Told by Herself) Her Capacity as a Dramatic Soprano An
American Criticism Criticized

THE period between the January and the July of 1888
was the most lucrative in Mme. Patti 's whole profes-
sional career. In those six months she earned larger sums
than have ever been paid, before or since, to any artist in the
. history of musical enterprise. It was the epoch that in-
cluded her first visit to South America.

For a long while the Eldorado that had enriched Italy's
two greatest tenors Masini and Tamagno had been pa-
tiently waiting for her to bring with her her largest coffers
and fill them with gold. But prior to her second marriage
the prize had not appeared to be comfortably within her
grasp. The mind of the Marquis de Caux had been occupied
more with the courts of Europe and imperial or royal decora-
tions than possible fortunes to be won in the Brazils or the
Argentine. The practical Nicolini was, on the contrary, in-
clined to cast a longing eye on those distant countries.

One day, while travelling in the United States, Nicolini had
discussed the idea of such a tour with Henry Abbey, whose

244



THE PtEIGN OF PATTI 245

deft management of the American ''Farewell No. 2 >J had
created in him both confidence and esteem. Another reliable
New York manager, in the person of Marcus Mayer, was also
consulted. All agreed that the moment was ripe, as Amer-
ican financiers say, for the "cutting of the melon." Nego-
tiations with the local impresarios were at once entered upon.

Now, the South American republics, notably the Argentine,
pay opera singers of high renown bigger sums than any other
countries in the world. The substantial amounts earned in
North America, Canada, and Australasia by popular British
artists (Melba and Clara Butt, for example) cannot be com-
pared with the golden harvests reaped in the wealthy and
opulent capitals of these South American states. In order
to induce Adelina Patti to visit Buenos Ayres, Montevideo,
Eio de Janeiro, etc., the managers of the opera houses there
immediately expressed their readiness to break all existing
records in the matter of terms. If she would come, she
should receive not only the guaranteed fee of 1,000 per rep-
resentation paid her in the United States, but a further per-
centage upon the gross receipts that would probably increase
her cachet by half as much again. She accepted without hesi-
tation.

Great singers have always commanded big salaries. In
1734 the famous male vocalist, Farinelli, received more than
8,000 for the season in London a sum representing at least
six times that amount in the money of to-day. A little over a
century ago Catalani earned 16,000 in one year. Ninety
years ago Pasta was paid 3,700 for a three-months' season
in London ; and a few years after that the peerless Malibran
received 5,000 for a similar period. But many of these
highly paid singers of a bygone era succeeded in ruining their
managers j whereas Patti, as has already been shown, in-
variably brought them profit. It was on the nights when she
was not singing that they incurred losses; generally because



246 THE REIGN OF PATTI

they were so foolish as to persist in charging the same high
prices for inferior artists, instead of reducing prices on "off
nights" to the average theatre level.

Mme. Patti was absent from England altogether nin
months, namely, from December 10, 1887, until September 3,
1888. She was accompanied by Signor Nicolini, by her niece,
Miss Carlina Patti, Mr. Abbey, Mr. Marcus Mayer, and Mr.
Augustus F. M. Spalding, one of her oldest and most trusted
English friends, besides, of course her faithful companion,
"Karo," Before leaving London she appeared at an eve-
ning concert at the Albert Hall; and it was noteworthy
not only for her exceptionally fine singing, but for a gather-
ing which, in spite of one of the densest fogs ever experienced
in the metropolis, filled the building in every part.

Proceeding leisurely by way of Paris and Madrid to Lisbon,
she appeared at the Royal Opera House in the Spanish cap-
ital (her native city), and received 3,000 for six perform-
ances. The Madrilenos welcomed their celebrated compatriot
with characteristic warmth. Her forty-fifth birthday occurred
during the visit ; and they refused, despite her Italian parent-
age and American upbringing, to allow that she was aught but
a pure Spaniard.

The party took passage at Lisbon on board the French
steamer Congo for Buenos Ayres. There twenty-four repre-
sentations of opera were given at the Politeama Argentine.
This magnificent auditorium, which accommodated five thou-
sand people, was crammed on each occasion, the receipts on the
first night exceeding 4,000. It was stated that speculators
made a profit of as much as 6 a seat for stalls. The twenty-
four performances realized no less than 70,000, of which
sum Mme. Patti received as her share 38,400, or 1,600 a
night. This, of course, easily cast into the shade all the pre-
vious records associated with Masini and Tamagno ; nor have



THE BEIGN OF PATTI 247

such figures been since approached either in any other city
or by any other opera singer.

Going on to Montevideo, eight representations were given
at the Teatro Solis, and for these the total receipts amounted
to about 20,000. It had been arranged that afterwards the
party should proceed to Eio de Janeiro and appear at the
Don Pedro Seeunda Opera House; but, an epidemic of yellow
fever having broken out there, some of the company refused
to proceed. Four farewell performances were, however, given
in Buenos Ayres, at which the receipts averaged 3,570 a night.
On the occasion of Mine. Patti 's " benefit" scenes of the wild-
est enthusiasm were . enacted. Bouquets and floral tributes
were thrown upon the stage in such profusion that the prima
donna, when coming forward to take her calls, was ' * actually
compelled to tread among flowers." The President of the
Argentine Eepublic and other " notables" made her hand-
some presents, and attentions of every kind were showered
upon the distinguished visitor.

From first to last, the tour was an unprecedented triumph.
It was admirably managed, and, in a financial sense, by far
the most successful that Mme. Patti ever undertook. It was
estimated that her share of the total receipts exceeded 50,000,
four fifths of which could be reckoned as her profit. Her
health throughout was excellent, and only twice in Buenos
Ayres had a performance to be postponed. The voyage home
was made in the Ionic from Eio direct, via Teneriffe, to
Plymouth.

Another profitable tour at about this time was undertaken
in Spain under the management of Messrs. Schiirmann and
Pollini, of Hamburg. In that instance, however, Mme. Patti
and her husband were content with a minimum guaranty of
400 a representation, which would have been 100 less than
the sum paid her by Mapleson during his final season at
Covent Garden, As it was, the total receipts were alleged



248 THE REIGN OF PATTI

to have amounted to 43,927 for thirty-one performances, or
an average of 1,417. Out of this Mme. Patti took altogether
12,400 ; while other expenses came roughly to 20,000, leav-
ing the respectable profit of 11,500.

Altogether, in the course of eighteen months (1888-89) she
must have made an income closely approximating the extraor-
dinary figure of 100,000. It is hardly necessary to add that
such a sum was never before earned by any singer within the
same space of time.

After a welcome holiday of six weeks, spent at Craig-y-Nos
Castle, Mine. Patti-Nicolini (as in private life she was now
invariably called) journeyed to Paris to recreate the role of
the heroine in Gounod's "Borneo et Juliette" when it was
transferred from the repertoire of the Opera-Comique to that
of the Opera or Academic Nationale de Musique. The event
was fixed for November 28, 1888 ; and, when passing through
London on the 20th, she remained overnight to take part in an
Albert Hall concert, at which there also appeared three fa-
mous British artists, Edward Lloyd, Foli, and Mme. Patey
the great contralto joining her in the ' Quis est homo ' ? from
Rossini's "Stabat Mater."

To this noteworthy reprise of Gounod's "Borneo" refer-
ence has been already made in an earlier chapter. It at-
tracted at the time the attention of the entire musical world ;
and for several reasons. To begin with, it signalized the re-
appearance of Adelina Patti on the Paris stage after many
years* absence. It marked her debut at the Opera; for in
bygone days she had always sung either at the Italiens or the
Theatre-Lyrique. It was the first time she had sung an opera
in the French language, either in the French capital or else-
where. It was the first and, as events proved, the last
time that she appeared in public in the same opera and upon
the same stage with the gifted Polish tenor, Jean de Beszke,



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 249

who was now the popular idol not only of Parisian but of
London opera-goers. And, finally, Gounod, who was himself
to conduct the premiere, had touched up the music and com-
posed expressly for Jean de Reszke a new finale to the third
act, which was among the features that were to impart fresh
interest to a hitherto somewhat unappreciated (because un-
equal) opera.

It must not be supposed that Mme. Patti's participation
in this event came about without some exercise of diplomatic
skill. As a rule, she refused point-blank to do anything at
short notice ; and, until the early part of October, there had
not been the slightest idea of inviting her to undertake her
old part under these novel conditions. The circumstances
that led to the request and its acceptance are worth relating.

It had been arranged, in the first instance, that the part
of Juliette should be filled by the talented French soprano,
Mme. Darclee. She actually sang at some of the preliminary
rehearsals; but soon it became apparent that the lady was
suffering from an attack of " nerves/ 7 which grew more acute
every day, until at last all hope of her cooperation in the
revival had to be abandoned. Then it was that M. Gailhard,
one of the directors of the Opera, bethought him of the cele-
brated cantatrice who had heretofore been the only operatic
Juliette that the world, outside France, had either known or
cared about. Without losing a day (there was no time for
correspondence) and without mentioning a word to a soul,
least of all to Gounod, M. Gailhard hurriedly crossed the
Channel and made tracks as directly as he could for Craig-y-
Nos Castle a long, slow, tedious journey at the best of
times.

The surprise of the master and mistress when the tran-
quillity of their Welsh retreat was thus abruptly ruffled by
the unexpected arrival of the manager of the Paris Op6ra
can perhaps be imagined. Fortunately, he was an old friend



250 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

and could count upon a cordial reception; for M. Gailhard
had been formerly an operatic baritone of distinction (he
was a pupil of Faure) and had often sung MepMstopheles
to Mme. Patti's Marguerite in the Gye days at Covent Garden.
Mme. Patti at once proceeded to guess the object of his visit
and guessed wrong.

"I know/' she said, "why you have come to see me. You
want me to sing at the Paris Exposition [of 1889]."

"No, madame," answered M. Gailhard. "I want you to
honor me by saying 'yes' to an entirely different proposi-
tion; one of a far more pressing nature." And then, with
all a Frenchman's dialectical subtlety, he laid before her his
real mission. It did not at first seem fated to succeed.

"Impossible!" was Mme. Patti's reply. "I have always
sung Juliette in Italian. I have concert engagements in the
English provinces until the middle of November. Besides, I
sing at the Albert Hall on the 20th. I don't see how I am to
learn the French text and be in Paris in time for the 28th. ' '

"Would you only be willing to make the attempt?" urged
the worthy director "for Gounod's sake, for my sake, for
everybody's sake? Think of the added lustre that your pres-
ence will confer upon an occasion to which tout Paris is look-
ing forward. Moreover, if necessary we will postpone the
date a little. Essay ez-le done, je vous en prie, madame!"

The argument was not without effect ; but the prima donna
was unwilling to make an immediate decision. "No, it won't
do to alter the date, because I must be back in London to
sing again at the Albert Hall on December 11. But you must
give me time to consider. I will talk it over with Ernest
and let you know in two or three days. I want to have a
look at the score and see if I can really venture to sing it in
French." \

M. Gailhard left the castle in a jubilant frame of mind,
for he felt sure he had succeeded. He returned to Paris, and,



THE EEIGN OF PATTI , 251

fommunieated his secret to every one concerned except the
venerable composer, whom it would not be wise to disappoint,
especially as he had meanwhile accepted another artist in
Mme. Darelee's place. Forty-eight hours later to be exact,
on the 24th of October the exultant manager interrupted a
rehearsal and flourished before the astonished gaze of M.
Gounod the following telegram:

M. Grailhard, Director of the Opera, Paris. My aear Colleague
I was deeply touched by your visit to me at Craig-y-Nos Castle.
You invite me to assist in the performance of an artistic master-
piece conducted by the Maitre himself. My reply is, Yes. PATTI.

The composer's joy was too profound to find expression in
speech. He embraced every member of the company within
reach, and despatched a message to' his chere Adelina thank-
ing her with all his heart for the promise of her "gracious
and inestimable help." He saw her immediately after her
arrival in Paris. She had already mastered the French words,
and he declared her accent to be impeccable " worthy of the
best traditions of the Opera, " as he neatly put it. Then
came two, if not three, private rehearsals, with Gounod at
the piano and Jean de Eeszke to hum with her the deli-
cious sequence of love duets; finally, one stage rehearsal and
the repetition generate all within the space of about six
days!

I went over to Paris expressly to attend the new produc-
tion of " Borneo." It was one of the most brilliant functions
ever witnessed in the imposing salle of the Opera. In my
despatches to the Sunday Times, the Manchester Guardian,
and other English papers, superlatives inevitably abounded.
I shall never forget the reception accorded to Gounod and
Patti to the former as he made his way into the orchestra;
to the latter when she entered the Hall of the Capulets, led



252 THE REIGN OP PATTI

for a few steps by Juliette's father, then tripping down the
stage with all her accustomed brio, radiant with smiles, ex-
quisitely gowned, yet without too many jewels, looking posi-
tively more youthful than when she had last sung the part
at Covent Garden a dozen years before.

But what a difference now in her portrayal of Shakspere's
heroine! Nervous beyond the common she may have been;
the accidental skipping of four bars in the waltz told elo-
quently of unwonted excitement. (Everybody was nervous,
Gounod most of all, although sheer presence of mind enabled
him more than once to save the situation.) Still, this was
quite another Juliet; something more than a picture ; a flesh-
and-blood Italian girl, in all things redolent of Southern
passion at its height; in short, the ideal embodiment, so far
as. the opera will allow, of the loving and lovable maiden and
wife depicted by Shakspere. How she sang there is no need
to say, but from the dramatic point of view the famous artist
that night took the sternest of French critics by surprise.
Not a word was uttered or written save in unstinted admira-
tion.

Side by side with this fragrant and exquisite impersonation
stood the no less incomparable Romeo of Jean de Reszke one
of those rare poetic conceptions, supreme alike as a his-
trionic and a musical achievement, that only a truly great
artist could have indelibly stamped upon the memory of a
generation. Mario's Romeo was now completely forgotten;
Nicolini's gently brushed aside. Gounod put it in a single
sentence : "This is my ideal Romeo, even as Patti is my ideal
Juliette!" The beauty of the Polish tenor's French diction
lent a new charm to every phrase. t ' Non, ce n 'est pas le jour
c r est le doux rossignol!" had never before poured from sing-
er's lips with such poignancy of tone and utterance. For
ten years (or rather less) after this was Jean de Reszke to
hold the opera-lovers of Paris, London, and New York in



THE REIGN OF PATTI 253

thrall with, the thrilling ecstasy of these passages; and lie,
too, has had no successor.

Except in Paris during the few representations that were
practicable in the time at her disposal, Mme. Patti and M. de
Reszke were not afterwards heard together in Gounod's re-
juvenated opera. Her place at the Opera was subsequently
filled by the two American sopranos, Emma Eaines and Su-
zanne Adams. In London, the following season, it was Melba
who shared the. honors with the Polish tenor, whose lamented
brother Edouard, by the way, always displayed his noble basso
with unsurpassable grandeur in the music of Frere Laurent.

Somehow a slight estrangement occurred between Mme.
Patti and Jean de Reszke after their association in this
notable revival. What gave rise to it I am unable to say,
nor does that now matter ; but, oddly enough, it was my good
fortune to bring about a rapprochement between them. They
had not met or spoken since "Borneo," when one evening
they found themselves in each other's company at dinner at
my flat in Whitehall Court. 1 That was nearly eight years
later.

Mme. Patti then greeted her old friends Jean and Edouard
as if the links in their long spell of friendship had never been
even strained, much less broken. At table she sat between
Jean and myself,- while Nicolini talked about his "Strads"
to the great 'cellist, Piatti. A few years later, M. de Reszke,
following Mme. Patti 's example, added a small theatre to the
resources of his elegant house in the Rue de la Faisanderife j
and more than once, when visiting Paris, she delighted him
and his guests by appearing upon the little stage in some
scene from her well-remembered repertoire.

Perhaps the most agreeable and interesting of all Mme.

i The incidents of this reception in honor of Mme. Fatti were de-
scribed in "Thirty Year$ of Musical Life in London."



254 THE REIGN OF PATTI

PattTs tours on the American continent were those carried
out under the joint management of Messrs. Henry Abbey and
Maurice Grau in 1889 and 1890. The earlier one was pre-
ceded by the customary round of concerts in the English
provinces, and no fewer than three appearances (in January
and February) at the Albert Hall.

These home concerts, it should be noted, were now organ-
ized and directed by Messrs. Harrison, of Birmingham, who
gave them at their own risk (not a serious one, presumably)
and paid Mme. Patti a fixed sum for each concert 600 in
the provinces and eight hundred guineas in London. Mr.
Percy Harrison, the nephew of the founder of this well-known
firm, had engaged her to sing at their annual * tf Subscription
Concerts" at the Birmingham Town Hall as far back as Sep-
tember, 1874; and after that, when not absent from England,
she appeared at them regularly once every year until her
retirement. He now took up the functions of "concert im-
presario" to Mme. Patti initiated in London only by Am-
brose Austin, and proved himself a faithful and energetic
successor to that trusty veteran. 1

If eight hundred guineas a concert paid by Percy Harri-
son indicated the high-water mark of singers' fees in the Brit-
ish metropolis, the 1889 contract with Abbey and Grau at-
tained the "top notch' 7 for South America. The latter was
for another series of operatic performances, and it stipulated
a nightly payment of 1,250, plus half the gross receipts over
2,400. It need only be stated that the audiences in Buenos
Ayres and elsewhere were, if possible, larger than during 1
Mme. Patti J s earlier tour, to make manifest that a very large

i Percy Harrison was a concert manager in the true sense, inasmuch,
as he undertook the entire financial responsibility and paid so muclx
a concert 'to all the celebrated artists who toured the country under
his tfirecticKa. He died in December, 1917, at the age of seventy-one.



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 255

sum was again realized ; and it was the same story on her last
visit to those parts in 1893.

Lower terms were commanded on the American continent
during the autumn and winter of 1889-90, when operations
were restricted to the leading cities of the United States and
Mexico. Nevertheless, it was stated on reliable authority
that Mme. Patti's share of that undertaking amounted in
round figures to 32,000 for an aggregate of forty-three ap-
pearances. In addition, she returned loaded with presents,
including a crown of solid gold and a pair of ruby-and-dia-
mond earrings, presented to her in Mexico City by President
Diaz and his wife. Well might a London newspaper, record-
ing these facts at the time, make the prophetic remark, "So
long as this great vocalist can earn such sums, she is not likely
to retire!"

Indeed, much less stress was now laid upon the word "fare-
well" than had been the case during the preceding tours
in the States. It no longer constituted the dominant note,
because experience had shown that there was no necessity to
employ what Americans called the " extra punch" as an in-
ducement for them to go and hear Patti. Also, it had been
made evident that present use of the l( farewell" device was
premature, and therefore inexact. It might have continued
to be so. Still, in New York the asset was apparently too
valuable to be ignored altogether, and there it was utilized
by Abbey and Grau with sufficient persistency to arouse the
ire of some of the musical critics. The fact was regrettable
in a sense, but it may be repeated that the sin was purely a
managerial one and ought not to have been visited upon the
head of the artist.

Her companions on the tour now referred to included
several singers of distinction: the famous tenor Tamagno,
Albani, Nordica, Fabbri, Kavelli, Del Puente, Castelmary, and



256 THE EEIQN OP PATTI

w

Novara. With Tamagno in the troupe a special feature was
naturally made of Verdi's "Otello," which had been produced
at La Scala only two years before and was an absolute novelty
in America. Some one suggested that Patti, the peerless De$-
demona of Eossird's opera, would be far more interesting in
the more complex creation of Verdi. She did not welcome the
idea. She admired the work in many ways, but the music of
Desdemona, as conceived by the veteran maestro of Sant 7
Agata, somehow did not appeal to her. 1

A further motive for Mme. Patti 5 s attitude may be ascribed
to the fact that she had for some time been absorbed in the
study of another attractive new character, to wit, the charm-
ing heroine of Delibes 7 "Lakme," To this she had taken a
great fancy. The music suited her to perfection,* and alto-
gether the role of the self-sacrificing Indian maiden was well
designed for the display of her vocal gifts and her growing
flair for picturesque, romantic drama. Unfortunately, the
opera had to be sung to an Italian version of the French text,
the grace of which it in no way reflected. Given for the first
time in Boston (the receipts amounting to $20,000), the per-
formance proved quite unworthy both of the work and of
the new Lakme. Her singing of the familiar "Bell Song"
easily roused the house to a high pitch, of enthusiasm; her
personal triumph, however, was marred by the inefficiency
of those supporting her. In New York it was the same.
There "the performance was so desperately slipshod that it
awakened only pity for Delibes' work." 2

Mme. Patti never sang the part of Lakme in London. It
came too late to take a place in her regular repertory, for

iThe part was sung in the United States by Mme, Albani, who
achieved success in it and worthily supported Tamagno in his superb
delineation of the Moor. But 3)el Puente, the ideal Toreador of "Car-
men," did not prove an equally good substitute for Maurel, the original
lago.

* "Chapters of Opera."




JULIETTE, 1888



THE REIGN OF PATTI 257

her active career in opera had now all but reached its termi-
nation. It was, however, the only important character that
she ever assumed in a foreign opera house without appearing
in it in England.

The main incidents of this American tour of 1889-90 have
been amusingly described by the late Mme. Arditi, an amiable
and witty Irish lady, who recounted them in a series of letters
to her daughter. 1 She tells how the company first assembled
at Chicago in December, 1889, in time for the inauguration of
the new Auditorium just completed at a cost of eight million
dollars. "The opening night is to be devoted to the dedica-
tion and to the making of sundry speeches, while Patti will
sing 'Home, sweet home' (the only musical item), for which
she will be paid 800!"

From Chicago they travelled direct to Mexico :

As we approached Texas it seemed as though the roads were
garnished with cactus plants, and all along the line the natives turn
out of their huts to stare at Patti's ear, which bears her name in
large letters and is, of course, the great attraction. . . . To-night
we are invited to dine with the diva in her car, which is most luxuri-
ous; it is, in fact, fit for any queen. Her suite is decorated in the
most artistic fashion, her monogram being interspersed here , and
there on the walls with flowers and musical instruments; the salon
is furnished with lounges and chairs of pale blue plush, and her
bedroom is made of inlaid satinwood, with a brass bedstead, a plush
counterpane bearing her monogram exquisitely embroidered; while
she has every luxury, such as a long glass, bath, electric light, piano,
etc. ...

Mexico at last! A perfect paradise of a place. . . . The house
for our first performance was magnificent. Such wealth, dresses,
and diamonds; such a galaxy of beauty, and such appreciative
though exacting audiences, one does not often see combined. . . .
I heard of a lady who positively paid 30 for a box, and 14 for
two seats in the gallery for her maid and her husband's valet! .. . .

i "My Reminiscences," by Luigi Arditi, p. 275, etc.



258 THE REIGN OF PATTI

Patti lias just sent us in a delicious dish from her table; she has
brought her own chef with her.

The stay in Mexico City lasted until the end of January.
The season there was a great financial success, the people
being u so crazy" about the opera that they actually pawned
their jewelry to buy seats. Mme. Arditi goes on to say:

P^tti's benefit, which took place on the 29th of January, was
a tremendous success. The house was a wonderful sight, and the
gifts presented to her were extraordinary. Mrs. Clark was think-
ing of spending a fabulous sum on flowers for Patti; but I advised
her to give Adelina something she could keep in remembrance of
her; consequently she brought an exquisite little clock in the shape
of a Sedan chair, which Luigi [Arditi] handed to her from the
orchestra, Grau gave her a card-ease inlaid with diamonds, the
President's wife a filigree silver box containing precious coins, while
many other souvenirs were presented to her. "La Traviata" was the
opera, and Patti was in perfect voice. . . .

My little dog Chiquito goes with me to the theatre every night.
Patti takes hers to her dressing-room.

On the voyage f rom New York to Liverpool Mme. Patti, un-
fortunately, caught a severe cold. She was under engagement
to Mr. Kuhe to sing at the Albert Hall (on May 14, 1890),
and, anxious not to disappoint either her old friend or the
public, she battled with a sharp attack of hoarseness and duly
appeared. It was a great pity she did so. The audience
failed to grasp the situation. Unable to sing the pieces she
was down for, she was obliged to substitute others, and, worse
still, to decline the encores that were uproariously demanded.
After "Home, sweet home/' a noisy disturbance ensued. The
audience evidently thought there was nothing the matter with
the artist, and forgot how generous she was as a rule. There
was, of course, no e;;cuse for its unseemly behavior, which was



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 259

prolonged for several minutes indeed, until after Mme. Patti
had actually left the hall.

Next day the Daily News gave the following account o the
episode :

It was in vain that Mr. Kuhe appeared on the platform, and, be-
ing denied a hearing, complacently seated himself in a chair till the
noise might subside. It was equally in vain that M. Hollman at-
tempted some violoncello solos, and, finding himself utterly inaudible
amid the din, finally left the platform. The plucky conduct of the
popular violoncellist seemed to recall the audience to a fitting sense
of their behaviour, and after another brief disturbance, which was
sternly repressed, Mme. Patey [the contralto] was allowed to sing a
song by Tosti. In defence of the public, it should be said that at
the Patti concerts encores are expected, and that during the past
few years, although she has rarely been announced for more than
three songs, yet that loud and continued applause has usually in-
duced her to sing six and often seven times on a single evening.
That a similar complaisance to the demands of the audience would
last night have been unwise, the state of Mme. Patti's voice, how-
ever, amply showed.

In consequence of her excessive exertion on this occasion,
Mme. Patti was not well enough to appear at a second con-
cert, which had been announced for some date in June. For-
tunately, she had no further engagements that summer, and
was thus able to take a lengthy rest; but her voice did not
recover its full strength for several weeks. It was the first
time she had ever suffered long and serious ill effects from a
similar cause. Possibly she had never before literally
strained her voice by singing on a severe cold. The result
clearly indicated that, notwithstanding her wonderful con-
stitution, she could not now begin to "take liberties" with
impunity.

There can be no question that the amazing freshness of



260 THE REIGN OF PATTI

her organ at this period was largely due to the constant
care that had been exercised from the outset to spare her
from over-fatigue. Adelina Patti was now able to look back
upon an active career of thirty years, without reckoning the
work done in her childhood. Yet the most candid criticism
eould point to nothing more perceptible in the way of de-
terioration than a somewhat reduced compass and a shade less
brilliancy of tone in the head register; while, to atone for
this slight falling-off, the chest notes had grown more power-
ful and the medium more rich, more resonant, than before.
The younger Desmond Ryan, writing in the Standard (Jan-
uary, 1889), put it accurately when he said:

Those who remember that far-off evening, more than a quarter of
a century ago, when a young girl appeared on the stage of Covent
Garden, attired in the peasant costume of Amina . . . might well
be lost in admiration at the full, luscious tones displayed last night
in HandePs "From mighty kings." As time goes on, Mme. Patti's
voice gains in volume what it loses in compass, while its flexibility
remains unsurpassed and unsurpassable.

Joseph Bennett would not acknowledge that any marked
change was yet to be observed. His complaint was rather
that she now sang so little in London,- he deplored the loss
inflicted thereby on opera. Writing about an Albert Hall
concert on the eve of her departure for one of her American
tours, he said in the Daily Telegraph;

It is a matter of regret that the public should have had so few
chances of hearing Mme. Patti either in the theatre or concert room
during the last season. The withdrawal of an artist endowed with
rare talents is likely to prove of serious consequences to Italian
opera in this country, where fashion has begun to show it indiffer-
ence, and where art of a different kind is busy undermining 1 long-
established forms. At such a moment the absence of its most gifted
illustrator 13 felt severely, since there is, unfortunately, no one left



THE REIGN OF PATTI 261

with tlie genius necessary to uphold successfully an institution that
has, in spite of many failings and follies, entertained generations
with vocalisation often brought to the highest point of excellence.

That this point was well-nigh reached in the performance last
night of Rossini's air, "Bel raggio," cannot with fairness be gain-
said. The beautiful melody seemed to flow with the spontaneity
that affects us in the warbling of birds. Yet, though appearing
altogether "free and unconstrained, the phrases were, in fact, so
carefully modelled and so truly placed as to form together a com-
plete and finished musical structure. Such a display was thoroughly
enjoyed by the audience, and such a lesson, we may add, should
prove invaluable to vocal students present.

There was also truth in the following lines from another
pen that appeared at about the same time in the same journal :

The tones that had so long enraptured the musical public were
found as bright and rich as ever. What if the extreme notes be not
so elastic or ready at command as they once were, what if the daring
flights of vocalisation be less spontaneous, there is surely compen-
sation afforded in the increase of volume, in the ripe mellowness of
the middle and lower registers. In the melody, "Spargi d'amor il
pianto," the prima donna showed that she is now in full possession
of those artistic qualities which have gained her wide-world renown.
Again, in the aria, "0 luce di quest' anima," Mme. Patti displayed
that winning grace, that eloquent charm, which has heretofore dis-
tinguished her singing.

And all those qualities were to endure to the end. Notably,
the exquisite roundness, the sympathetic musical timbre of the
medium and chest tones, were to remain in undiminished
beauty and opulence so long as the voice itself lasted. For
it was never to be said by living soul that Patti was heard to
sing when her voice had lost its sweetness and charm. Like
its possessor, it never betrayed the meaning of the term "old
age. 7 '

How this miracle of preservation was accomplished will



262 THE REIGN OF PATTI

by now have been made more or less comprehensible to tlie
reader of these pages. Patti once told the " secret " of it
herself in America, after she had been singing in public more
than fifty years, to Mr. "William Armstrong, who reproduced
her words in an article entitled "Mme. Patti ? s Advice to
Singers: Her Own Rules for Preserving the Voice." 1 They
were not, perhaps, her ipsissima verba; but unquestionably
they embodied with accuracy the thoughts and ideas that she
littered in lier interview with the magazine writer. Apart
from tliat$ they contain such sound common sense, so many
valuable hints to vocal students for all time, that I gladly
avail myseli of the permission granted me to quote the whole
article in these pages. It runs thus :

"MME. PATTI'S ADVICE TO SINGERS"

People* sriio cultivate the voice have widely different ideas on
what coristitutes the best methods of its preservation. If I gave
lessons. I should cultivate the middle tones, and the voice of the
singer w>wld be good at the age of a hundred. The whole harm to
a voice comes in pushing it up and down, in trying to add notes to
its compass.

"How high can you sing 1 ?" appears to be the question. But what
about the foundation part of the voice that is, the middle notes?
My success Is founded on those notes, and there can be no enduring
success "wit&oufc them. How many can sing very high and yet can-
not sing 'Home, sweet homeM Some pooh-pooh the idea of the
difficulty of that simple melody. But it is more difficult to sing
*Home, sweet home' than the waltz song from "Romeo and Juliet,"
because of its demands upon the development of the voice, "Without
the beautiful middle notes there is no eantabile, and upon the proper

i Dictated by Mme. Patti to William Armstrong, and revised by her
for publication in the Saturday Evening Post (Philadelphia) and sub-
sequently in the Christmas number of the Windsor Magazine, 1903.
Reprinted here by kind permission of the editor of the Baturday Eve-
ning Post.



THE REIGN OF PATTI 263

development- of these, and the avoidance of strain by forcing high
and low notes, the enduring powers of the singer depend.

High gymnastics are very beautiful; but, lose the middle notes,
and you lose all. The very high and the very low notes are the
ornaments, but what good are Gobelins and pictures if you have no
house to hang them in 1 ?

The tremolo, one of the most objectionable and unbearable of
vocal faults, is but a phase of this forcing, and comes of the spread-
ing of the vocal cords through straining.

How often the question has been put to me: "Mme. Patti, how
high can you sing?" and I have thought: "Are you at it, toof
The middle voice is the one that you need to sing with. I sing com-
fortably.

If you want to sing for years, do not strain the natural compass
of the voice. That is like living on capital. I have always lived
within my income, and I have always had something to put aside.

The question of success or failure as a singer is simplified by self-
judgment and discrimination. Many voices are not worth the ewlti-
vation, and that means time and opportunities lost. Very often
students wear out their voices with over-study before they appear
in public. They destroy the freshness of the voice by singing too
much.

As to the length of time to be devoted to study, I myself do not
give more than fifteen or twenty minutes to it daily, and these few
minutes I devote to scales. . . .

My golden rule in singing is to spare myself until the voice is
needed, and then never to give it all out. Put it in the bank. I
do not push my voice for the pleasure of the moment. If you are
prodigal of your powers at such times, the next time you wish to
be generous you cannot.

"The true secret of preserving the voice is not to force
it and not to sing when one ought not to." We have seen
how she broke the latter half of her golden rule when she sang
for Mr. Kuhe at the Albert Hall ; but she had naturally for-
gotten that exceptional episode when "dictating" to Mr. Arm-
strong fourteen years later, for to him she said :



264 THE REIGN OF PATTI

I never sang when I was not well enough ; neither did I sing when
I was doubtful of the condition of my voice. I simply went to bed
and said that there was "no one in." Managers came, besought,
pleaded, and entreated; but I was not well and I would not sing.

One instance I remember well when it proved most difficult to
refuse. The King of Prussia, later the German Emperor William I,
had arranged a court concert in which I was to sing. Although
everything had been prepared at the palace, when the day arrived
I did not feel well, and refused to go. To Meyerbeer was given the
unpleasant task of conveying my refusal. But the King did not
resent it, for he came to hear me when I next appeared. During
the performance he asked:

"Miss Patti, what caused you to be so ill?"

"Your royal climate, your Majesty/ 7 was my reply.

In the matter of diet and its relation to the voice, I can only say
that I have been able to eat and drink in moderation anything I like.
During a performance I do not take anything, unless it may be a
little chicken soup ; nor at such times do I feel like eating. Eating
after singing I consider injurious, for one is then always more or
less fatigued. ... I have always avoided suppers at home in the
middle of the night; late suppers disagree with me.

So far as denying myself is concerned, I have not found the slight-
est difficulty in giving up anything that it is unwise to indulge in.
At one time I dieted for four years. That was, however, not due
to the demands of my voice. . . . There is nothing like fresh air and
exercise for keeping the voice in good order.

When a singer is about to enter upon a public career, there is
one point to be considered that of fitness for concert or opera, I
think if you can sing in concert, if you have feeling and discern-
ment, you can sing in opera, though in my opinion some who are
good in concert are by no means fitted for opera. The operatic
stage demands so much of everything voice, knowledge of singing,
and acting. Everything has to be calculated; even a wrong step or
two during a phrase will bring one into the wings instead of to
the front of the stage. Ease of movement, dramatic instinct and
feeling, are absolutely necessary to the opera singer. . . .

Another most important gift, and one quite indispensable . to sue-



THE REIGN OF PATTI 265

cess in opera, is presence of mind; for on the stage it is always the
unexpected that happens. In my early career I knew no such thing
as nervousness. I had nothing to lose then. But later it was differ-
ent. When I had made my reputation, I grew more and more nerv-
ous, for it is one thing to build up a reputation and another to sus-
tain it. Not alone on the stage, but in the auditorium, incidents
are continually arising that demand of a singer an absolute self-
control, command of memory, and vocal powers in the face of dis-
tractions and of danger.

On the very night of my operatic debut something of this kind
occurred. I sang the title part in Donizetti's "Lucia," with Bri-
gnoli as Edgardo. A man had hung his coat carelessly over the front
of the gallery, and a pistol in the pocket went off. in the middle of
the performance. For an instant everyone stopped still on the
stage j then we went ahead again, and the audience was reassured.

Another accident, more serious in the possibility of its conse-
quences, happened at Bucharest. A man had climbed upon the
irpns at the side of the stage to get sight of me. He slipped and
fell on a poor woman who was standing in the wings. She was
badly hurt, and her cries resounding through the house caused some-
one to call "Fire!" In an instant the excitable audience was in a
panic. The thought flashed through my mind that a stampede for
the doors might bring death to hundreds. "It is no fire!" I called.
"It is nothing!" And I continued singing the cadenza with flute
accompaniment in "Lucia." After I had sung a few bars the audi-
ence was quieted.

Another time, in Vienna, I was again singing in "Lucia," and had
just begun the cadenza with the flute, in the Mad Scene, when my
long, flimsy sleeve caught lire in the gas. Without stopping, I tore
it off and finished the aria. But that time, after I got behind the
scenes and everything was over, I fainted.

On another occasion, in San Francisco, a man threw a bomb,
which exploded on the stage. The audience rose in terror, and, fear-
ing a panic might ensue, I stepped to the front of the stage and
began singing "Home, sweet home." The audience resumed their
seats, and after a few bars quiet was restored.

Two more instances of Mme. Patti's presence of mind



266 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

under trying circumstances conclude this interesting and
authentic article. The first seems to suggest at least one dis-
advantage due to her habit of not attending rehearsals. The
second does the same, while also illustrating her considerate
nature in not disclosing the identity of the unfortunate tenor
concerned :

Once I was singing in "Lucia" with a tenor as Edgardo whom I
had never seen. As Edgardo and his brother are dressed alike in the
first scene, when I appeared on the stage I did not know which one
I was to sing to. Already my music was sounding from the orches-
tra. "Which is Edgardo?" I asked hastily.

"The one to the left/' was the answer. And I hurried toward
him, singing as I went.

In an episode of a different description the opera was "Traviata,"
and the tenor a forgetful one. In the duet in the last act he sud-
denly began to sing my part. In a flash I had to take up his until,
as suddenly, Ms memory returned. When the curtain was rung
down he thanked me with tears in his eyes. It was the second inci-
dent of the Mad that had happened to him, and the first had not
been so fortunate for both singers.

The * 'longevity of Patti's voice" is the subject of some
interesting analysis in a book by another American writer,
Mr. Henry Finck, which appeared some few years after the
above article was published. 1 In the main he attributed the
so-called "secret" to the same causes as did the singer her-
self. He gives her no credit, however, for having helped to
preserve her voice by singing only music that lay well within
her means. On the contrary, he complains that there was a
time when she attempted tasks that were too heavy for her;
and then proceeds to defend her for having as certain
critics averred confined herself, "especially in the last two
decades of her stage career, to the old-fashioned prima donna

i "Success in Music and How it is Won/' by Henry T. Finck. Lon-
don, 1910. See Appendix X.



THE REIGN OF PATTI 267

operas/ 7 He adds simply, "She was wise in doing what slie
could do best. 77

The question is, did Mme. Patti sing these operas toward
the end because she had only then recognized her physical
limitations as an artist, or because she desired to do the work
that caused her least fatigue? If the "two decades 57 be cut
down to one, the latter reason could be the only true reason.
Before 1885 and she was to make her final appearance at
Covent Garden in '1895 she had not begun to eliminate any
of the heavier roles that had long been in her repertoire : for
example, Marguerite, Leonora, and Valentino,, in which Mr.
Finck says he liked her less than many less famous singers.
She also continued to sing for a time Mda, Semiramide, Juli-
ette, and (to the very last) Violetta, which belong neither to
the light nor heavy but to the mezzo carattere type of soprano
parts.

Her ability to do justice to such characters as Valentino,
and Leonora was admitted as far back as the season of 1860
in New Orleans, when she was a girl of seventeen. But she
was allowed to sing them very seldom. Mr. Finck may be
right when he pays a higher tribute to the natural endowments
that made her "the Paganini of vocal virtuosity 77 an ex-
pression applied to her by Lenz than to her talents as a
dramatic singer. He is right when he declares that "she
was perfection itself, both as actress and singer, in light
comic roles. 7 ' But he speaks of " a time when a misdirected
ambition made her regard her specialty almost with contempt
and aspire to things that were beyond her." "When was this?
The fact is that she had from the outset loved to show herself
a versatile artist. And the unanimous verdict of the world
(including New York) had sufficiently proved the accuracy
of her estimate bar the one isolated instance of Carmen.

The same author quotes seriously a half-jocular remark
that Adelina, when a young woman, once made to Edward



268 THE EBIGN OF PATTI

Hanslick. "I am no buff a," she said, tossing her head; and
when he praised her Zerlina, she retorted: "I would rather
sing Donna Anna, and I shall sing her yet I" Needless, to
say, she never fulfilled her threat. It would have been very
amusing, doubtless, but she never made mistakes of that sort.

That she knew her own limitations perfectly is further
shown in her having consistently refused to sing the operas
of Wagner. Some one, quoted by Mr. Finek, once attributed
to her what he rightly terms a "silly remark 77 to the effect
that "she would sing Wagner's music after she had lost her
voice." Of course she never can have said anything so non-
sensical, so lacking in good taste. For she had grown ex-
tremely fond of Wagner's music and (after her marriage to
Baron Cederstrom) was a frequent visitor to Bayreuth.
Moreover, as we shall see, she took the pains to master the
music and German text of the song, "Traume," Elizabeth's
"Prayer/ 7 and Elsa's "Dream," and sang the first two pieces
in public several times. But the operas she was too wise ever
to think of attempting.

One more point, in conclusion. After delivering judgment
upon Patti as a dramatic singer, Mr. Finek proceeds to tell
his readers why she was not one: "Her failure to reach, a
high level in dramatic roles was a matter partly of tempera-
ment, partly of intellectual laziness/ 7 x To support this iso-
lated opinion he has recourse to her old friend Arditi Arditi,
of all men, a rare authority upon matters of intellect ! From
this source he gathers, first, that she did not marry the Mar-
quis de Caux for love, and on that account presumably had
"no depth of feeling"; secondly, that Arditi had "never per-
ceived in Adelina the least interest in the higher problems of
mankind in science, politics, religion, not even in belles let-
tres."*

1 "Success in Music/'

2 "My Reminiscences/' by Luigi Arditi.



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 269

It would have been more to the point had Arditi men-
tioned the particular occasions when he talked about these
things. One would have greatly liked to be present when the
genial conductor started a discussion at Craig-y-Nos or any-
where else upon such profound topics. He is made to say
in his book that "he could not interest Mme. Patti in the
lightest of all forms of intellectual exercise novel-reading. 77
Did he really try ? Was he himself capable of trying ? There
were others who knew her positively to be a voracious reader
of good fiction, particularly French.

Arditi was much nearer the mark when he said that at the
period during which she was the wife of the Marquis de Caux
"she knew not love, the 'grand passion/ " But the Patti of
the next twenty years was very different alike as an artist
and as a woman. Few critics, even in America, would then
have confirmed Mr. Finck's po/xr estimate of her as a singer
of dramatic roles. Happily, she knew better than to expect
to be considered a great tragic artist. She claimed only to
be adjudged a versatile and progressive one.



CHAPTER XVII

Craig-y-lSTos and Its Chatelaine Preparing to Entertain Her Annual
Concerts for Local Charities Her Rule about Singing Gratuitously:
Patti's Reasons and Jenny LInd's Ceremonial Visits to Swansea,
ISJeath, or Brecon; Municipal and Musical Honors The New "Patti
Theatre 33 ; Why and How It Was Built Opera and Pantomime at
Home The Inaugural Festivities A Notable House-Party Personal
Impressions of a First Visit to Craig-y-Nos The Diva as a Hostess
and en Famille~-B.er Household in the Nineties Arditi Superintends
Rehearsals Formal Opening of the Theatre William Terriss "Depu-
tizes" for Irving Patti and Nicolini Renew Old Triumphs Two
Memorable Operatic Entertainments and a Ball The Miracle of
Perennial Youthfulness

THE early part of 1891 was uneventful. A concert tour
on the Continent, begun at Berlin, was to have filled in
the January and February ; but, owing to a disagreement with
the Russian impresario, it was not extended to St. Petersburg
and Moscow, and the journey had to be brought to an abrupt
conclusion. From the Prussian capital Mme. Patti went di-
rect to Nice, where she remained until March. On her return
she sang two or three times at the Albert Hall, assisted at one
concert by the perennial Sims Reeves, whose soft, dark tones
and smooth legato still sounded surprisingly well in the vast
auditorium. At another the supporting talent comprised
such artists as Antoinette Sterling, Foli, PaderewsM, Johannes
Wolff, and Joseph Hollman a notable ensemble.

Meanwhile, at home in the pretty castle in the Swansea
Valley, important events were preparing. The finishing
touches were being put to the private theatre the Patti Thea-
tre, as it was to be called recently added to the new wing.
Its inauguration in the month of August was to be the occa-

270



THE EBIGN OP PATTI 271

sion of festivities on an extensive scale. A large number of
friends and well-known people were to be invited for the
principal function, while several house-parties were to follow.
I had the privilege of being included among the former ; and
this was to be my first visit to Craig-y-Nos Castle. Needless
to say, my desire to see the place was heightened by curiosity
regarding the ceremonial that I was bidden at the same time
to attend. Indeed, thanks to the newspapers, a considerable
amount of public interest in the affair had been aroused be-
forehand.

Before coming to the incidents connected with the *' open-
ing" of the theatre, we shall do well to devote a few mo-
ments to a glance at the conditions that were now reigning at
Craig-y-Nos ; at the influences they had wrought in the home
life nay, in the very habits and customs of its mistress;
and, most of all, what they had done to create in her a recog-
nition of duty to the people among whom she had east her
domestic lot.

Truth to tell, during her residence in South "Wales Mme.
Patti-Nicolini had deserved well of her neighbors. She had
done the things that were calculated to make her popular for
her own sake. "Without entertaining lavishly, she and her
husband had been hospitable and had earned an honorable
name in the locality for deeds of charity and open-handed
generosity. When the inhabitants of the Swansea Valley
spoke of her, it was not merely to refer to the renowned singer,
but to the Lady Bountiful of Craig-y-Nos the kind friend
of all the folk, great and small, who came within the growing
sphere of her activities.

In a geographical sense, this remote corner of the prin-
cipality may be roughly defined as a triangle, with the flour-
ishing port of Swansea as its apex and the inland towns of
Neath and Brecon at the respective extremities of its base.



272 THE REIGN OF PATTI

The Craig-y-Nos estate is situated rather nearer to these last
two places. But Swansea is only twenty-two miles away,
and in its vicinity lived Mme. Patti's earliest Welsh friends,
including among others Sir Hussey Vivian, Bt., M.P., who
represented the borough in Parliament until he became Lord
Swansea. Hence her particular interest in these three towns;
and hence also her decision, soon after she came here to live,
that she would give an annual concert at each town in turn,
the profits of which should be devoted to local charities.

The idea was new to her. For many reasons, the name of
Patti had not hitherto been much identified with the cause
of charity. One of the traits instilled into her by the care-
ful training of Maurice Strakoseh had been a capacity for
refusing to give her services for nothing. Early experience
in Great Britain had shown that it was not advisable for an
artist who valued her peace of mind to acquire a reputation
for readily consenting to appear at benefit entertainments.
The demands made upon her during her first few London
seasons had been unconscionable, and she had been obliged to
make it a rule to say "No" to all alike.

The drawing of this hard-and-fast line naturally made
her many enemies. She was accused of being uncharitable
and devoid of generous feeling ; which was unjust, because it
was untrue, as she abundantly proved in after years. What
alternative was there for a young prima donna who was a
popular idol, seeing that consent in a solitary instance would
have involved consent in hundreds of cases? She was not
only perfectly within her right, but, at the time Strakosch
established the rule for her, it was undoubtedly a wise and
proper course to pursue.

As a matter of fact, long before the' Great War came to
impose its special needs, the custom of calling upon musical
and dramatic celebrities to work in aid of public charities
had been overdone to a lamentable extent. Singers nsed to



THE REIGN OF PATTI 273

be invariably paid, and well paid, for their services at pro-
vincial festivals; but a good percentage of the thousands of
pounds that they earned for other "benefit" undertakings
was virtually extracted from their pockets.

This many of them did not mind. The case of Jenny Lind
naturally occurs to memory. It should not be forgotten, how-
ever, that it was in the latter part of her meteoric public
career that the great Swedish artist so generously devoted her
energies to singing on behalf of deserving charities notably
those in which she was directly interested or that bore her
name. Nothing could have been more admirable. Neverthe-
less, her noble example ought not to have constituted a re-
proach for every successful artist who failed to imitate it. If
it did so for many years in regard to Adelina Patti, it was
because people did not stop to consider that at the time the
circumstances in which she was placed were altogether excep-
tional. Besides, she was a much younger woman than Mme.
Jenny Lind-Goldschmidt.

After she had lived a short time in "Wales, Mme. Patti's
ideas on this subject began to undergo modification. Some
one suggested to her that it might be the right thing to organ-
ize an occasional concert of her own engaging the hall and
paying the other artists herself on behalf of one of the
local charities. Accordingly, in 1882 the experiment was tried
at Swansea, and proved an immense success, the handsome
sum of 830 being realized for the funds of the Swansea Gen-
eral Hospital. South Wales was duly grateful, while the rest
of the country approved with a polite " Better late than
never! 771

i SSee Appendix Y, an article describing how these affairs were started,
from the Cambrian of August 15, 1884. The local historian recounts
his story with truly Welsh picturesque fervor and no little humor.
He depicts in accurate fashion the hesitancy that was felt on one hand
by the new tenant of Craig-y-Nos Castle and, on the other, by th good



274 THE REIGN OF PATTI

Once started, the concerts were given with tolerable regu-
larity in alternate years at Swansea and Neath, also occa-
sionally at Brecon. The net profits amounted on an average
to 700 or 800, and various institutions benefited in turn:
the Swansea Hospital, the Brecon Infirmary, the Rest Con-
valescent Home for the Poor at Porthcawl, the Patti Poor
Funds at Neath and Brecon, etc.

A royal visit could not have been attended with greater
ceremony than marked the arrival and departure of Mme.
Patti and Signer Nicolini on these occasions. The town would
be decorated with flags and a holiday proclaimed. Crowds
would line the streets and bestow an enthusiastic welcome
upon the radiant diva as she drove (sometimes with military
escort) to and from the railway station. The Mayor and
Corporation, accompanied (for several years) by Sir Hussey
Vivian, met her in each town and presented an address in
orthodox civic fashion. Generally, too, there was a public
luncheon before the concert (which the singers, of course,
dared not thoroughly enjoy), at which speeches were deliv-
ered that brimmed over with touching sentiment. Then there
was the vote, of thanks at the close of the concert, usually pro-
posed (at Swansea) by Sir Hussey, an adept at turning neat
compliments, and responded to on behalf of Mme. Patti and
her husband (who would consent to sing, but not to speak)
by either Mr. Augustus Spalding or Mr. Wilhelm Ganz, the
latter of whom for many years arranged the programmes and
played the accompaniments.

Thus, for close upon a decade, the petted songstress of the
Old and New "Worlds had been spending the happiest moments
of her existence within the confines of that remote bower
whither she had erstwhile repaired for quiet and repose. By

people of Glamorganshire, prior to the breaking of the ice and the
establishment of "friendly relations."



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 275

degrees the well-guarded and almost inaccessible diva had
become accustomed to descending, as she set foot here, from
her lofty eminence in the realms of opera until she had be-
come transformed into the simple country dame. As such,
or rather as a novel and delightful combination of hostess and
artist, was she to present herself to the friends who came at
her bidding, most of them, like the writer, for the first time,
penetrating the interior of the shrine that was now her
pleasure and her pride.

Obviously the new theatre was its chief jewel. She had
taken the utmost pains to have it made, internally at least,
a thing of beauty; she had not spared money over the audi-
torium and the stage, albeit the extreme plainness of its ex-
terior might bear comparison on a small scale with that no-
toriously ugly edifice, the Bayreuth Theatre. However, it
did not, like the "Wagner temple, stand alone upon an exposed
acclivity. It formed part of the castle building, which itself
could lay no special claim to architectural beauty; and one
only noticed it as a squat and substantial portion of what
we now knew as the "new wing." It had been designed by
a local architect and erected by a Swansea builder.

Oblong in shape and capable of seating about three hun-
dred people, the auditorium at once struck the spectator as
cosy and comfortable. The decorative scheme was simple but
attractive. The walls were divided into arabesqued panels
of pale blue, cream, and gold between fluted pillars in similar
coloring, the whole effect being extremely light and delicate.
The orchestra "pit/ 7 which would hold about twenty per-
formers, could when necessary be raised to the height of the
floor. The entire floor, again, could also be raised by me-
chanical means from its slight gradient, or "rake," until
entirely level, the whole auditorium being thus converted into
a handsome ball-room. The stage was of fair size and fitted
with the latest appliances for lighting and scene-shifting.



276 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

The acoustics were excellent, and from tlie gallery at tkt
back one could see and hear everything to perfection.

Such was the bijou theatre that the illustrious opera-singer
had added to the many luxuries of her Welsh dwelling, and
which was to constitute so prominent and enjoyable a feature
in the home existence of her declining years. A plaything?
No, not by any means; it was a good deal more than that.
It was to replace something that the artist still bubbling
over with the active spirit and physical energy of a juvenility
which her looks did not belie now felt to be gradually slip-
ping from her grasp. That something was opera her beloved
scene lyrique the real theatre whose boards she had lightly
and joyfully trodden for thirty years. She could not bear
to let it go out of her life.

A plaything? No. When a child of four or five she had
loved her dolls with an ardent devotion that well-nigh pat-
terned the maternal. That early passion had endured long
after the little girl was earning the family living ; long after
she had reached her teens; nay, after she had actually at-
tained womanhood. But there were two things for which the
child would always gladly leave her dolls. One was to " dress
up" and play at acting; the other, to go to the opera to the
theatre where artists acted as well as sang.

"I am never so happy," she once said to me, "as when I
am on the stage. It is then that I feel the truest and strong-
est inspiration. It is then that I give of my best. Not
merely because of the freedom to couple action and move-
ment with my singing, but because of the thought that I am
depicting personages, incidents, emotions, all of which I can
supplement with facial look and gesture.

"I love the art of pantomime. I love to go through a
scene and represent a character where there is neither sing-
ing nor speaking; only to feel and understand what I have



THE EEIGN OP PATTI 277

to express, and carry it out by sheer acting, that is, with
attitude, geste, glance of the eye, pointing of the hand or a
finger. I can do that without using my voice, and yet I can
still have music to aid and inspire me. For pantomime car-
ried on without music means nothing; you cannot separate
one from the other."

Here, when all was said and done, emerged the true rea-
son for the existence of the new theatre. Not a plaything
was it to be, but a hobby ; and a very artistic one. It would
have been easy enough for Mme. Patti to cling to her stage
work all through this period, had she desired. In London
the renascence of opera under Augustus Harris had already
started with the Covent Garden season of 1888. The lead-
ing capitals of Europe were ever ready to welcome her the
moment she cared to say the word. It would be only a ques-
tion of terms.

But on that very question obstacles would have arisen;
for the diva, much as she loved the stage, was growing tired
of the strenuous labor of operatic life, and she felt no induce-
ment to reduce her fees to the old European level. Not an
impresario among them would venture to offer her the cachet
that she received from Mr. Percy Harrison or Mr. Kuhe for
singing three airs and as many encores at a concert.

She preferred, therefore, to accept easy and lucrative en-
gagements like these, with perhaps one or two more visits to
America, should opportunity occur. But henceforth the only
theatre she would take delight in would be her own, where
she could select her own piece and her own public, where she
could be her own intendant, impresa, prima donna assoluta,
and premiere mime, all in one !

I arrived at Craig-y-Nos Castle four days before the in-
augural performance, which had been fixed for August 12,
1891. The house-party had already begun to assemble, and



278 THE EBIGN OF PATTI

comprised some notable people. Among them were the then
Spanish Ambassador, besides Sir Hussey and Lady Vivian,
Baron and Baroness Julius cle Reuter, Mr. Edward Lawson
(afterwards Sir Edward and later still the first Lord Burn-
ham) , the Comte de Lille, Mr. Augustus Spalding, Mr. "Wil-
liam Beatty Kingston (of the Daily Telegraph), M. Thomas
Johnson (of Le Figaro), Signor and Mme. Arditi, three or
four operatic artists, Mr. Percy Harrison, and other friends.
On the eve of the 12th the castle was as packed as a grouse
shooting-box on one of the neighboring moors. Its sleeping
accommodation was so overtaxed that the dressing-rooms be-
hind the theatre had been turned into bedrooms.

There were two disappointments. Mr. Alfred de Eothsehild
was unable to come, and Henry Irving could not keep his
promise to deliver the inaugural address and declare the
theatre open. The eminent tragedian had, however, asked his
popular jeune premier, William Terriss, to come in his stead;
and a hearty welcome awaited the cheery actor, whose prema-
ture death at the hand of a cowardly assassin we were soon
afterward to deplore. The long address had been written by
Beatty Kingston. How poor Terriss arrived only a couple
of hours before it was to be delivered, without knowing a
word of it, and how he mastered every line with astounding
rapidity a prodigious feat of memory, in fact shall be duly
related.

Before dealing with the premiere itself, let me here set
down a few impressions of this now historical place as it
struck me on the occasion of my interesting initial visit. To
begin with, there was the extreme difficulty of getting there.
Journeying from Paddington to the Swansea Valley by way
of Neath, over three lines of railway, not only took best part
of a day, but evidently meant, as a regular thing, arriving at
the castle late for dinner. Yet, curiously enough, I was to



THE EBIGN OF PATTI 279

note that the host and hostess were invariably less surprised
by the unpunetnal advent of their guests than if they hap-
pened to dwell with any emphasis upon the tediousness or
fatigue of the journey. The simple explanation of this was
that Mine. Patti herself travelled to and from town either by
special train or in a through saloon carriage. It probably
never occurred to her that the Swansea Valley was an awk-
ward place to get to for people making the trip under less
favorable conditions.

But one quickly forgot the inconveniences of the journey
after alighting at the little Penwyllt station which stood
perched almost above the Craig-y-Nos. One felt at once, so
to speak, in the domain of the diva herself. On the arrival
platform was her private waiting-room, erected by the rail-
way company with as much solid material as if it had been
intended for Queen Victoria and her successors. ' Outside the
station began Mme. Patti 7 s own private road, cut into the steep
hillside at a gentle gradient, and leading down into the broad
Swansea Valley, where it joined the regular highway winding
up from the village of Ystradgynlais to the castle and thence
on to Brecon.

The view from the top at Penwyllt is really charming.
Hills and moorland stretch as far as the eye can reach, and
just below, on the opposite side of the valley, one perceives
the castle in its grounds, looking white and cool in the hot
August sun, a veritable oasis in the desert. I was one of a
contingent of guests from London, and carriages had been
sent to meet us. "We arrived just as the gong was sounding
for dinner. A rush, a hurried change, and almost before I
could realize it I was seated beside my hostess at a long table
in the huge conservatory which, in the summer, was used as a
dining-room. With its innumerable electric lights and its
background of lofty palms, it presented a scene of extraor-
dinary beauty.



280 THE BEIGN OF PATTI

Vividly do I recall the picture of Mme. Patti herself at
the head of the table, looking astonishingly youthful and
svelte in a Parisian gown of blue and white, just received
from Worth or Doucet. Her rippling laugh was rarely un-
heard, her abundant flow of talk in four languages the life and
soul of the conversation. Every now and then she would
address a remark in French, with well-nigh ventriloquial
skill, to the other end of the table.

"Ecoute done, Ernest," or "Entends-tu, mon ami?" And
back would come the reply, "0%ii, ma mignonne," in the
resonant tenor notes of Nicolini, busy with some Italian dish
or emptying his own particular bottle of his own special
brand of champagne. And so the gorgeous Gargantuan meal
went on for the best part of a couple of hours.

This banquet was the beginning of a series of feasts that
was to last for days. The hospitality of Craig-y-Nos Castle
was already a by-word in the principality. (It reached its
climax that summer. Seven years later it had ceased to
exist.) Mme. Patti's chef was a genuine cordon ~bleu, and
her excellent butler was for the time being assisted by extra
footmen. Additional carriages and horses had been brought
over from Swansea.

When dinner was over, the men did not remain at the
table, but escorted their ladies in procession through the
morning-room and hall of the old house to the new wing, and
on through the big winter dining-room to the French billiard-
room. Here our merry hostess seated herself on one of the
raised leather-cushioned l)ancs, surrounded by her feminine
guests, and, while coffee was being served, listened to the
orchestrion in its pleasing execution of her and her husband's
favorite "rolls." The manipulation of the instrument was
Nicolini 7 s special duty; he jealously reserved it, in fact, for
himself, as if no one else could be trusted to put on or take



THE KEIGN OF PATTI 281

off a roll. He was now no longer a smoker, but knew well
the qualities of the different brands of cigars stocked in his
cabinet ; and happily he always took care that I should have
one of Ms " Alfred de Rothschilds."

Now was the moment when plans for the following day
were to be talked over, when arrangements for final stage re-
hearsals were discussed. Maestro Arditi was called to the
front.

"Caro Lmgi," cried the gracious Adelina, "do you want
me to-morrow 2 ' *

Ci l t'ink is better," smiled Arditi. "Veramente I like you
rehearse twice, if is possible. I want 'Traviata' before lunch,
'Faust' after lunch. E-e-eh? 77 The sly old conductor was
laughing inwardly. He knew he could make her do here some-
thing that in an ordinary opera house she would not have
done for a thousand pounds. She pretended to hesitate.

"Mais $a, e'est terrible! And with piano only?"

"You know my orchestra he not come from Swansea till
nex' day; Mr. Hulley he bring 'eem with the chorus. Domawi
is principals; e senza di te non va! n This with an indescrib-
able imploring grimace.

"Very well; I suppose I must. C'est entendu. And now
let us all go and look at the theatre.

She led the way by a short corridor that went direct from
the billiard -room to the narrow vestibule of the new structure,
access to which was also available by an entrance from the
outer quadrangle of the castle. The corridor continued on to
the dressing-rooms at the back of the stage; but to the left
about half-way was a door that opened direct into the audi-
torium, now brilliantly lighted as if for a performance.

It looked wonderfully pretty very spick and span, of
course, as if just lifted out of a bandbox, but quite har-
monious with its color scheme of pale blue, white, and gold.
The act drop was down. It was a miniature masterpiece



282 THE REIGN OF PATTI

from the brash of Hawes Craven, the central figure an Ama-
zonian personage in a Roman chariot driving a pair of fiery
steeds. The costume, however, was that of Semiramide. and
the face an excellent likeness of Mine. Patti herself.

I glanced at the original. She looked proud and happy,
and I told her she had good reason to feel so. A private
theatre on such a scale was unique something that the Queen
of England herself did not possess.

"I am so glad you like it," she said. "It has been a great
pleasure to build it; but the best is now to come. I know
how I shall enjoy singing and acting in it for my friends.
I wish it were already the day after to-morrow." (This was
Monday. The opening was fixed for the Wednesday.) And
she clapped her hands in joyful anticipation, just like an im-
patient child; which was precisely what Adelina Patti most
resembled at that particular moment.

No one was supposed to go into the theatre during the
rehearsals, but on the second day I contrived to obtain ad-
mission as a privileged person, though for a few minutes only.
I found every one taking the work au grand serieux, Arditi
was as solemn as if he were at Covent Garden, Nicolini per-
haps even more so. The others followed suit.

Mme. Patti entered into the spirit of the thing with the
greater zest. because until now the tedious and hard work of
rehearsing had been so completely unknown to her. Now, of
course, it was a labor of love. The traditional " business"
of scenes from "Traviata" and "Faust" might be old as the
hills, but the experience of trying it over on one's own
stage,, under one's own roof, was delightfully new. A few
days later she was to find it still more fascinating, for then
strange parts and an unaccustomed art had to be studied.
Then, in her estimation, rehearsals became the most enjoy-
able feature of the proceedings.



THE REIGN OF PATTI 283

Meanwhile the remainder of the house-party were rapidly
arriving, and Tuesday was a day of busy preparation. The
Spanish Ambassador proved to be a courteous and amiable
gentleman. He was guilty of one charming piece of flattery.
Naturally, he claimed the diva as his compatriot. She ad-
mitted the soft impeachment, then asked him, "But don't
you think I should have been exactly like I am, wherever I
was born?" Said his Excellency in reply: "You might
have been an equally great singer, but you would not have
been the same grande dame d'Espagne."

Mr. Edward Lawson, always the essence of bonhomie, was
there as one of her oldest friends, and anxious only on one
point the difficulty of transmitting in good time a worthy
account of the opening performance to his paper, the Daily
Telegraph. It was to be written by Beatty Kingston, which
insured a notice of "heavenly length," bristling with any
quantity of flowery adjectives. But the nearest telegraph
office was at Ystradgynlais, a village several miles away, and
every message to or from that office had to be sent over a
defective telephone of the early days, situated in a small
room on the first floor of the castle. Nevertheless, when the
time came, I managed to get it through, and the proprietor
of the Daily Telegraph was very grateful. I took good care,
however, to get off my own notice to the Manchester Guardian
first, so as not to block the line for the London message. 1

William Terriss arrived on the 12th soon after tea, and
at once set to work to memorize the address already referred
to. As a very old friend my services were requisitioned by
him as prompter. We went together to his room, and he
gave me an object-lesson in the art of "quick study." He
took one copy of the address; I took another. He read it
through to me ; I read it through to him. He began repeat-

* My anticle for the Sunday Times (see Appendix 2) went later by
post.



284 THE REIGN OF PATTI

ing sentences by heart; I prompted him and corrected mis-
takes. In about three quarters of an hour he was word-
perfect. At night, as the actors say, he may have been nerv-
ous; but he made only one or two tiny slips, and those were
not observed even by the quizzical author of the address.

"When he came before the plush tableau curtains, Terriss
found himself face to face with a strange audience and in an
atmosphere of suppressed excitement. One could have heard
a pin drop. Poor fellow, he would have preferred to con-
front an agitated Drury Lane crowd or a seething Adelphi
pit rather than this select gathering of Mme. Patti's friends
residents, most of them, from the Swansea Valley and places
within a radius of twenty-five or thirty miles. Behind the
curtain, too, the entire company had assembled, with the ra-
diant Violetta herself at their head, to listen to the delivery
of the lines that were, so to speak, to set the machinery in
motion. Indeed, an air of impatient expectancy reigned
everywhere. Greater anxiety that the representation should
go without a hitch could not have been manifested at Covent
Garden on a gala night.

Ajnid the hush that succeeded a rapturous welcome, William
Terriss spoke as follows :

"Ladies and Gentlemen: I stand here as the humble and
inadequate representative of the first of living English actors.
It had been the intention of Mr. Henry Irving to signalize
his appreciation of Mme. Adelina Patti's transcendent talent
as singer and actress, and to mark his strong sense of the
close alliance connecting the musical and dramatic arts, by
speaking a few inaugural words on this occasion one that is
unique in operatic and theatrical annals alike. For we are
met here to be present at an initial performance held in
a theatre which, at the generous behest of the Queen of Song,
has been erected and provided with every mechanical appli-



THE REIGN OF PATTI 285

anee perfected by modern science in the very heart of a wild
Welsh valley, teeming with the beauties of nature, but remote
from the busy haunts of men.

"As far as Mr. Irving is concerned, circumstances have in-
tervened rendering his personal participation in to-night's
celebration impracticable. He has, however, empowered me
to act as his envoy, and I have been accepted in that char-
acter for the performance of this agreeable and sympathetic
duty by our gracious and gifted hostess, the chatelaine of
Craig-y-Nos the good fairy who haunts the "Kock of the
Night" the true friend of the poor, whose benefactions have
for a dozen years past ripened unnumbered throughout the
length and breadth of this picturesque region.

"In this beautiful theatre, dedicated to the allied arts and
adorned with the counterfeit presentments of great musicians
and dramatists, you will this evening be privileged to listen
to that incomparable voice which ever binds its hearers in a
spell of wonder and delight. I will not retard your supreme
enjoyment by further dilating on the attractions of that which
you have eyes to see and ears to hear, but will conclude my
grateful task by declaring the Patti Theatre open for the late
summer season of 1891. 7?

When William Terriss had retired, amid renewed applause,
Signor Arditi at once raised his baton, and the capital little
orchestra from Swansea gave out the delicate violin passage
that starts the most touching and pathetic of all Verdi's pre-
ludes. This was the programme :

LA TRAVIATA Act I.

Violetta Val6ry Mme. Adelina Patti-Nicolini.

Alfredo Germont Mr. Durward Lely.

Flora Bervoix Miss Ellen Flynn.



286 THE REIGN OF PATTI

Gastone Mr. Reginald Brophy.

Marchese Mr. Edwin Ball.

Barone Mr. E. Jones.

Chorus: St. David's Amateur Operatic Society.
Entr'acte, Morceau a la Gavotte, "L'Ingenue" (Arditi).

FAUST Act ni (Garden Scene).

Faust Signor Nieolini.

Mephistopheles Signor Novara.

Margnerita Mine. Adelina Patti-Nicolini.

Siebel iMme. Giulia Valda.

Marta J

"God Save the Queen."

It was a performance replete with singular interest. Not
on account of any remarkable merit in the ensemble, nor even
such value as would have attached to the rendering of an en-
tire opera. But simply on account of the locale and the
presence and cooperation of the artist who was its "bright
particular star." It was merely a spectacle coupe on a small
scale; but its very intimite to employ the expressive French
word lent a novel charm to this manifestation of a genius
that had hitherto unfolded its powers exclusively for paying
multitudes. It was therefore an entirely new experience,
and at the time, I admit, rather hard to appraise in its full
significance.

The old opera habitue, Augustus Spalding, was sitting next
me. During our chat between the acts he spoke a true word :
"She will think more of the applause of her friends to-night
than she ever thought of that which she received in the opera
house."

I asked him, "Do you think she has ceased to care for pub-
lic applause?"

"I don't believe she ever set great store upon it. She has



THE EBIGN OF PATTI 287

taken it as a matter of course. The adulation and cheers
of the people have been ringing in her ears ever since she
ean remember. It was not for lack of applause that she put
up this theatre. Having the secret of eternal youth, she
wants to go on enjoying her art in her own fashion. She is
anxious now to please her friends. She believes their admira-
tion to be genuine and it is dear to her because she is per-
sonally acquainted with the owner of every pair of hands that
is clapping her."

If it be true that applause is "the breath of life to the
artist,' 7 we had no farther to seek for an explanation of
the evergreen youthfulness of the Violetta who had just re-
ceived her stage guests in the first act of "La Traviata." The
comparatively tiny stage did not seem to hamper her move-
ments. One noticed the same freedom, the same elan, as of
yore, and not a trace of the make-believe that usually de-
stroys all sense of illusion in drawing-room theatricals. The
amateurs of the St. David's Operatic Society interested her
rather more, apparently, than the average semicircle of Co-
vent Garden choristers. As for her voice, it sounded su-
premely beautiful in the little auditorium.. I never heard her
sing "Ah! fors' e lui" with more dazzling brilliancy or
greater aplomb. The long-sustained trill on the G-A flat dur-
ing the exit at the end was as birdlike as ever.

The sqene from "Faust" went even better, as might have
been expected with such an experienced quartet. Nicolini
looked surprisingly picturesque, romantic, and lover-like. He
still sang like an accomplished artist, too, though his voice was
growing harder and his vibrato more pronounced. The Eng-
lish basso, Frank Novara, made an excellent Mephistopheles;
and the American Mme. Valda probably created a record (for
the stage) by doubling the parts of Siebel and Martha. The
Garden Scene was, by the way, a replica of the "set" painted



288 THE REIGN OF PATTI

for Irving 's Lyceum production of Wills 's "Faust." Arditi
did wonders with the Swansea orchestra ; and the stage light-
ing was deftly managed by Frank Bigo, who was destined to
act as regisseur at the castle for many years.

But the miracle that overshadowed all else was the sweet,
virginal Marguerite of the singer of forty-eight summers, who
could cheat us into the belief that she was still the girl de-
picted by Goethe. I wrote at the time : "It was the triumph
of the night which might have been easiest foretold. Her
white Gretchen costume became her to perfection, and she
made a delicious picture as she sat spinning at her wheel
and warbling the 'King of Thule' with the greatest imaginable
poetic feeling. ' ' More than once one had the impression that
the whole thing was a dream. Could this truly be Patti,
the inimitable and adorable songstress worshipped in two hemi-
spheres, still looking and singing like a maid in her teens
and striving her hardest to please on her own twenty-five-by-
twenty-five-foot stage down in this remote corner of Wales?
It seemed curious and uncanny enough to be unreal; and it
gave one "furiously to think. "

Then, after the curtain has fallen and the cheers have died
away, there occurs another novel precedent. Instead of a muf-
fled figure making a hurried exit through a stage-door, be-
hold the diva, in an evening gown rapidly donned, mingling
with her guests in the big conservatory, whither they have
now adjourned to greet her before relieving a long buffet of
its heavy load. Once more our Violetta, goes through -her
"Traviata" business, clinking glasses with us as we toast her
in rivers of champagne. Only this time the Irindisi is not
sung by Mr. Durward Lely, of "Mikado-Carmen" fame, but
proposed in neat English sentences by Sir Hussey Vivian.
The eyes of our hostess sparkle like the wine. The double
role of cantatrice and chatelaine is new to her; one can see
that she enjoys playing it.



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 289

Site was in great spirits that night, and we remained up,
talking it all over, until long after the last guest had de-
parted.

Next evening a dance was given in the new theatre, a
large party of friends from the neighborhood being again
invited. The weather had undergone a change, and the dwell-
ers in the valley journeyed through a thick mist and heavy
rain to enjoy the hospitality of the castle. The ingenious
mechanism for raising the floor to the level of the stage had
been brought into operation. A capital ball-room was the
result, and no one revelled more in the inspiration of its
well-polished floor than Mme. Patti, who was an insatiable
waltzer.

What is more, she waltzed with the true Viennese swing;
and, considering how limited was her allowance of physical
exercise, it was wonderful how long she could dance without
getting tired. I recollect pointing this out to her during
a pause after a lengthy spell of Strauss 's "Doctrinen." Her
comment was characteristic :

Ci l never had a lesson in ball-room dancing in my life, but
I waltz so easily that it never seems to make me out of breath.
I must have a good partner, though ; otherwise I stop after a
few turns. I suppose that when I waltz it comes naturally
to me to manage my breathing, as I do when I sing. Take
good deep breaths, glide lightly without exertion, don't 're-
verse' much,, and you can waltz a long while before feeling
tired."

Doubtless she was right. It was the breath-control that
did it. And this was one of the things that she had acquired
without special study, like the singing and the dancing that
she associated with it. She had a singular faculty for
" picking up" accomplishments. I asked her if she had ever
worked seriously at a musical instrument.



290 THE REIGN OP PATTI

4 'Never, until just lately. I can play the piano, and, as
you know, I am very fond of niy castanets. I learned also to
do a "roll" on the side-dram for the 'Fille du Regiment.'
But recently I have taken a great liking to the zither, and
am studying it diligently with a lady who comes down here
to give ine lessons. It is a charming instrument; don't you
think so? And now let us finish our waltz."

It was a tremendously busy week ; for after a brief respite
on Friday save a couple of hours devoted to rehearsal
the indefatigable mistress of Craig-y-Nos was again enter-
taining a crowd of friends in her theatre on Saturday. This
time the invitations, being for a matinee, went farther afield,
and the little auditorium could scarcely accommodate all
who came.

The programme comprised the third act of "Martha" and
the Balcony Scene from "Romeo." Both went with unflag-
ging spirit, and Mme. Patti was once more in capital voice.
In the spinning quartet her efforts were ably seconded by
Mme. Valda, Durward Lely, and Novara. It was, as usual,
a treat to hear her exquisite phrasing of the "Last rose of
summer/' which she sang first in Italian and afterwards in
English for the encore. In these simple melodies she was
always incomparable, and that day the enthralling loveliness
of her tone moved the writer to telegraph to his paper:
"Many were present who had heard the illustrious artist in
her palmy Covent Garden days, and they were fain to confess
that her voice had never sounded more beautiful, had never
been used with greater art."

The Balcony Scene furnished another gratifying reminis-
cence of bygone triumphs ; for Nicolini was in his best form,
and the two artists, now husband and wife, bridged the inter-
vening seventeen years with surprising ease. ' ' The music of
Juliette was rendered by Mme. Patti as no other living artist



THE REIGN OF PATTI 291

can render it. Indeed, I think she sang with more passion
and grandeur this afternoon than when I heard her last in
this character at the Paris Opera nearly three years ago.
Her "Welsh friends thoroughly appreciated the privilege and
pleasure thus afforded them, and cheered with might and main.
In consequence, the curtain was raised again, and, to the
general delight, Mine. Patti sang her old friend Arditi's
waltz, 'II Bacio,' giving it with the grace and entrain of
which she alone is capable. ' ' x

And so ended the memorable series of functions that had
been planned for the formal inauguration of the Patti Thea-
tre. They were completely successful in that they demon-
strated a clear artistic raison d'etre for what was otherwise
no more than an interesting private experiment. There re-
mained to prove that it possessed further value as a con-
venient locale for the exercise of the art of the mime, and
evidence of this was not long in coming.

Meantime the house-party broke up. The Spanish Am-
bassador took his departure, finding, no doubt, a pleasant
travelling companion in William Terriss, who distinguished
himself, poor fellow, by getting up very early on the morn-
ing after the ball (which had been kept up until 4 A. M.) and
executing a noisy pas seul along the passage outside the bed-
room of his hostess an extremely light sleeper !

Mr. Lawson and Beatty Kingston also went off together,
and in a very contented frame of mind ; since both had had a
thoroughly "good time" and had just received copies of the
D.T. containing the latter ? s carefully telephoned article.
With a few exceptions, the rest of, us accepted invitations to
make a longer stay. Thereby hangs another tale.

* gunday Times, August 15, 1891.



CHAPTER XVIII

Life at Craig-y-Nos in 1891 (Continued) Patti's Vocal Practice and
Recreations A Shooting Incident Preparations for a Royal Visit
A Pantomime Rehearsal Prince Henry of Battenberg at the Castle
A Special Performance in the Theatre Sir Augustus Harris Conies
on a Holiday "La Tosca" as a Wordless Play A Visit at Christ-
mas, 1892 Patti and the Young Italian School Bevignani's Revised
Version of "Una Voce" Her Talent for Improvisation A Tune at
Tea-time

MY first week at Craig-y-Nos Castle had convinced me
that existence there could be very pleasant, very di-
verting, and, without a doubt, very strenuous. Nor can I
say, in spite of the special nature of the festivities described
in the last chapter, that it was lacking, at any time in my ex-
perience, in one or other of these particular characteristics.
When there were fewer visitors the life was perchance less
exciting; but it was always agreeable, and never in the re-
motest degree dull.

Its strenuousness invariably radiated from the same cen-
tral source: that is to say, the active brain, the keen, restless
spirit of her whom Spalding always called the "little lady/ 7
She hated to "sit still and do nothing." Neither during this
ultra-busy period nor subsequently did I ever observe in her
a tendency to idle minutes away or indulge in long spells of
gossip. Conversation with her was not merely lively and edi-
fying, but calculated to keep one wide awake. She could
not tolerate indolence of thought or manner in those around
her, and when they were capable of ministering to her di-
versions, she gave them plenty to do. By keeping every one
occupied and amused she achieved the same thing for her-
self.

292



THE REIGN OF PATTI 293

During the hours of liberty preceding luncheon she would
remain in her own apartments, only coming down early
enough to take a stroll in the winter garden or (when it was
warm enough) on the terrace overlooking the valley. Before
doing this she first attended to her correspondence or business
affairs and then practised. The length of her practice de-
pended upon what there might be for her to study, if there
was anything at alL The morning was not allowed to pass,
however, without her working on scales, the shake, and a few
cadenzas, these last for the most part, improvised. She also
devoted a certain amount of time to playing the zither. Day
after day, as I paused under her window, I could hear her
Dlaying or singing ; and it was a delight to listen to the won-
derful voice, whatever its theme, as it rang out, clear and
resonant, upon the still summer atmosphere of the Welsh hills.

Sometimes it was my good fortune to be her companion
during one of her indoor walks twenty times round the win-
ter garden to a mile, or thereabouts. She would talk freely
on any subject that interested her, and showed reticence only
when she herself became the topic. For a woman who had
been so overladen with praise and flattery of the most undi-
luted description, I always found her singularly modest when
referring to her own career, her own gifts and accomplish-
ments. When I succeeded in turning the conversation toward
the past, it would be to elicit her opinions about other
celebrities, as they happened to flit across her memory. She
had admired some; others not at all; and she did not mind
expressing herself without reserve, because, as she often said,
' ' I have confidence in your discretion. 7 ' That confidence must
not be violated now.

As a rule, however, it was concerning the affairs of the
day and our projects for mutual entertainment that we talked
most during these matutinal strolls. Then would she dis-
cuss what was to be done in the theatre and the various



294: THE REIGN OF PATTI

plans for keeping up the ^ strenuous life. 77 In the morning
Nicolini was generally out fishing or shooting; in the after-
noon we sometimes went for a drive and paid visits in the
neighborhood.

Occasionally, too, when the castle was less full of guests, its
mistress would proceed to Ystradgynlais, or some other vil-
lage near by, on one of her missions of charity. One day
she returned bringing with her in the carriage a poor woman
whom she had found by the wayside. Shortly afterwards the
servants' quarters were resounding to the lusty cries of a
new-born babe. The forlorn mother was well eared for and
not allowed to depart for several days. But whether the in-
fant was ultimately christened Ernest or Adelina history
does not relate.

During this first visit to Craig-y-Nos one did not get much
outdoor recreation. A new tennis-lawn had just been laid
down, and Mme. Patti came to watch us play the inaugural
set. The talent of some of the players was, however, in-
ferior, and the game did not greatly interest her. Hence,
probably, the reason why the court was allowed to fall into
neglect. I played on it very little, preferring to walk or fish
or shoot. The right to indulge in these last two sports was
jealously guarded by Nicolini. He allowed me to fish as much
as I pleased ; but to join him with a gun was a special favor
not accorded me until another year. We were now only in
August. Nicolini was waiting for the pheasants, which he
had reared with the aid of two game-keepers at the end of
a large kitchen-garden.

But bringing up pheasants on the premises was a mistake.
It once led to trouble. Mme. Patti loved the birds, which were
very tame, and took pride in showing them to her friends.
She would often feed them herself. Naturally, this caused
her to dislike the idea of their being killed, and she made



THE REIGN OF PATTI 295

her husband promise that he would not shoot at them within
a certain distance of the castle* He tried to keep his word;
but on the occasion of our first "shoot" fate and the pheasants
were too much for him. We began across the little river in
the most distant part of the grounds. He potted a brace ; I
by great luck, brought off what he termed a coup royal, which
made him extremely envious. But the birds were not in the
least "wild," and, finding themselves attacked so near home,
of course made straight for the kitchen-garden.

Nicolini became very excited. Not heeding or under-
standing his game-keeper's warning, he first fired at the pheas-
ants as they flew toward the castle, then crossed the bridge
and began to follow them up. Both proceedings proved dis-
astrous. His tiny leaden shot fell on the glass roof of the con-
servatory just when Mme. Patti happened to be sitting be-
neath it, and the noise of the firing coming nearer roused in
her not only alarm but anger. The climax arrived when
Nieolini got into the kitchen-garden and began aiming at the
poor birds there. I think he hit one. "What would have
happened next I know not, had he not heard his distraught
spouse calling to him from the distance. Only then did he
hand his gun to the nearest keeper. (I had discreetly given
up mine some time before.) Over the domestic sequel to this
curious episode I draw a veil.

But to return to the festivities of August, 1891. On the
Monday following the opening of the theatre Mme. Patti gave
out an interesting bit of news. She expected to be honored
with a visit from the late Prince Henry of Battenberg, whose
yacht had anchored at the Mumbles off Swansea. He was
spending much of his time with Mr. Graham Vivian at Clyne
Castle, in the neighborhood of that port. As soon as his
Eoyal Highness fixed the day, she intended to arrange an'
operatic performance in his honor.



296 THE REIGN OP PATTI

With this in view, the personnel was to be retained, as far
as circumstances would permit. Novara had already de-
parted, but could be recalled ; Mme. Valda had an engagement
in Dublin, but would not be allowed to go; Arditi was still
at Craig-y-Nos, and the band could be available at very short
notice. Luckily, the Prince soon made known his decision.
He would pay his promised visit on the following Saturday,
coining in time for lunch, then witness the performance in the
afternoon and return to Clyne Castle after tea.

Mme. Patti was greatly elated at the idea of entertaining
at her Welsh castle a prince so closely allied to the royal
family. She knew him to be what he undoubtedly was a
charming man, and meant that he should thoroughly enjoy
himself.

"But what," she asked, "can we do between now and Sat-
urday? We must make use of the theatre and amuse our-
selves somehow. Why not get up a pantomime ? ' ' The prop-
osition was received with enthusiasm. It was evidently not a
new idea among the regular Craig-y-Nos circle, though until
now there had been no regular stage for the purpose

These "mime" or "wordless" plays were of two types, one
serious, the other comic. The former was definite and dra-
matic in action, and performed to a regular descriptive musical
setting; like, for instance, the "Enfant Prodigue" of Andre
Wormser, which was just then the rage in Paris and London.
The comic type belonged more to the " go-as-you-please" or-
der. Based generally upon some shadowy plot or "Arabian
Nights" story, it was acted to haphazard or extemporized
music, and allowed ample scope for the exercise of individual
humor and fun. It was settled that we should prepare a word-
less play of each kind, and do the comic one first, that being
much the easier to get up at a day or two's notice.

The direction of this was confided to Augustus Spalding,
whose long experience as an amateur actor (he had played for




THE "LOST GAINSBOROUGH"



THE REIGN OF PATTI 297

years at Windsor and at Canterbury in the Cricket Week)
made Mm invaluable both as principal low comedian and
stage-manager. The subject chosen was " Bluebeard." For
the serious mime-play lime. Patti was anxious to have a Sarah
Bernhardt part. I suggested "La Tosea." After a little
consideration, she decided upon Sardou's play, and asked
me to write out a scenario as guide for the action and melo-
drame. 1 The production was not to be hurried, however; it
would do if ready in a few days.

The mise en scene of these things created no more difficulty
than the distribution of the roles. In addition to scenery and
costumes for mounting excerpts from half-a-dozen operas,
the stock of the new theatre included a large supply of fancy
dresses of all sorts and sizes, together with a generous as-
sortment of wigs sent clown by Clarkson. On the Tuesday
morning, in less than an hour, the entire cast was suitably fur-
nished with effective costumes for a performance of "Blue-
beard," to take place on the following evening. Then, after
lunch, we held, our first rehearsal. And very glad we were
to nave indoor occupation; for the weather, which had been
fine and hot the week before, had gradually broken up, and
it was now raining steadily every clay. Fortunately, it im-
proved again just in time for Prince Henry's visit.

I fear I cannot worthily describe that comic mime-play
rehearsal or tell how cleverly Spalding tried to infuse into
his mute company the spirit of Gaiety burlesque: how he
taught us to enact the old story without uttering a word,
and to extract real fun from the most absurd situations,
making us do everything by means of action, gesture, and
facial expression. A second Fred Leslie himself, the old
amateur certainly found another Nelly Farren in Mme. Patti.
She was the Fatima of the cast. Her quick sense of drollery,

* Puccini's opera was then barely known, and for her mime-play
Mme. Patti wished me to follow the lines of Sardou's original plot.



298 THE REIGN OF PATTI

the lightning rapidity with which, she seized a comic point
and elaborated it, added to her skill as a mime, her memory
for detail, her agility and grace of movement, were all simply
amazing. She was even willing to join in the rough-and-
tumble business that Spalding invented. In a word, she en-
tered with the vivacity of a girl into the spirit of the panto-
mime, and derived pure pleasure from every moment of it.

Much was impromptu fun, of course. Nor can it be said
that the whole of the business adopted at the rehearsal was
exactly repeated at the preliminary performance which "we
gave before a small audience of friends. The lively and ap-
propriate music supplied by Mr. Hulley and one or two of
his Swansea executants served as a suggestive reminder.
But unquestionably the animation of the pantomime never
flagged; while in two or three instances (notably one in which
the writer sustained a rather grotesque fall that evoked shrieks
of laughter from our friends in front) the proceedings had
the additional charm of the unpremeditated.

On Saturday (August 23) the weather cleared as if by
magic, and a hot midday sun was drying up the mists of the
valley when Spalding and I drove to the little Penwyllt station
to receive Prince Henry of Battenberg on behalf of Mme
Patti-Nicolini. Our first duty, when he alighted from the
train, was to explain to the Prince that, as they were going
to sing for him in the afternoon, his host and hostess were
compelled to deny themselves the pleasure of coming to meet
him. He replied :

"I am very glad they did not take the trouble. Mme
Patti honors me sufficiently as it is, and I should not have ex-
pected her to come to the station, even if our friend, Mr.
Grahame Vivian, had not told me it was hardly possible in
view of the performance. 3 ' He was, I may add, accompanied



THE REIGN OF PATTI 299

by Ms host at Cljne Castle, together with Miss Vivian, Count
Gleiciien, Lord Eoystoii (afterward the Earl of Hardwicke),
the Hon. Henry Bruce, Mr. T. Legh, M. P., and Mrs. Legh.

As we walked to the carriages the Prince asked me in what
opera the diva intended to appear. When I told him the
Garden Scene from "Faust," he was delighted.

"For me," he said " 'Faust' never loses its freshness, be-
sides, I have never seen Mme. Patti as Qretchen. How won-
derful that she should still be able to sing these youthful
parts!"

Probably he wondered less when she came forward to greet
him at the castle entrance, with Nicolini by her side. Dressed
in her latest Paris gown, an elegant creation in some soft
silken material of bluish grey that showed off to perfection
her svelte figure, she looked extraordinarily juvenile as she
made her graceful courtesy and, shaking hands with Prince
Henry, bade him welcome to "notre petit chateau de Craig-y-
Nos." Then, after presenting her husband, she led her royal
guest to the little drawing-room in the old wing, and showed
him her highly interesting collection of curios, bric-a-brac,
and gifts of various kinds that had been offered to her in
course of her long career.

A few minutes later we were all seated a party of twenty-
five or thirty at a long luncheon table in the spacious con-
servatory, which was kept cool by artificial ventilation so
as to avoid any risk of draughts. Mme. Patti sat at the
centre of the table, with the Prince on her right and Mr.
Graham Vivian on her left. She was in her most joyous
mood. Indeed, she talked so constantly and laughed so
heartily that Nicolini reminded her more than once to be
careful not to fatigue her voice. "Oui, mon ami/' she would
say with a demure look, and forthwith renewed her conversa-
tion. Both, however, excused themselves for not partaking



+



300 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

of the meal. They had lunched before midday, In order to
be able to sing by half -past two. At two o 'clock they retired
to dress.

Seated as I was nearly opposite the Prince, I had ample
opportunity for observing his engaging and affable manner.
I noted it particularly when he leaned across the table and
expressed to Nicolini his regret that the Princess (Beatrice)
was not with him. He was ''sure she would have been de-
lighted to spend a few hours at Craig-y-Nos Castle and hear
Mme. Patti once more.' 7 He obviously appreciated the ab-
sence of fuss ? and would, I dare say, lave been equally grati-
fied had he been spared the "salute of twenty-one guns" that
was fired both on his arrival and departure at Penwyllt.

Needless to add, Prince Henry admired the theatre and de-
rived unqualified pleasure from the performance, which went
with great smoothness under Arditi's sympathetic baton.
Fewer than a hundred people were present, but the applause
was, of course, rapturous; and at the end Mme. Patti sang
two of the veteran conductor's waltzes. During tea the
Prince listened to the orchestrion and paid his hostess some
hearty compliments. Before leaving he said, loudly enough
for us all to hear:

"I bid you au revoir, inadame, not good-bye, and again I
thank you a thousand times for your delightful entertain-
ment. It has been a great privilege to hear you sing in your
beautiful theatre. I shall never forget it. ' '

He was to hear her only once again not at Craig-y-Nos but
at Covent Garden before his death, which occurred about
four years later. The recollection enhanced one's sense of
loss and sorrow at the premature cutting off of an amiable
personality. Mme. Patti referred to his visit several times.
It was always "Poor Prince Henry! What a dear, sweet
man! Et comme il etait beau, n'est-ce pas?"

After the excitement had subsided the house-party ap-



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 301

preeiably dwindled in numbers. But after a day or two it
was renewed by the arrival of Sir Augustus and Lady Harris ;
also of some artists who had been invited to take part in the
yearly charity concert at Swansea on August 28. The list
for the latter affair comprised, in addition to Mme. Patti,
Maie. Antoinette Sterling, the sisters Marianne and Clara
Eissler, Durward Lely, Bonetti, Tito Mattei, and Wilhelm
Ganz.

Sir Augustus was in great spirits. The industrious and
versatile individual who that year filled the triple roles of
Sheriff of London, impresario of the Royal Opera at Covent
Garden, and manager of Drury Lane Theatre, had just re-
ceived his knighthood ; and at the moment his labors appeared
to sit as lightly on him as his honors. Adelina Patti had
known him from his childhoood, when Ms father occasionally
brought him, as a small boy, to stand in the wings and listen
to an opera at Covent Garden. They were the best of friends.
But this was the first time he had visited Craig-y-Nos, and,
although he had now been the -director of the Royal Opera
(it had lately dropped the "Italian") for a period of four
years, the idea of the famous singer's return to the scene of
her former triumphs had not as yet been even mooted.

There were, of course, good reasons for this. Harris knew
quite well that he could not afford to pay her a cachet ap-
, preaching her ordinary terms. Again, she, for her part, was
now under a contract with Mr. Percy Harrison that precluded
her from singing in opera in Great Britain without his con-
sent or managerial cooperation. Nicolini, aware of what her
personal choice would be if she exercised it, did his best to
keep her mind fixed upon a concert career, which (in Eng-
land) was so much more lucrative and less burdensome than
the labors inseparable from the opera house.

Sir Augustus stayed at the castle four or five days, but,
so far as I am aware, he did not once put the question to his



02 THE REIGN OP PATTI

hostess. They were "Adelina'" and "Gus" to each other;
never, at this stage, impresario and prima donna; and my
friendly relations with both were such that, if the suggestion
of Covent Garden had been broaehed an either side, I should
certainly have heard of it. The point is only of importance,
however, in view of what was to happen three years later,
when, acting as intermediary between the two friends, I was
fortunate enough to bring about the arrangement for Mme.
Patti 's final series of appearances in opera at Covent Garden.

It was during the worthy sheriff's visit that we rehearsed
the new wordless play founded on "La Tosca." Mme. Patti
asked him if he would stage-manage it. He declined the task,
urging as an excellent excuse that he was "out for a holiday,
and too glad to escape from the theatre as long as possible. ' '
Nevertheless, curiosity led him to peep in one afternoon while
a rehearsal was going on. Becoming interested, he slipped
into a dark corner of the auditorium and sat down without
being noticed. We were going through the Supper Scene. I
was enacting the part of Scarpia, and doing my best to por-
tray in dumb-show the villainous proceedings of the unscrupu-
lous Minister of Police.

Mme. Patti had mastered the business of this difficult scene
and was acting it superbly. Every pose, every gesture, was
a picturesque study that helped to express and carry along
the story and give full effect to each dramatic episode. I
had been stabbed. I had stretched myself full length in the
middle of the stage. La Tosca was gazing in horror at my
prostrate form, when she happened to raise her eyes and per-
ceive Sir Augustus watching her intently from his seat at
the back of the theatre. The horror-stricken look instantly
melted into a smile. She called out:

"Gus, what are you doing there ?"

"Enjoying myself/'



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 303

"That 's all very well. If you come in at all, you ought to
come on the stage and help us."

"My dear Adelina, I have already explained to you why
I would rather not."

< ' Then you must n 't stay I ' '

"Well, I am going/' replied the impresario. "If thin wre
an opera or a play I might have lent you a hand. But vnui'-
ever it may be, my help is not needed so long as you are
there. I am just beginning to realize that if you had not
been the world's greatest singer, you could have been one
of its best actresses." (Applause from the whole company,
including the still prostrate Scarpia.)

Rather a long- speech for Harris, but it came from his
heart, and the compliment was sincere. Then he laughed his
characteristic noisy laugh and strolled out of the theatre. 1

An engagement in the North prevented him from staying
for the performance, which could not take place prior to the
concert at Swansea on the 28th. He managed, however, to at-
tend the latter function, and, together with Lady Harris, wit-
nessed the remarkable scenes of enthusiasm that took place in
the crowded streets of Swansea and at the no less crowded
concert-hall. I remember asking him whether, as Sheriff of
London, he had ever beheld a more inspiring sight.

"No," answered Sir Augustus; "not even the Lord Mayor's
Show, with me in it!"

He bade Mme. Patti a hurried farewell in the artists' room,
thanked her for her hospitality, and rushed off to catch Ms
train. Therewith ended his first and last visit to the Swansea
Valley. *

Next evening the performance of "Tosca" duly came off,

i This incident has already been related in my book, "Thirty Years
of Musical Life in London," but it seems to me also to claim a place
in the present volume.



304 THE REIGN OP PATTI

but not exactly in the form and under the conditions that
had been intended. We found at the penultimate rehearsal
that the four acts occupied nearly tvro hours and a half, or
about an hour more than the exigencies of an after-dinner
entertainment to the friends in the valley would conveniently
allow. It was consequently decided that the drama should
be represented, not as a mime-play, but in a series of tableaux
vivantsSi much more ordinary and hackneyed method, the
adoption of which caused every one keen disappointment. In-
stead of being given with continuous action, the story became
a long-drawn series of pictorial illustrations, some forty-eight
in number, and of course not nearly so interesting to the
spectator.

Even so, however, it was a success. It should be mentioned
that the part of Paul Cavaradossi was undertaken by Richard
Kieolini (a son of the tenor by his earlier marriage-), a youth-
ful actor who had just started his career upon the French
stage. This pleasant young fellow inherited some of his
father 's good loooks and dramatic talent, but none of his
vocal powers. He assisted me with my make-up as Scarpia,
and succeeded chiefly by powdering my hair and coloring my ,
moustache a jet-black in imparting to me such a sinister
Italian aspect that, when I entered Mine. Patti's dressing-
room just before we began, she started back in surprise, stared
at me a moment, then hissed out, "Ton devil!" It was
enough. I knew I looked the character, and returned the
compliment by expressing my admiration of the lovely picture
presented by the new Tosca.

What a pity she never sang the opera! The only artist
who would have rivalled her in it was the gifted Milka Ternina,
who created it at Covent Garden in 1900 the same year that
Puccini's opera was first produced at La Scala. In 1891
the constellation since known as the Young Italian school was



THE REIGN OF PATTI 305

only just beginning to emerge from the horizon, for, curi-
ously enough, when Arditi left Craig-y-Nos this same week,
it was to conduct the first performances in England of
Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rustieana" at the Shaftesbury
Theatre, London. The dawn of the new operatic era thus
occurred only a decade too late nay, hardly perhaps so much
as that for the genius of Adelina Patti to be associated with
it. But none who remembered her superb Aida, and now
.saw her depict the emotions of a Tosca upon the stage of her
own little theatre, could entertain a doubt as to the brilliant
things that would have resulted from that artistic union.

Early in September this enjoyable gathering at the castle
came to an end. A few days of comparative rest not more
essential for our hostess than for some of her guests followed
upon the three weeks of incessant excitement and activity.
Then the party broke up, and those who were laborers re-
sumed their every-day duties in the musical field. Mme. Patti
consented to indulge in a month of perfect tranquillity before
singing at a few provincial concerts and undertaking yet an-
other American tour, beginning in January, 1892. Nicolini,
meanwhile, spent his autumn shooting and fishing, and listen-
ing with rapture to the orchestrion as it "unrolled" the cele-
brated "Ave Maria" from "Cavalleria Rusticana" for the
first time.

On no subsequent occasion did I find the life at Craig-y-Nos
Castle quite so crammed with strenuous occupation as during
that initial experience. In consequence each visit grew more
agreeable, and if in course of time the novelty wore off some-
what, the charm never did. It was a charm that emanated
from the beauty of the place and the unique personality of
its hostess, whose faculty for entertaining her friends and
keeping them busy seemed never to desert her. Hence an
attractiveness that was abiding and irresistible.



306 THE REIGN OF PATTI

When. I went down for the second time, it was winter the
Christmas-tide of 1892. 1 Mine. Patti was expecting to leave
for the Eiviera and Italy early in January, and a bare
fortnight remained for the holiday and diversions of the fes-
tive season. The cold was rather severe ; the hills were thickly
clad with snow, and the contrast between this bleak December
picture and the smiling landscape of August, as I had pre-
viously beheld it, was striking. "Weather, however, made
little difference to our hostess, save that she took her morn-
ing stroll in the winter garden. In the afternoon she drove
out as usual, and more than once, when snow was plentiful,
donned her heavy furs and enjoyed a sleigh-ride.

Among the guests this time was my old friend Enrico
Bevignani, the sympathetic orchestra leader who had con-
ducted most of the operas sung by the diva at Covent Garden,
in Eussia, and in Italy from 1871 till 1884. He had already
been there a few days (for a purpose that was soon to be dis-
closed), and had brought with him the vocal score of the new
opera "Pagliaeei," which was not to be heard in London
until the following May. One day after tea he played the
music over to us. Mme. Patti liked it immensely. She quite
fell in love with the "ballatella sung by Nedda in the first act.

"What a bright, happy tune!" she exclaimed. "I am so
glad to see that these young Italian composers are following
in the footsteps of Eossini and Verdi, and keeping up the
tradition of their country for giving us melody to sing."

Bevignani asked her if she would care to study the part
of Nedda. He thought it would suit her.

i According to Arditi's "Reminiscences" (p. 299), Mme. Patti sailed
for New York with the conductor and the other artists of the Abbey
troupe on December 23, 1892. Obviously this was a mistake. It was
in 1891 that she started from Liverpool, and in January, 1892, ,that the
tour began. In December of the latter year Signer Arditi was in.
Brussels conducting a series of concerts, at the first of which (on the
21st) Mme. Melba appeared.



THE REIGN OF PATTI 307

"No, I don't think I want to go In for these new operas.
I answer yon as I do when I am asked whether I would care
to sing Wagner. There are plenty of sopranos who can do
justice to heavy modern music, plenty who can manage the
latest lyrical or dramatic roles. For my work on the stage I
had better keep now to the old repertoire. There are not so
many capable of singing it; and, besides, the public always
wants to hear me in the operas that it has heard me in from
the first/ 7

"You are quite right/ 7 said Bevignani. "But at least you
will permit me to write and tell Leoncavallo what you say
about his music ? ' '

"By all means. Tell him also how pleased I am to find
that some of the composers of to-day know still how to write
for the voice, instead of the unvocal stuff, with horrid in-
tervals, that wears out our throats and is as unpleasant to
listen to as it is to sing. I don't allude to Wagner. You
know that I love his music, and some of it is quite beautifully
written for singers, even thoiigh his operas are too heavy
for me. But there are others, n'est-ce pasf"

On Christmas Eve "jye had music in the theatre, followed
by a Christmas tree and dance for the servants. Everybody
received presents some valuable, all useful and thoughtfully
selected from the hands of the Lady Bountiful of the castle.
A few of the tenants on the estate were -invited, and no one
was allowed to depart empty-handed. Nicolini was positively
beaming as he looked on. He could be generous too, when he
liked.

The feature of the musical programme that evening was an
old friend in a fresh guise nothing less than "Una voce" with
an entirely new set of "changes' 7 or variations. This had
been prepared with unerring skill by Maestro Bevignani, and
it explained how he had been spending his time at the castle
for best part of $> fortnight, A model of clarity, neatness,



308 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

and simplicity, yet demanding faultless vocalization, the new
arrangement did the Italian musician infinite credit; more-
over, the variations suited Mme. Patti to perfection. I knew
not what to admire most, the youthful eagerness with which
she had set herself to master this novel version of a hackneyed
theme, the rapidity with which she had memorized the un-
familiar fioriture, or the consummate ease and finish with
which she executed the whole aria, cadenzas and all, as if ut-
terly oblivious of the fact that she had been singing it in a
totally different form for more than thirty years.

We congratulated her and thanked her for this flawless ex-
ample of her art, which was yet to earn her many a triumph
in public. She insisted on Bevignani sharing the applause.
Afterwards she said to me :

"I think the 'changes' are simply lovely. Eossini would
have been delighted with them, because they are in such
perfect taste and not a bit awkward for the voice. That was
what he always wanted. He never objected to 'changes' un-
less they distorted the character of his music."

I never knew her more lavish with her voice than during
this merry period. Like a canary brimming over with song,
she would always chime in with her golden notes the moment
a familiar strain caught her ear. Sometimes it came from
the orchestrion, sometimes from myself when strumming
Wagnerian reminiscences upon the Steinway grand in the
billiard-room; or, if there were no other provocation, she
would herself extemporize a tune upon any subject that hap-
pened to seize her fancy, and give it out con piena voce.

One amusing instance of this occurred while we were at
tea a day or two before Christmas. We had been informed
that the Craig-y-Nos chef, an Italian, had undertaken to cele-
brate the festive season by making a huge specimen of the
Milanese cake known as a panettone. It had, I think, been
intended for Christmas Eve; but, learning that it was ready



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 309

for consumption, Mme. Patti sent for it, fresh from the oven
almost, to be cut up for tea. The butler carried it in on a
tray with much ceremony, and as he entered the room the
panettone was hailed with a burst of song from our hostess,
given out to these absurdly incongruous words:

"O panettone, eara bestia mia !" *

This she repeated several times, amid laughter from all the
company, to the same snatch of appropriate and characteristic
'canto popolare. It sounded so pretty and quaint that I wrote
the trifle down in pencil on a page of my pocket-diary and
asked the singer to autograph it.

Mention has already been made more than once of her talent
for improvisation. Her innate faculty for expressing a
thought musically was of the simple order that crystallizes
itself in the efforts of the ballad-composer. Anyhow, she
rhapsodized in melody ; -and, if the melody was not original or
reminded one of something heard before, it could at least
claim to be as good as many others that get written down
and sung or played.

Hence the fact that more than once a musical thought ut-
tered by Adelina Patti was caught and recorded (long before
the era of the gramophone) by some industrious scribbler of
crotchets and quavers, and so reached the ultimate glory of
being engraved and published, with the name and perhaps
the picture of the renowned vocalist, as its composer, adorn-
ing the front page.

i Roughly translated: "Hail, giant cake, dear beaatie mine!"



CHAPTEE XIX

American Tours (1892-93-94) FIzzFs 'Gabriella given at Boston
With Verdi in Milan (1893) False Economy at the Scala Concerts
in England Patti Studies Wagner in German Sings "Traume" at
the Albert Hall Elizabeth's "Prayer" and "Voi che sapete j> Appears
before Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle Suggestions for Her Return
to Covent Garden Talk with the Diva and Negotiations with Au-
gustus Harris An Intermediate Continental Tour Debut at the
Philharnionie; Presented with the Society's Gold Medal Triumphant
Reappearance at Covent Garden (1895) Six Farewell Performances
in Opera Complete List of Patti J s Repertory

LET us resume our story in so far as it deals with, the
more public episodes in the reign of Patti. That reign
was now hastening to its close ; and its course, like the current
of a broad but turbulent river when Hearing the ocean, had
become more tranquil and sedate. It had been contained in
an artistic career of a length and character without precedent
in musical annals. In the very nature of things, it was bound
to present fewer features of absorbing interest as it ap-
proached its concluding phase.

Brief mention has already been made of an American tour,
which occupied the winter and spring of 1891-92. There was
little to distinguish it from those that immediately preceded
it; nevertheless, it is worthy of remark because the last that
gave New Yorkers an opportunity to see their old favorite in
operatic representations. She was now under the manage-
ment of Messrs. Abbey and G-rau, who were at that time the
joint directors of the Metropolitan Opera. House. Her con-
cert programmes everywhere included recitals from operas
given in costume, with the support of a quartet of singers that
comprised Guerrina Fabbri (contralto), Guille (tenor), Del

310



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 311

Puente (baritone), and Novara (bass), Arditi conducting.

The desire merely to see Patti in one of her operatic dresses,
and occasionally to hear the sound of her voice, was such that
in every town or city where she appeared every foot of stand-
ing room was occupied. From January until the middle of
March she sang to packed houses; thus, the tour proved ex-
ceedingly profitable, the receipts (according to Arditi) being
never under eight thousand dollars, and often very much
snore. Two concerts were given in New York at the Metro-
politan ; then, as a wind-up, likewise, one might add, as an
artistic corrective, she appeared in complete performances
of " Lucia" and "II Barbiere." These terminated her actual
stage work in the United States, after a lapse of rather more
than thirty-two years since her operatic debut at the New
York Academy of Music.

Before sailing for England in May she signed a contract
with Marcus Mayer for yet another "farewell 7 ' tour, to begin
in October, 1893, and consisting of forty-five concerts, to be
spread over five months. These were stipulated for at the
rate of $4,500 each, or a slight advance upon the terms paid
by Abbey and Grau. It was to have been a brilliant finale;
but fortune decreed otherwise. The venture began badly, for
Mme. Patti had a terribly rough crossing on the Lucania (then
making its first voyage), and caught a cold so severe that
she was unable to sing at the opening concert in New York.
To make matters worse, a serious financial crisis was going on
in the United States, the effect of which upon the receipts
continued to be pronounced even after the prima donna had
regained full control of her resources. Not until the 18th of
November was she well enough to make her rentree in New
York.

At Boston she appeared in a new one-act opera entitled
"Gabriella/' written by Charles Byrne and composed ex-
pressly for her by Emilio Pizzi, a young Italian of consider- .



312 THE REIGN OF PATTI

able talent who had held an Important musieal post at
Bergamo Donizetti's native city and subsequently settled
down in England. The critics spoke very well of the work,
the Boston Herald declaring that the music, like the story,
was " strongly dramatic, and fitted Mme. Patti like a glove."
A love duet, which she sang with Mr. Durward Lely, brought
down the house and had to be repeated. A capital scene for
the baritone and bass (Galassi and Novara) also made a highly
favorable impression; while at the close, according to the same
journal, the diva had to bring Signor Pizzi five times in front
of the curtain.

The little opera was subsequently performed with tolerable
success in Philadelphia, Washington, and other places. In
the following year Mme. Patti gave it in concert form at the
Royal Albert Hall, London; but its reception there was not
sufficiently cordial to warrant further repetitions. Neverthe-
less, the music of "Gabriella" was clever and effective enough
to have deserved a better fate.

The tour of 1893-94, owing to the prevailing financial
troubles, resulted in very little profit, possibly some loss, for
Marcus Mayer. As usual, he justified Mme. Patti J s confidence
by paying all the artists in full. His obligations to herself
were also faithfully discharged until the company had re-
turned to New York on its way home. Them, no doubt, there
must have been a " screw loose," for, without warning to the
public, Mme. Patti sailed for England on the day before the
last concert, leaving the unlucky manager to wind up the tour
without her. That she was not well advised in taking this
step there can be no question. It left behind a very disagree-
able impression.

Pleasanter recollections attended the visit to the Kiviera and
Italy in January, 1893, which had preceded the American
tour last referred to. In this instance Mme. Patti fulfilled



THE EBIGN OF PATTI 313

a number of operatic engagements, and met everywhere with a
reception that must have reminded her of old times. She
appeared at Nice on January 9 in "II Barbiere" before the
first of a series of crowded houses, singing "Una voce" with
the new ornamentations and introducing "Bel raggio" in the
Lesson Scene. Her next opera was "Borneo et Juliette"; her
third and last "La Traviata/' in which she also made her
rentree at La Scala, Milan, on the 20th of the same month.

During the performances in Milan Verdi was superintend-
ing the rehearsals of his "Falstaff," which was to be pro-
duced at La Seala early in February. He seized the op-
portunity of being present when "La Traviata" was given,
and Mme. Patti afterwards wrote me what a wonderful night
it had teen :

The Scala was crowded crammed from floor to ceiling; numbers
of people were turned away, unable to obtain seats. My reception
was simply grand, everybody standing up to greet me. The en-
thusiasm was so great throughout the performance that Verdi, who
was in a box with Rieordi, 1 actually wept tears of joy and delight.
It appears he said to Bevignani that my phrasing was too touching
for words and that I sang divinely !

The only drawback was that the support was unworthy of
the leading artist. The tenor made a fiasco at the outset, and
was hissed ; the baritone sang flat as the heavy father. The
chorus was inferior. The orchestra, under Mascheroni, alone
did well. (The Scala had had a bad season, and was econo-
mizing so as to make all it could out of Patti, while sparing
nothing to launch "Falstaff" in brilliant fashion.) Yet the
audience cheered her for minutes at a stretch, and accorded
Verdi a rapturous ovation after the prelude to the fourth act.
Indeed, it was by far the most emphatic triumph that Patti

i Giulio di Tito Bicordi, head of the famous Milanese publishing
house, and now some years deceased.



314 THE REIGN OF PATTI

ever achieved in this historic opera house. After two more
appearances she went on to Florence and thence to Nice,
where she remained until the middle of March.

On her return to England she entered upon an extended
provincial tour under the management of Percy Harrison, and
sang twice in London at the Albert Hall with her wonted
success. The July concert was further rendered notable by
the last appearance but one in public of the celebrated Eng-
lish contralto, Madame Patey, whose majestic delivery on that
occasion of Handel's "Laseia ch'io pianga" will never be for-
gotten.

The first two or three weeks of Mme. Patti's holiday in
Wales were marred by an attack of rheumatism in the knee,
which caused her acute suffering. It had disappeared by the
end of July, but she afterwards became rather subject to com-
plaints of a rheumatic and neuralgic type.

It was at about this period (1893-94) that the idea of sing-
ing some not over-exacting composition by Richard Wagner
first occurred to the greatest living exponent of the old Italian
school. She listened with manifest enjoyment to the long-
drawn melos and complex harmonies of his later works. She
was particularly fond of "Tristan" and "Die Meister-
singer." What her orchestrion did not furnish at home in
the way of selections she would often ask me, when at the
piano, to provide. Not for a few years yet was she to yield
to the allurements of Bayreuth and experience the unique
delights of the Biihnenfestspiel. But she had heard most of
the repertory well performed in London and elsewhere. She
was longing to try over some "singable" Wagner, and, above
all, to sing him to original text.

One day a musical friend I believe it was one of the Eiss-
lers brought Mme. Patti a copy of the song "Tr'aume," or
"gtudie zu, Tristan und Isolde," which belongs to the set of



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 315

Funf OedicJite composed by "Wagner in 1862. It was just
what she wanted ; that Is to say, not too long or trying for
her voice, yet a characteristic bit of advanced Wagner. She
began studying it in April, 1894, soon after her return from
America, and was so pleased with the experiment that she
decided to sing it in public at her next Albert Hall concert,
which was fixed for May 21. She had been able since the
early Vienna days to converse in German with tolerable flu-
ency, and with the same musical accent that her quick ear
enabled her to attain in every language she spoke. But, hav-
ing never actually sung in German, she asked me to go over
the song with her a few times before the concert.

However, there was little to do beyond making sugges-
tions as to breathing-places in the longer passages, which are
rather awkward to phrase. In the matter of pronunciation
I found scarcely anything to criticize. Her interpretation
was marked by thorough understanding, allied to her usual
intensity of expression and musical feeling. It was a pleas-
ure to hear the familiar harmonies played, so to speak, to a
new obbligato supplied by the rich medium notes of the Patti
voix d'or pure, sustained, luscious, a veritable inspiration
for " wondrous dreams." I rememb.er her solitary complaint :

"It is a beautiful song, and I shall love to sing it; but
there is not a single resting-place where I can stop to swallow.
From first to last, the voice goes on without interruption.
It is that which fatigues; and it is one of the things that
make Wagner hard to sing. Still, I shall do my best."

Her "best 7 ' proved to be quite superlative. Accustomed
as she was to the Albert Hall, its vast area maie her task
no harder in reality than, say, her mezza voce delivery of
"Home, sweet home." Every note, every syllable, could be
plainly heard by the remotest listener; each phrase in turn
was admirably balanced ; there was no sign of undue haste ;
the meaning of the song was perfectly caught and conveyed.



316 THE REIGN OP PATTI

A more artistic rendering of "Traume" could hardly have
been imagined. The new departure therefore proved an en-
tire success. The critics were decidedly pleased, the Daily
Telegraph remarking: "It seems a pity that the experiment
should have been delayed so long, for the famous singer de-
lighted her hearers to such an extent that not only did they
demand a -repetition of the piece, but subsequently exacted a
further encore in the shape of Tosti's graceful 'Serenata.' "
After this it was only natural that she should decide to at-
tempt something more perhaps a selection from one of "Wag-
ner's earlier operas. "We discussed the idea prior to her
return to Wales, and it was settled that she should study
Elizabeth's " Prayer," from " Tannhauser/ ' for the final Al-
bert Hall concert of the season on July 7. I feared this might
prove something of an ordeal, seeing how mueh longer and
more sustained it is than ' ' Traume. " But Mme. Patti had no
doubt about her ability to manage the " Prayer" with ease;
and the event proved her judgment to be correct. In regard
to this I will quote what appeared in the Sunday Times the
day after the concert :

The "Prayer" from "Tannhauser" requires, as most people know,
a steady, sustained tone, perfect management of the breath, and the
purest legato singing. These qualities Mme, Patti brought to bear
upon her task in fullest measure, as might, indeed, any other great
Wagnerian artist. But in alliance with them there were beauty of
tone, delicacy and intelligence of phrasing, accuracy of intonation,
and clearness of enunciation such as one never hears in this touch-
ing prayer, either in or out of the opera. In a word, the rendering
. was incomparably fine. . . . Her triumph yesterday was extraordi-
nary. A pin might have been heard to drop whilst she was singing,
and at the close there was an outburst of enthusiasm from all parts
of the hall, Mme. Patti returned to the platform, and with the
utmost generosity sang the piece a second time, to the unmeasured
delight of the vast audience.



THE REIGN OP PATTI 317

So much for Patti ? s ambition to sing the music of Wagner

and in Ms own language. It was but a sample, of course,

and the execution of a single piece is a vastly different thing
from the arduous task of undertaking an entire role. But
this born artist knew by instinct her own limitations ever
better than some of her critics and most of her friends. Noth-
ing, for instance, could have induced her, after an active span
of thirty-five years upon the operatic stage, suddenly to at-
tempt Elizabeth or Elsa* She had demonstrated what she
was capable of doing if she cared to, and that embodied the
sum total of her ambition in this direction. It is true that we
made a study together of the "Lohengrin" excerpt known as
"Elsa's Dream"; but, so far as I am aware, she never sang
it in an English concert-room.

The summer of 1894: was spent very quietly at Craig-
y-Nos Castle. The usual Welsh charity concert was again
due at Swansea, and it was given there on July 12.
It was the last of these functions in which Nicolini took
an active part. He had not been announced to appear,
for his health was not so reliable now as formerly. Various
physical ailments made him anticipate with dread the exertion,
of singing before an audience. Nevertheless, he had his good
days, and this was one of them ; so, when it became known that
Durward Lely had not returned from America in time for the
concert, 'Nicolini readily consented to take his place. What
is more, he sang " Salve dimora" as he had not sung it for
many a year. Even his famous ut de poitrine (or ; high C)
was willing to oblige on this occasion. Wilhelm Ganz was, of
course, at the piano, and Marianne Eissler played the violin
obbligato.

This was the summer when the gifted violin-player, August
Wilhelm j, visited Craig-y-Nos for the only time. He was
already there when I arrived for a short stay, and I found



318 THE BEIGN OF PATTI

Nlcolini monopolizing nearly the whole of his time in tonal
experiments with the wonderful examples of Stradivarius and
Guamerius which Ernest had "picked up" (for a few thou-
sand dollars apiece) during his more recent peregrinations in
the United States. The collection of these beautiful old in-
struments was rapidly becoming an expensive hobby of Nico-
linl's, and, though he could play a little, he was wholly in-
capable of doing them justice.

Wilhelmj, like his host, had also retired from public life,
but he could still bring forth his old magnificent tone from a
genuine Cremona, and it was a treat to hear him do so when
in the right humor. I shall always remember how grandly
he played his transcription of the "Preislied" one afternoon,
with Clara Eissler at the harp as his accompanist. Surely
no violin virtuoso ever lived who could extract a similar vol-
ume of noble tone from his instrument.

During his stay Mme. Patti prevailed upon Wilhelmj to
play the obbligato for her in Gounod's " Meditation" upon
the Bach prelude. He consented readily enough, albeit I
gathered that Ms admiration for the French master's popular
arrangement was less profound than that of the singer. The
melody of the "Ave Maria," however, is not unworthy of the
composer of " Faust," and assuredly no one else ever sang
it as Patti did that is, with her electrifying fervor, elan,
and gorgeous beauty of voice. On the present occasion Clara
Eissler executed the exquisite arpeggi of the prelude, and I
had the privilege of playing the harmonium part. It may
be added that full justice was done to the wonderful crescendo
that forms the climax of the piece, where voice and violin
united with extraordinary richness of effect.

In September Nicolini was much cast down by the news of
the death of his cousin, the clever French composer Emmanuel
Chabrier, to whom he bore a considerable resemblance. He
was $q, JTQTTiense admirer of Chabrier's talent and had sev-



THE REIGN OP PATTI 319

eral of Ms compositions arranged for the orchestrion, among
them the well-known rhapsody "Espafia," and a selection
from his opera "Gwendoline." The instant the former was
started, Mme. Patti would seize her castanets and accompany
the brilliant waltz air with tremendous vivacity and enjoy-
ment. Poor Chabrier! His advanced ideas did not appeal
to his own generation; yet, had he written "Gwendoline" a
few years earlier, the title-role would undoubtedly have been
presented to English audiences by the diva herself. He might
not then have died of disappointment in a lunatic asylum.

The feature of the autumn concert tour of 1894 was the
extraordinary furore aroused by Mme. Patti 's delivery of her
two Wagner " numbers," one or both of which had to be in-
cluded in every programme. The newspapers in Scotland and
the North were ecstatic on the subject. To understand this
fully it must be remembered that Wagnerian music in the
provinces, alike on the stage and in the concert-room, was
just then attaining the apex of its pristine popularity; thus,
the master's new British worshippers found an extra joy in
listening to the veriest trifles from his vast store when ren-
dered with the incomparable voice and art of their favorite
singer.

She reserved, however, for her London concert (Albert
Hall, November 28) yet another tonne bouche, in the shape of
Mozart's "Voi che sapete," which, oddly enough, had never
before found its way into her repertory. The reason was
simply that until quite recently it had not been her habit to
sing selected arias from operas other than those belonging
to her own round of characters. For an ideal interpreter of
"Batti, batti," and "Vedrai carino," her choice of Mozart
pieces had long been absurdly restricted. Yet, because she
had never played Cherubino or kept her (or Mr. Gye's) prom-
ise to attempt Susanna, she had refrained hitherto from sing-



320 THE REIGN OF PATTI

ing their music. Hence the regrettable fact that no audi-
ence ever heard her in one of Mozart's most inspired airs
perhaps the gem of his immortal Nozze to wit, "Deh vieni,
non tardar!" 1

But after a little hesitation she took up "Voi che sapete,"
happily in time to invest if with all her wonted loveliness of
tone and a piquant charm that even Pauline Lucca greatest
of CJierulinos had never surpassed. To these qualities she
added a perfection of "bel canto such as no contemporary
singer, excepting perhaps Mareella Sembrich, could contrive
to approach. The effect of the combination in the vast area
of the Albert Hall was quite astonishing. Above everything
else stood out the faultless purity and steadiness with which
the melody was sustained; and when I spoke of this to Mme.
Patti after the concert, she replied :

"I am glad it sounded well; for, to tell you the truth, I
was so horribly nervous that I hardly knew what I was doing.
I would have loved to stop and take a good deep breath some-
where, and swallow!" Yet no one would have guessed it.
Her resources had appeared to be under complete control as
no doubt they were, despite nerves, increasing years, and the
rest of it. Such was the incalculable advantage to be derived
from long experience and an impeccable method of * ( diaphrag-
matic breathing."

Early in December, 1894, Mme. Patti received her first
" command " to sing privately before Queen Victoria at Wind-
sor Castle. Her visit was replete with gratifying incident.
To describe it in her own words :

"The Queen was gracious beyond measure. She paid me
the unusual honor of directing that I should remain at the

iShe made Tip for it, perhaps, by her delicious rendering of Lotti's
"Pur dicesti/' which she introduced at about the same time as "Voi che
mpete."



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 321

castle for the night, so as to spare me the fatigue of the late
journey back to town. Ganz went with me and of course
played my accompaniments. Her Majesty received me with
the utmost amiability, and expressed great pleasure at hear-
ing me again after many years. She conversed with me in the
sweetest manner between each of my pieces. Naturally, at
the end I sang 'Home, sweet home/ and I could see that it
brought tears to the dear Queen's eyes. She was really deeply
moved. On my return to Wales the following day I found
this telegram, signed by the Dowager Lady Southampton:
'Am desired by her Majesty to say the Queen hopes you had
a good journey and were not fatigued/ Then came a signed
picture and a beautiful brooch-pin with the royal crown and
monogram, which I shall never cease to prize. Ganz, too,
received a cigar-case mounted in gold."

It was at Craig-y-Nos during the Christmas recess that
Mme. Patti told me this. I remember well that brief but
lively fortnight. Into it we squeezed every imaginable gaiety
for which the castle afforded facilities, including dances, din-
ners, a matinee musicale, a pantomime, and all the customary
Christmas observances previously described in these pages.
But it was also noteworthy for something else.

I had long cherished the idea of inducing the diva to ap-
pear once again, for a series of farewell performances, upon
the historic stage that had witnessed her greatest triumphs
from the time of her debut in Great Britain. Many difficul-
ties had stood in the way of this project, and some of them
have already been incidentally touched upon. The most
serious obstacle, perhaps, was her own disinclination to sing
in opera again in London after a lapse of seven or eight years.
Hardly less important were the conflicting interests presented
by the Covent Garden conditions on one hand and the Harri-
son concert contract on the other.

However, I had ventured ^ to sound both Sir Augustus



322 THE REIGN OF PATTI

Harris and Mr. Percy Harrison, and had found, to my agree-
able surprise, that those gentlemen were now willing to meet
Mme. Patti J s wishes whatever they might be in the matter.
In other words, if she would consent to appear at Covent
Garden for a limited number of nights at terms considered
1 * possible" by Sir Augustus, Mr. Harrison was ready to re-
linquish for the nonce his claim upon her exclusive services
in the United Kingdom.

Would she ever again sing anywhere in opera t That was
the question. She had never definitely asserted as much.
She had declared over and over again that her ambitions as
a lyric artist were now wholly satisfied; or, at least, such of
them as could attain realization in the pastime indulged in
her own theatre. Nieolini's reply, when the query was put
to him, had been an emphatic "No!" But the last word
would not rest with him. Fortunately, as it happened, a
decision on this particular point had already come about in
a most unexpected way, and at what may justly be termed the
psychological moment.

Down to September, 1894, no future, arrangements had
been completed, and, so far as any one knew, no negotiations
were in progress. On the 15th of that month, however, Mme.
Patti wrote me that she had had many tempting offers from
the Continent for the following winter so many, in fact,
' ' that I have had great difficulty in deciding which to accept. "
But in reality she had decided; for she added, "I have at
last signed contracts to sing several times in opera at Nice,
soon after Christmas, and then at concerts in Germany and
Austria."

In " opera"! That was the word that set me thinking.
If she was willing to sing in opera at Nice, why should she
not do so in London? Sometime in October I broached the
subject to Sir Augustus Harris. He welcomed the idea gladly,



THE REIGN OF PATTI 323

and named the highest fee he would be in a position to offer.
It was to be 300 a night the highest cachet ever paid to any
artist at Covent Garden, yet less than half the sum that Mme.
Patti received from Harrison each time she sang at the Albert
Hall. He added:

"I haven't the least hope that you will succeed in per-
suading her to sing at Covent Garden at those terms; but
you may try if you like, and you can also see whether Percy
Harrison will give his consent."

"How long do you give me? "

" Until the end of the year."

"Good. She is now on tour, and I would rather not nego-
tiate a delicate affair like this by correspondence. She has
invited me to stay with her at Christmas, and then will be
my opportunity."

It came one morning when I was accompanying my hostess
in her exercise stroll round the winter garden. She spoke of
the plans for her approaching Continental journey.

"You know, the arrangements have been slightly altered.
I am not going to Nice until after the concert tour. I shall
leave on January 10 for Berlin, and sing there on the 18th.
Then we go direct to Vienna, where I appear on the 22d.
Afterwards, on the way back, I have two more dates in Ger-
many, at Leipzig and Dresden; and from there we go. on to
Nice, where I am to sing early in February. ' '

"In what operas will you sing at Nice?"

"In 'Traviata,' ' Romeo .et Juliette/ 'Barbiere,' and 'Lu-
cia/ "

"Lucky Nice!"

She laughed. < ' Why do you say that ? ' '

"Because the Riviera is so much more fortunate than Lon-
don, where everybody is pining to hear you in opera just
once again."

"Everybody! The old subscribers, the vieille garde, per-



324 THE REIGN OF PATTI

haps. But tiiere is a new generation at Covent Garden now ;
are they equally interested!"

"Can there be any doubt! They go to hear you at the
Albert Hall, and go away wishing for more."

"But Harris"

"Say rather Harrison !" And then I unfolded my mission
with all the necessary diplomacy and care. She listened at-
tentively and nodded her head very graciously.

"I will talk it over with Ernest and Percy, and to-morrow
you shall know. I am not altogether sure whether I want to ;
but we will see."

Nest day it was settled that she would meet "Gus" on the
evening of January 10 on her way through London, and, if
practicable, arrange with him for six performances at Covent
Garden, to be given late in the summer season.

The meeting between Mme. Patti and Sir Augustus Harris
did not take place until January 12 (1895), the departure
from Wales having been postponed for a couple of days. I
went with the impresario to Paddington Station and kept
him in good spirits while we waited for the train. As a rule
he was the most sanguine of men, but in this instance he
seemed to labor under an apprehension that something un-
toward would happen to prevent the fulfilment of his plan.
I assured him that every obstacle had been removed* but he
remained sceptical, I think, until he saw his old friend Ade-
lina step vivaciously 'from her saloon carriage and, greetings
over, take his arm to walk into the hotel. Then his doubts
vanished. 1

Both were looking very happy when I rejoined them after
their brief conference, and even Nicolini's thin countenance
was wreathed in smiles. The prima donna whispered that she
was already looking forward to singing at Covent Garden

i "Thirty Years of Musical Life in London/ 3 p. 323.



THE REIGN OF PATTI 325

again, though it would not be until the middle of June. She
was evidently tired, so we wished her 60 n voyage and quietly
withdrew. On the following day she left for Berlin, and
twenty-four hours later the news was made public that Patti 'is
reappearance at the Eoyal Opera would be one of the features
of the coining season.

The first part of the tour abroad was marred by one slight
contretemps. After triumphant successes at Berlin and
Vienna, Mme. Patti caught cold and was unable to sing at
Leipzig. She recovered, however, in time to keep her engage-
ment at Dresden on January 29, and in due course began at
Nice (on February 4) a series of operatic representations
which, by reason of their extraordinary brilliancy, excited
more than local attention and comment. The cosmopolitan
audiences that frequent the capital of the Eiviera were from
first to last in a fever of unbounded enthusiasm, and the diva
herself was fain to confess, in a letter to the present writer,
that her appearances in the four operas had yielded "a con-
tinual succession of triumphs," whereof an " extra perform-
ance" of "II Barbiere 77 was perhaps the most remarkable.

Additional appearances were asked for, but not conceded.
Mme. Patti was always willing to combine business with pleas-
ure when she paid a winter visit to the South of France, but
in this instance she took care not to risk removing the bloom
of freshness from her voice. Soon after her rentree at Nice
she celebrated her fifty-second birthday, and therewith com-
pleted her forty-fifth year of practically uninterrupted work
as a public singer. Well might she write, "I am really be-
ginning to believe what they all tell me that I am a won-
derful little woman P' The great point at this juncture was
that she had shown the necessary strength and activity to re-
sume occasional excursions into the region of opera. Her re-
appearance at Covent Garden could now, therefore, be antici-
pated with entire confidence.



326 THE REIGN OP PATTI

She left Nice on March 24 for Paris and London, and,
after four days 1 detention at Calais by a heavy gale, crossed
the Channel on the 31st. She then remained in the metrop-
olis for the Philharmonic Concert at Queen's Hall on April
3, to sing at which she had accepted the invitation of the di-
rectors, who in return were to bestow upon the illustrious
singer their once coveted and still rarely bestowed gold medal.

It was her debut with this society, and the promised dis-
tinction was well earned, for she drew an overflowing audi-
ence and proved to be in remarkably good voice. After she
had sung "Una voee" and, for an encore, "Voi che sapete,"
Mme. Patti was led back to the platform by Dr. W. H. Cum-
mings, the treasurer, and Mr. Francesco Berger, the secre-
tary of the society. The former read a brief address, in which
he referred to the pleasure she had given to all lovers of music
in every great city in the Old and New Worlds, to her beauti-
ful voice, and to her histrionic genius, which had received
universal recognition. Then, wishing her "long life and every
happiness," Dr. Cummings tied round her neck a ribbon to
which was attached the gold medal, bearing on one side the
head of Beethoven and on the other the inscription: "Pre-
sented by the Philharmonic Society of London; founded
MDCCC23IL"

The brief ceremonial ended amid a hurricane of applause,
which ceased only when the artist again came forward to sing
."Home, sweet home." From any other lips the well-worn
ballad would have sounded sadly out of place at a Philhar-
monic Concert ; but not from hers. The renewed cheers, too,
were spontaneous enough .to indicate that the contribution was
precisely what the Philharmonic audience had hoped for. Al-
together the event passed off with a good deal of eclat and
conferred obvious pleasure upon all who shared in it.

On Tuesday, June 11, 1895, Adelina Patti reappeared at



THE EEIGN OP PATTl 327

Covent Garden as Violet t a in "La Traviata," after an ab-
sence of exactly ten years from the historic boards upon which
she first sang in England. 1 For a whole month the season at
the Eoyal Opera had been in full swing. The de Eeszkes had
not yet arrived;, but Melba was there; Tamagno had been
singing with Albani in ' ' Otello ' ' and with Giulia Ravogli in
4t Le Prophete"; Planeon had appeared in Boi'to's "Mefisto-
fele"; further, there had just occurred a notable revival
of Verdi's "Falstaff" and the production of Frederic Cowen's
new opera " Harold." Altogether the attractions of the gen-
eral bill were quite up to the level associated with the palmy
days of the Harris regime.

Nevertheless, it is no more than bare truth to state that the
interest of these doings was cast into the shade by the excite-
ment that Patti 's promised return had by now aroused among
London opera-goers. The rush for places at the libraries was
a vivid reminder of old times ; the prices paid for them recalled
the extravagant figures recorded in connection with the famous
bygone Patti nights. Society was fairly agog in anticipa-
tion of an experience now regarded almost as a tradition an
experience whereof the most brilliant Melba and de Reszke
nights never furnished more than a faint replica. "While,
therefore, every seat was sold days beforehand, the "old
guard" began forming its queue at the gallery entrance be-
fore midday on the morning of the performance. At night
the house was packed to repletion in every part, and the Prince
and Princess of Wales, with their three daughters and the
Duke and Duchess of York (the present King and Queen),
occupied the royal box.

To the artist herself this return signified quite as much
as it did to the public, who now welcomed her with rapturous

i She had been heard in opera in London once during the season of
1887, but that, it will be remembered, was on the occasion of her first
(and last) appearance at Her Majesty's Theatre.



328 THE REIGN OP PATTI

enthusiasm to a scene that she was generally supposed not
without good reason to have quitted for ever. 1 She had been
exceedingly nervous for hours, nay, for days before. Chat-
ting about it subsequently, she said to me :

"When I made my entry, when I looked across the foot-
lights at the familiar picture, as I went on bowing again and
again, while the storm of applause seemed as if it would never
cease, I felt more like breaking down and crying than sing-
ing. But after we had sat down to the supper-table and De
Lucia [the Alfredo] had begun the 'Libiamo,' I suddenly re-
gained my confidence and courage. I never lost them again.
I think I never sang my 'Libiamo' better!"

In many respects she had never sung the whole opera bet-
ter. In a dramatic sense, she had never been such an ideal
Violetta. The effortless carrying power of her tone, its un-
diminished purity and freshness, astounded listeners whose
memories of her went back a quarter of a century and more.
To complete the miracle, she was still the graceful, elegant,
youthful-looking Patti of yore, defiant as ever of the lapse of
time. In the Ball Scene of the third act, above all, she was
now a radiant, dazzling figure, the counterpart of whom had
never been seen on this stage.

For this scene Mme. Patti had conceived the idea of wear-
ing a magnificent white dress, the corsage of which was
studded with hundreds of large diamonds, dismounted for
the occasion from their settings in some of her finest jewels.
This mass of coruscating brilliants gave the effect of a veri-
table blaze of light; and its extraordinary beauty was on a
par with the value of the collection, which, according to M.
Nicolini, amounted to fully 200,000. It contained in all
thirty-seven hundred stones, and these had been mounted by
one of the leading Paris jewellers upon a kind of cuirass ex-
tending over the back as well as the front of the corsage. At

i See Appendix AA,



THE BEIGN OF PATTI 329

the end of the season the diamonds were restored to the va-
rious objects from which they had "been temporarily removed.
The Daily News had the following paragraph on the sub-
ject:

To-morrow night another opportunity will be afforded at the
opera of seeing the Patti costumes and the Patti diamonds, which in
"La Traviata" last Tuesday shared the honours even with Mme. Patti's
singing. The value of these gems, said to be upwards of 70,000,
has rendered necessary certain precautions at the opera house; where
a couple of individuals not wholly unknown at the Bow Street es-
tablishment opposite, silently figure among Violetta's guests. In
the Banquet Scene Mme. Patti wears some wonderful sapphires;
but in the Ball Scene, altogether apart from coronet, necklace, and
bracelets, the front of her dress is a perfect blaze of gems. At
night although perhaps the precautions adopted are not quite so
simple as those of the first Mr. S anger, who locked up his cash-box
in an iron safe which was fixed in the lion's den the Patti dia-
monds are in perfectly secure custody.

Sir Augustus Harris was a proud man that evening. Out-
wardly calm and self-possessed, wearing his most genial smile,
he strolled from the stage to the auditorium and from the
auditorium to the stage in a veritable seventh heaven of de-
light. Scarcely less happy was his talented and faithful con-
ductor, Luigi Mancinelli, who secured a performance worthy
of the event. De Lucia's suitability for the part of Alfredo
lay in the possession of passion rather than vocal charm ; but
Ancona, then at his best, sang quite superbly as the elder
Germont. Altogether the ensemble was satisfying, and for
Mme. Patti the night was a triumph without flaw.

Three days later she sang at a State Concert at Bucking-
ham Palace, and by request of the Prince of Wales (afterwards
King Edward VII) joined the royal circle before supper to
receive their compliments and congratulations, On the fol-



330 THE REIGN OF PATTI

lowing (Saturday) Bight she again appeared at Covent Gar-
den in tlie "Traviata" before a no less brilliant and demon-
strative audience. The unequivocal success of the Patti
revival had by this time made an irresistible appeal to opera-
goers of every age and class, and the demand for seats at
the remaining representations of the series greatly exceeded
the capacity of the house.

Her next appearance was made in "II Barbiere," the opera
most closely identified with her name and fame; and her
Rosina stood forth once more, alone and unapproachable, as
the ideal embodiment of Eossini's heroine. It retained in
fullest measure the qualities of vivacity, piquancy, grace, and
charm that had so long rendered it an inexhaustible source
of delight ; and while freshness and juvenility now constituted
its most striking feature, this was of less importance, in reality
than its value as a consummate example of the art of the ~bel
canto at a time when that art was slowly but surely entering
upon its ultimate period of decline. Mme. Patti sang the
whole of the well-known bravura music with extraordinary
ease and finish, and in the Lesson Scene introduced the air
from " Semiramide, ' ' "Bel raggio," with some new ornaments
and a thrilling final cadenza that brought down the house.
Bevignani conducted, and the cast included a French tenor
named Bonnard (Almaviva), Ancona (Figaro), Pini-Corsi
(Bartolo), Arimondi (Basilio}, and the evergreen Mile.
Bauermeister (Marcellina).

During the third week of her engagement Mme. Patti sang
twice in "Don Giovanni," and in the fourth wound up with
a repetition of "II Barbiere," making it harder than ever to
decide in which of these two operas her genius manifested the
greater degree of fascination. Had a verdict been challenged,
the jury would probably have been found evenly divided.
Her Rosina had shown her execution of coloratur passages



THE REIGN OF PATTI 331

to be still unsurpassed, and indeed unsurpassable. Her Zer-
lina,, if finer now than ever, was so only because Mozart's
music fell easily within the compass of her medium and lower
head tones, the timbre of which had grown more round and
beautiful with the gradual elimination of the aeuter notes in
the head register. Such a delineation, such singing, in this
particular masterpiece afforded a new experience for the
younger generation of opera-lovers just beginning, as it then
was, to temper "Wagner with Mozart in accordance with the
Munich and Dresden custom. To her audience, therefore, the
Zerlina of Adelina Patti was alike a revelation and a joy.

The supporting company was by no means of remarkable .
merit, though on the whole competent. It included one
famous artist in M. Victor Maurel, whose Don Giovanni was
still an elegant and distinguished cavalier, if fading some-
what. Of the "ladies in black " Miss Margaret Macintyre's
Donna Elvira was the more successful. Mr. Philip Brozel
as Don Ottavio, M. Castelmary as Leporello, Signor Pini-
Corsi as Masetto, and Mr. Charles Manners as the Commen-
datore completed the cast, while Signor Bevignani again
conducted.

A final performance of when the audience comprised, in addition to many royalties,
a large sprinkling of well-known Americans, who led the cor-
dial parting demonstration proffered to the diva on the con-
clusion of her memorable task. For memorable in every im-
aginable way had been Mme. Patti 's return to the London
operatic boards. Both as an artistic and a physical achieve-
ment, it stands without parallel. From the impresario's point
of view, it was so successful that Mme. Patti promised Mm to
repeat her visit to Covent Garden in the following season.
But, alas, in June, 1896, Augustus Harris lay prematurely
dead of over-work and self -neglect ! The' experiment was not
destined to be tried again.



332 THE REIGN OF PATTI

Here it will be convenient to give a complete list of the
forty-two operas in which Mme. Patti appeared during her
stage career. It included several that she never sang at
Covent Garden ; and as a monument of versatility, of compre-
hensiveness and catholicity of styles, it remains unrivalled :

MOZART "Don Giovanni"

Bossnn "H Barbiere di Siviglia," "Mose in ftgitto," "La Gazza

Ladra," "Otello," "Semiramide"
BELLIXI "La Sonnambula," "I Puritani"
DONIZETTI "Lucia di Lammermoor," "Linda di Chamouni," "Don

Pasquale," "L'Elisir d'Amore," "La Figlia del Reggimento"
YERDI "II Trovatore," "Giovanna d'Arco," "La Traviata," "Luisa

MiUer/ 7 "Ernani," "Rigoletto," "Aida"
MEYERBEER "Dinorah," "Les Huguenots/' "L'Etoile du Nord,"

"L'Afiieaine"
FLOTOW -"Martha"

GOUNOD "Faust," "Mireille," "Romeo et Juliette"
AITBER "Les Diamants de la Couronne/ 7 "Fra Diavolo"
THOMAS "Hamlet"
BIZET "Carmen"
DELIBES "Lakme"
GOMEZ ^^^11 Guarany"
D'IVRY "Les Amants de V6rone"
CAMPANA "Esmeralda"
LBNEPVEU '^Velleda"
RiCCi "Crispino e la Comare"
POSTIATOWSKI "Gehnina"
CoHEN"Estella" ("Les Bluets")
PIZZI "Gabriella"

"Dolores"



CHAPTER XX

Patti and the Wordless or Mime Play Tours Abroad and at Horn*
(1896) The Welsh Charity Concert at Cardiff Swansea's Record
Surpassed "Land of my Fathers" in Welsh Another Visit to the
Riviera French Poets and the Diva Sings in the Opera "Dolores"
at Nice Mcolini's Declining Health His Death at Pau His Influ-
ence on Patti Her Reappearances at the Albert Hall and Crystal
Palace She Introduces Baron Rolf Cederstrom A Third Matri-
monial Venture The Wedding at Brecon A Final Appearance at
Covent Garden

THE extraordinary success that attended Mme. Patti '
brief return to the Covent Garden boards in 1895 gave
rise to quite a numerous batch of ingenious rumors regarding
her future activities in the operatic field. Most of these un-
founded reports were allowed to pass without contradiction.
But one in particular was circulated with so much persistence
that it was thought advisable to meet it with a positive denial.
The statement in question was to the effect that Mme. Patti
had definitely promised to study the part of Elsa in German,
and that she would sing it in London under Hans Bichter
during the spring of 1896. In authorizing the contradiction
of this statement she requested me to say that "Much as she
loved the music and the part of Elsa, she feared she would
not now be equal to the task of undertaking so fatiguing a
role." 1

Truth to tell, opera was now less in her thoughts than
the mime-play. Directly she arrived at Craig-y-Nos after
her exciting experiences in town, she began rehearsing a new
"drama without words" entitled "Mirka TEnchanteresse,"

i The Sunday Times, September 15, 1895.

333



334 THE BEIGN OF PATTI

invented for her by M. Georges Boyer (then Secretary of the
Paris Opera and a writer on Le Figaro), and furnished with
illustrative music by M. Andre Pollonnais. The story em-
bodied a Bohemian love romance wherein Mme. Patti had to
subjugate some savage Croats by the fascination of her sing-
ing and posturing, somewhat after the fashion of Caterina in
her famous scene with the Kalmucks in "L'Etoile du Nord."
Thanks to her skill and the added charm of some graceful
music and pretty costumes and scenery, the picturesque piece
made a notable impression in the castle theatre upon a couple
of crowded audiences (July 22 and August 3, 1895), who
vastly applauded the energetic heroine and her co-workers.

Nor did the career of "Mirka" terminate here. In the fol-
lowing January (1896) it was performed at the Gaiete,
Paris, at a charity representation that realized 30,000 francs.
This was Mme. Patti 's first appearance before the Parisians
as a "mime." But, while admiring her new talent, they
found chief delight, of course, in her vocal efforts, which
roused all the old enthusiasm particularly when she sup-
plemented MirJca's music with the Baronne de Rothschild's
familiar ditty, "Si vous n'avez rien a me dire." (She had
warbled it to their parents thirty years before.) During this
visit the popular eantatrice also sang twice at the Opera, and
later on gave another performance of "Mirka" at Nice. At
Monte Carlo she had the usual successes in "H Barbiere" and
"La Traviata." What gave her most pleasure there, how-
ever, was her hit in the new "wordless play."

These things she readily did in public abroad ; but somehow
it seems never to have occurred to her to perform a mime-play
in England, except in her own little theatre. Probably noth-
ing would have induced her to enact one in London. Yet at
home she never tired of inventing, rehearsing, and acting
them. The day after ."Mirka" was staged she wanted some-
thing else. At my suggestion, a version of "East Lynne"



THE REIGN OF PATTI 335

was prepared, in which she portrayed with astonishing real-
ism of gesture and facial expressions the sufferings of the un-
happy heroine. Her make-up as the supposed widow in this
piece roused the ire of Nicolini. He considered it "very bad
luck" for her to wear crape, even on the stage, during his
lifetime, and vainly endeavored to dissuade her from doing
so. Perhaps he felt a presentiment. At any rate, not long
afterwards she was actually wearing " widow's weeds" on his
account. 1

By October Mme. Patti was once more on her autumn eon-
cert tour, under the guidance of Percy Harrison. She caught
a cold at Wolverhampton, made it worse by singing at Shef-
field, and was unable to appear at Birmingham, though she
subsequently made up for the disappointment there. But,
with this exception, the tour went smoothly enough, and at
most of the concerts hundreds of applicants for admission
were turned away. She also crossed to Ireland and won
triumphant successes at the hands of her cordial admirers in
Dublin and Belfast. On November 26, supported by Edward
Lloyd, Santley, Mme. Belle Cole, David Popper, and other
artists, she sang in London again at the Albert Hall before
an enormous crowd; her voice fresh, clear, and very nearly
as strong as ever.

After her return from the Eiviera in the spring of 1896
a similar round of engagements was fulfilled, a short provin-
cial tour winding up with more pretentious concerts in the
metropolis in May and June. Such, indeed, was now the
order of events into which, year after year, the life of the
illustrious singer was gradually shaping itself. What she

i In describing this "East Lynne" production in "Thirty Years of
Musical Life in London," I stated that it was given before instead of
after "Mirka." The error was a trifling one, but as both pieces were
mounted at Craig-y-Nos Castle during the same summer (1895) it is as
well that they should be mentioned here in their proper order.



336 THE REIGN OP PATTI

sang at her concerts mattered little, in one sense. The public
cared not, so long as site continued to give them the old arias
with most of the old 'bravura, or exhibited the still matchless
legato in "Pur dicesti," "Voi che sapete," and "Home, sweet
home." It must be conceded, however, that she rarely lost a
chance in these days of enriching- her programme with some
untried item. Her new contribution at the Albert Hall sum-
mer concert in 1896 was Schubert's "Ave Maria"; and its
long-drawn cantilena was poured forth, as one writer said,
"with a tenderness, a fervor, a beauty of phrasing, the secret
of which is hers alone."

One Patti "function" having now become so much like an-
other, further detailed description of them in these pages
would involve a wearisome repetition of things already said.
Nor would any useful purpose be served by the mere enumera-
tion of the more or less regular annual events that marked the
closing years of the artistes public career. It is certain that
the interest of her audiences never waned. Had it done so,
there might have been something fresh for her critics to say.
As it was, their sole ground for complaint was the difficulty
of turning new sentences in order to impart variety to their
notices.

Conspicuous among her prescribed round of engagements
was the one in which she took most pride and which brought
not a penny to her exchequer, but, on the contrary, cost her
a good deal of money and trouble. This was the concert that
she gave every autumn in aid of the local Welsh charities.
I refer to the subject again in connection with the concert
of September, 1896, to which Mme. Patti attached special
importance, because she gave it, not as usual at Swansea,
Neath, or Brecon, but at the more distant town of Cardiff,
where it now took place for the first time. The reason for
the change was somewhat peculiar.




THE ELIXIR OF YOUTH, 1898



THE REIGN OF PATTI 337

It should have been Swansea's turn. In an unlucky mo-
ment, however, it occurred to the Hospital Committee to
issue a schedule of prices lower than that of previous years.
The fact came to Mme. Patti's knowledge, and, her consent
not having been previously obtained, she took it as a personal
slight, and declined to give the concert there at all. The
committee begged for forgiveness, but in vain. Cardiff had
been communicated with in the meantime, and was only too
willing to accept the risk of charging the customary high
prices for an afternoon concert, provided the diva herself
was coming to sing. So, exit (temporarily) Swansea, enter
Cardiff!

Much to her satisfaction (and, let me add, Nicolini's, for
he was chiefly responsible), the change of venue proved suc-
cessful beyond expectation. I can speak of it from personal
knowledge, for Mme. Patti made a special point of my going
with her to Cardiff. She explained :

lt l want you to be my spokesman. Some one has to make a
speech in reply to the vote of thanks, and you must do it."

' ' But where is Spalding J ' '

"He is not staying with us this year."

"Then why not M. Nicolini?"

"You are joking. You know what his English is like, and
he cannot make a speech, even in French. Besides, his health
is not good enough for him to make the effort. No ; I shall
depend upon you."

There was no more to be said. I arrived at the castle a
day or two before the concert, which was fixed for September
16, and quickly discovered that unusual pains had been taken 1
to render it attractive. Besides the "Queen of Song" that
honored title which the "Welsh, of all people, were most care-
ful never to omit the list of artists included Marianne and
Clara Eissler, Ffrangcon Davies, Hirwen Jones, Franklin
Clive, Bonetti, and Tito Mattel, with, of course, "Wilhelm



338 THE EBIGN OP PATTI

Ganz as accompanist. No need to particularize. It was a
good combination and resulted in a capital concert.

On the 15th a matinee took place in the Patti Theatre, to
which a large party of friends were Invited. They were
treated to a surprise; for, besides displaying her genius iq
a new wordless play called "Le Malheur d'un Peintre" and
singing Gounod's "Ave Maria/ 7 the indefatigable hostess pre-
vailed upon ''Ernesto 77 to appear with her in the Chamber
Scene from Act IV of " Romeo et Juliette/' Her singing that
day was exceptionally magnificent ; but her husband betrayed
his growing physical weakness and barely managed to pull
through the long duet. It was the last time I ever heard him
upon the stage. He had been my first Faust, my first Romeo,
my first Eadames, my first Lohengrin; and this was the end !

The receipts at the Cardiff concert amounted to 800, which
was a record for these Welsh charity undertakings. It also
furnished some new experiences. Mme. Patti told me she had
never had such a "right down royal" reception. Tears stood
In her eyes as she waved her hand and bowed right and left
in response to the uproarious greetings of the Cardiff folk.
This was even more remarkable than the scene in the Park
Hall at the close of the concert, though that was unforgettable
enough.

Proposing the vote of thanks, the chairman of the commit-
tee, Dr. Edwards, expressed a hope that "when the great
prima donna came among them again she would be prepared
to sing them a song in their native language. She had sung
in every clime, and had stirred the hearts of all grades of
people throughout the civilized world, but they could assure
her that there were no warmer breasts to express gratitude
than the "Welsh. When she came to sing her Welsh song,
they would all be there 1" This utterance was, of course,
cheered by the audience with might and main.

While the worthy doctor was speaking, Mme. Patti had



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 339

\

been seated upon a mnsie-stool at the grand piano. "When he
had finished, she bowed to every one with her winning smile,
then motioned to me to go to the front of the platform. As
it happened, she had by a pure coincidence supplied me
beforehand with the material for an affirmative reply to the
wish that Dr. Edwards had expressed. 1 I was able to an-
nounce, as a wind-up to my speech, that she had long made
up her mind to learn a song in Welsh, and that, "with the
aid of the two Welsh singers they had heard that day [Messrs.
Hirwin Jones and Ffrangeon Davies], she would endeavor to
accomplish an authentic rendering of 'Land of my Fathers'
in their native tongue."

The statement naturally created a furore ; and, when Mme.
Patti rose to leave, the big assemblage rose also, amid a tem-
pest of applause that was taken up by the crowd outside
and practically never ceased until her train steamed out of
the Cardiff station. Nor did she forget her promise ; for she
subsequently paid the town a second v\sit and contrived to
sing "Land of My Fathers' 7 in Welsh with a highly credit-
able accent.

In February, 1897, Mme. Patti was once more singing in
opera in the Eiviera. Her renfree at Monte Carlo was note-
worthy for the unique compliment paid her by four of the
most distinguished French litterateurs then living, who be-
tween them wrote in her honor the following sonnet :

Es-tu le rossignol, la rose, Fharmonie,
Jeune divinite du ciel italienl

i Among other things, I mentioned that this was the eleventh con-
cert in aid of Welsh charities that Mme. Patti had given since she came
to live at Craig-y-Nos Castle in 1879; that Swansea had had the largest
share, namely five, Neath two, Brecon two,, and Brecon also another on
hehalf of the local Eisteddfod; and that Cardiff, having responded to
the call so bravely, would assuredly enjoy its turn again.



340 THE REIGN OP PATTI

Es-tu Famour, Fesprit, le channe, le genie,
Btoile aux eclairs cPor de Tart eecllien?

(THEOPHILE GAUTIEU)

Diva radieuse! musique infiniel

Tu nous suspens a toi d'un celeste lien,
Tu portes dans ton ceil le pleur d'Iphigenie,
La gaiete de Ninon et Feelat de Tallien.

HOUSSAYE)



Chante, ma Lucia, chante, mon Adeline,
Tressaille sous ton lys et sous ta mandoline,
Respire dans ta pourpre et dans ta floraison.

(THEODORE DE BAKVILLB)

brune Adelina, comme Venus la blonde
De la pointe du pied boit Fecume de Fonde,
Tu sembles une fleur qui boit une chanson.

(CHARLES COLIGNY)

On the 22d of the same month, at Nice, the object of this
graceful tribute created a new operatic role for the last time.
Unfortunately, it was not worthy of her still radiant gifts.
The opera was called < Dolores," and the character of a Span-
ish heroine no doubt attracted her, despite the clumsy hand-
ling of the story, which was quite devoid of dramatic fibre.
Her chief reason for appearing in it, however, was that it was
composed by her friend Andre Pollonnais, who, as already
mentioned, wrote the music for the pantomime play "Mirka.",
But he, too, was handicapped by the feeble libretto, and his
score extracted little praise from the French critics. Truth
to tell, Mme. Patti should never have accepted the work. In
these matters, however s her loyalty to her friends was some-
times stronger than her sense of what was due to her own
artistic dignity. Still, it may be noted that she never pro-
duced -'Dolores" at Craig-y-Nos.



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 341

Meantime, the state of Nicolini's health had begun to give
rise to serious concern. It had grown worse instead of better
during the sojourn in the South of Prance, and on the way
home to Wales a London specialist was consulted. In the
middle of March Mme. Patti wrote me (from the Hotel Cecil)
that " Ernest was far from well"; that they would have to
make a brief stay in town before proceeding to " beloved
Craig-y-Nos, " but that she would be unable to leave the hotel
to visit her friends. In reality her husband was suffering
from such a complication of kidney, liver, and other disorders
that there was little hope of his recovery.

He was unable to accompany her to Brecon on May 24,
when, with much quaint ceremony, she was made an honorary
burgess of the ancient "Welsh borough. 1 The scroll of free-
dom was handed to her in a casket carved from a piece of oak
taken from the roof of the Brecon Priory Church, a building
reported to be a thousand years old. Upon the cover of the
casket was the following inscription :

Presented to . Mme. Adelina Juana Maria Patti-Nicolini by the
Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of the Borough of Brecon, with
the honorary freedom of the borough, in recognition and acknowl-
edgment of her eminent and her munificent services to the poor of
Brecon. May 24, 1897.

A similar honor was conferred upon her in later years by
the town of Swansea, and she was doubly proud to receive this
because it made her the only lady in the United Kingdom
whose name stood upon the burgess-roll of more than one
borough.

Domestic anxiety did not interfere with the popular sing-
er's public engagements, though it is true that in this same
month she disappointed an Albert Hall audience on account

of an inflamed eye, caused by a piece of grit lodging in it on

i
Appendix BB.



342 THE REIGN OF PATTI

the railway journey from South "Wales to London. The con-
cert duly took place, with Mme. Albani as remplagante; but
three weeks later (June 3) Mme. Patti made amends by ap-
pearing before another huge gathering. Yet again she sang
a month after that, when it may be mentioned that, in honor
of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, she opened the concert
with a "new version'' (sic) of the national anthem, supported
by a group of eight vocal students from the Royal College of
Music. 1

There was some talk of abandoning the customary autumn
concert tour; but after a visit to Brighton Nieolini's health
slightly improved, and it was decided that the tour should be
carried out. In September the invalid went to Paris in the
care of his son Richard, and on the 9th Mme. Patti mentions
In a letter from the Great Western Hotel that she had gone
to see him off at Newhaven and what a splendid crossing he
had. After the tour had concluded, she rejoined him for a
brief space in the South of Prance, where he was spending his
time alternately at Grasse and Cannes ; then she returned and
sang at the Albert Hall on December 4. 2 She remained at
Craig-y-Nos Castle until the New Year. Her husband's con-
dition, however, grew steadily worse, and, as a last resource,
he went to Pau to take the waters. She arrived there just in
time to be at his bedside when the end came.

1 The object of the altered version was not quite clear. That it was
not a vast improvement upon the original will be gathered from the
following sample:

"From every hurt or harm,
Dread famine, war's alarm,

God save our Queen.
May she uphold our laws,
And ever give us cause
To sing with glad applause,

'God bless our Queen!'"

2 Her rendering, with Edward Lloyd, of the duet from "Don. Pas-
quale" was the gem of this concert. It was one of those perfect things
that dwell in the memory.



THE REIGN OFTATTI 345

Ernest Nieolini died at Pau on January 18, 1898, 1 and was
buried two days later, Mme. Patti herself superintending the
funeral arrangements. She afterwards spent a few weeks
quietly at San Eemo ? and did not return to her Welsh home
till the middle of April.

When her second husband died Mme. Patti was within a few
days of attaining her fifty-fifth birthday. She looked mar-
vellously young for her years, and the world was still fain to
declare her the best-preserved woman as well as the greatest
singer of her epoch. Her life with Nieolini had, on the whole,
been extremely happy. Whatever his faults (and they were
neither few nor negligible), he knew how to take care of her,
to shield her from annoyance, to look after her health, to pre-
vent her from over-taxing her strength, above all, to ward off
monotony or ennui. They were genuinely devoted to each
other, these two aristocrats of the operatic universe; and,
despite certain selfish idiosyncrasies, Nieolini always knew
better than to oppose his wife's will in matters that touched
her deeply.

That he in some measure remoulded her character has al-
ready been said. To what extent his influence was absolutely

i "He had practically retired from the stage about twelve years be-
fore, though he afterwards sang in public for a time at Mme. Patti's
concerts, both in England and America. The obituary notices omit to
mention the fact that he first came to London in 1848, when a boy
of fourteen, and resided some time with his mother in Queen Street,
Golden Square. His chief companion (then was Wilhelm Ganz, who, by
the way, nearly forty years later acted as best man at his wedding
with the 'Queen of Song.' He made his d&but at Co vent Garden as
Edgardo in "Lucia" in 1866. ... By dint of what was really a tour de
force, he used to sing the florid music of Almaviva in "II Barbiere";
but he always shone to best advantage in robust parts, and of these his
two finest were, probably, ftaoul and Radames. He was a capital actor
and an admirable musician." The Sunday Times, January 23, 1898.
Nieolini was born at St. Malo, February 23, 1834, and was therefore
very nearly sixty-four when he died.



344 THE REIGN OF PATTI

for the best can hardly be stated with accurac}^. In one or
two respects it might assuredly have been more beneficial, but
these may be allowed to pass* He was inclined to be stingy
over trifles, albeit as a rule he was neither ungrateful nor
lacking in generosity. He liked nothing better than to be
surrounded by his own and his wife's friends; he even shared
occasionally her spirit of Bohemianism. He did not mind so
long as his pleasures were not interfered with and the un-
written laws of the castle remained unbroken.

During the period of mourning, which extended over a few
months, Mme. Patti entertained no guests, save, perhaps, an
intimate friend or two. "When she made her reappearance in
public at the Albert Hall on May 26 (1898) she wore the
4 'widow's weeds'' to which Nicolini had objected so strongly
on the occasion of the "East Lynne" performance ; and a very
charming, sympathetic figure she made in them. At a second
concert in the same building in July she was no longer in
mourning. But the quiet, not to say " simple life" inaugur-
ated at Craig-y-Nos that summer was destined to endure for
many years.

Between the two concerts just recorded, Mme. Patti gave
elsewhere another notable exhibition of sustained physical
vigor and comparative freshness of vocal power. She had
not stood upon the Handel Orchestra at the Crystal Palace for
eighteen years, when she appeared there, on June 26, at one
of the grand choral concerts that used to fill in the musical
gap at Sydenham when the Handel Festival did not occur.
Her tone still rang wonderfully clear and true through the
vast centre Transept. It was observed that she made less ef-
fect in Handel's declamatory air, "From mighty kings," than
in lighter pieces such as "Voi che sapete" and "Pur dicesti,"
not to mention the inevitable "Home, sweet home." But the
real cause for wonder lay in the fact that the contrast in
tMs huge place was not more marked. She was enthusiast!-



THE REIGN OF PATTI 345

cally applauded by an audience that numbered nearly twenty-
three thousand persons. 1

The autumn provincial tour of 1898 extended over many
populous towns and reaped the usual plentiful harvest.
After its conclusion at Nottingham, toward the end of Octo-
ber, Mme. Patti went back to Craig-y-Nos Castle, and thence
emerged from her peaceful retirement only to take part in an
Albert Hall concert on Monday, November 14. That night,
however, will not be readily forgotten by those of her friends
who happened to be present.

The writer, for one, remembers it well a raw, foggy No-
vember evening, with atmosphere so thick and yellow that one
could barely see across the broad oval expanse of the hall.
Not that such familiarly unfavorable conditions ever affected
the crowd at a Patti concert. The plaudits and encores pur-
sued their course with habitual persistence. The diva not
only looked and sang her best, but wore her brightest smile
a smile that refused to suggest gravity even when she sang
her own unpretentious little ballad, "On Parting," which,
indeed, proved to be less appropriate to the occasion than the
" Jewel Song 77 and "Pur dicesti." The extraordinary verve
that she infused into the air from "Faust" was recalled after-
wards.

It was her invariable custom here to receive her personal
friends during the interval, a special room nearly opposite
the artists' room being set apart for the purpose. There
would they gather at the end of the first half of the pro-
gramme, pressing and crowding in among them generally,

i This concert furnished quite a field-day for the veterans of the art.
With the exception of Mme. (then Miss) Clara Butt, no exception could
be named; for the soloists, in addition to Mme. Patti, comprised such
long-established favorites as Edward Lloyd and Santley, while August
Manns was the conductor and Wilhelm Ganz played the piano accom-
paniments.



346 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

despite the watchful Percy Harrison, one or two not entitled to
tlie privilege of entree to salute the "Queen of Song" and
congratulate lier upon triumphs which, in her estimation and
theirs, never grew stale. And the regal "little lady" wel-
comed them as befitted their degree of Intimacy: some with
her characteristic hearty handshake ? some with embraces and
resounding kisses, but all alike with grace and geniality and
the "right word."

On entering the subterranean reception-room that November
evening, I noticed standing by Mme. Patti's side a tall,
rather thin gentleman whose face was unknown to me. As I
waited while others were "paying homage," some one whis-
pered in my ear :

"Don't you know who that isf " I shook my head. "He
is Baron Rolf Cederstrom, who was staying at Craig-y-Nos
last summer. She is introducing him to everybody. ' '

Just then Mme. Patti caught sight of me, and I advanced
to shake hands with her. As she turned to present me to the
Baron, a certain possibility flashed across my mind. An in-
stant later the mystery was solved. She said, with the happy,
joyous manner of a girl of sixteen :

' i This is Baron Cederstrom, my fiance ! ' '

That moment of intuitive mental preparation enabled me
to suppress all semblance of surprise. I offered my congratu-
lations with the utmost cordiality, and begged to know if
the happy day had yet been fixed. No, it had not ; nor would
it be for some little time. The marriage would probably take
place in February. (A twelvemonth would by then have
passed since Nicolini's death.) The Baron looked exceedingly
proud, and he smiled calmly as he glanced around.

The first public announcement of the betrothal appeared on
the following morning, not in the London papers, but in the
two leading provincial dallies, the Manchester Guardian and
the Scotsman, for both of which I was then the metropolitan



THE REIGN OF PATTI 347

musical correspondent. The paragraph in the former ran as
follows :

The most interesting fact in connection with the Patti concert at
the Albert Hall to-night was that during the interval the prima
donna seized the opportunity to privately inform her friends of her
intention to get married again. The engagement will not be formally
announced for some time, for scarcely a. full year has yet elapsed
since the death of M. Nicolini ; but I am in a position to state that
the happy man is Baron Cederstrom, a Swede of high family, who
was a visitor at Craig-y-Nos Castle during the recent summer holi-
days. The wedding will, according to present arrangements, take
place in February.

But the event was not, after all, deferred until February.
It took place on January 25, 1899, in the Koman Catholic
church at Brecon, the bride being given away by Sir George
Faudel-Phillips. A quaint feature was the place chosen for
the wedding breakfast, which was partaken of in the train on
the railway journey to London. Three days later Baron and
Baroness Cederstrom left for the Riviera and Italy, where
they spent the remainder of the winter.

When Adelina Patti married for the third time she was
within, a few days of attaining her fifty-sixth birthday. But
face and figure alike belied her age. She looked scarcely older
than her Swedish spouse, and he was her junior by many years.
The world regarded her new- matrimonial venture with sympa-
thetic interest. It thought her wise to have selected a hus-
band qualified to take good care of her in her declining years,
during the gradual twilight of a long career. Moreover, it
was whispered that she was very much in love that her heart
had been fairly "caught on the rebound." In her case this
foreshadowed a speedy remoulding of her mode of thought,
of her views concerning people and things, of her feeling and



348 THE REIGN OP PATTI

attitude in regard to home life and surroundings, under the
influence of the new companion whose temperament and ideas
she had brought into juxtaposition with her own. Such
quickly proved to be the fact.

To what extent the consequent changes at Craig-y-Nos were
due to considerations of health it would be difficult to say.
At first not much, perhaps; for it was not until some time
after the accomplishment of another five or six years of con-
cert work that one began to hear of Mme. Patti's declining
strength and activity, or of really serious attacks of indispo-
sition. Nevertheless, the accustomed round of entertainments
that ceased shortly before Nicolini's fatal illness was never
resumed. And so the famous singer's joie de vivre took on a
different hue. Concerts and operatic selections in the ex-
quisite little theatre became of comparatively rare occurrence.

The Baron and Baroness Cederstrom travelled a great deal.
They sought and found the artistic pleasures of Bayreuth.
They went to the Passion Play at Oberammergau. They vis-
ited Switzerland and ascended by mountain railway to the
top of the Rigi, the Biirgenstock, and other hotel-clad peaks.
From these places the Baroness would write enthusiastic let-
ters to her friends, describing her new experiences in terms of
unbounded appreciation.

Another year (September, 1900) she went to Stockholm, her
husband's native city, to visit his relations, who resided in
the picturesque outlying suburb of Salts jobaden. During her
stay there she appeared at a performance given in aid of a
national charity at the new opera house in the Swedish cap-
ital. The superb auditorium was filled to repletion by a
distinguished and representative gathering, including the
King and Queen of Sweden. At the close of the evening King
Oscar received Mme. Patti in the foyer, and pinned to her
glittering corsage the insignia of the Swedish order, Literis et
Artibus.



THE REIGN OF PATTI 349

These novel excursions and pleasant -trips to the Continent
were not allowed, of course, to interfere with the regular rou-
tine of Mme. Patti ? s concert work in England under the di-
rection of Percy Harrison. She made her first appearance at
the Albert Hall after her marriage on May 19, 1899; and,
as if in response to a welcome of unusual warmth, gave an
astounding display of voice and art both seemingly un-
dimmed in lustre and charm. She subsequently sang in the
same hall, season after season, generally three or four times in
each year, ringing the changes upon the old favorite show-
pieces which her faithful admirers never wearied of hearing. 1
But never did the matchless tones again convey quite the same
impression of miraculous freshness as they did in "Caro
nome/' in "0 luce di quest' anima," in "Batti, batti," in
"Pur dicesti," on that unforgettable May afternoon. In the
opinion of many, it was the culminating moment of her phe-
nomenal career as a concert vocalist.

Her last public appearance as an opera singer occurred in
the winter of 1900. It did not extend to an entire opera no
more, indeed, than the Chamber Scene from "Romeo"; nor
could it, for many and obvious reasons, challenge compari-
son with the past in the same degree as the purely vocal
achievement just referred to. Still, it afforded another typ-
ical instance of the success with which Patti still defied the so-
called "ravages of time."

This incident happened, appropriately enough, at Covent

i It may be mentioned, however, that at a later concert in the sum-
mer of 1899 Mme. Patti sang for the first time before a London audi-
ence the exacting air, "Casta diva," from "Norma/' which she used to
sing standing upon a table when a child of seven, as recorded in the
earlier pages of this book. After the lapse of nearly half-a-century she
gave it now "with a wonderful depth of pathos, rendering every phrase
with her own incomparable elegance of style and unaffected grace and
purity of expression."



350 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

Garden the scene of her London debut close upon thirty-
nine years before on the evening of Thursday, February 22,
1900 ; the occasion being a benefit performance in aid of the
Marchioness of Lansdowne's War Fund for Officers' Wives
and Families. It was one of the most brilliant affairs of the
kind ever held in that historic building. The Prince and
Princess of Wales (then soon to be King Edward VII and
Queen Alexandra) headed a very remarkable gathering, and
the receipts amounted to the record sum of 12,000. Mme.
Patti contributed a lion's share of the programme. In the
preliminary concert she gave two solos and two encores. Then
the curtain rose on the "duo de 1'alouette/' which she sang
with Alvarez, the famous French tenor, in the part of Borneo.
Finally "God Save the Queen" was given, the first verse sung
by Patti, the second by Edward Lloyd, and the third by the
entire ensemble.

Once more (and for the last time) let me quote the feuille-
ton of the Sunday Times:

To say that Mme. Patti worked hard is to give a poor notion of
the extent to which the great prima donna interested herself in and
contributed to the success and eclat of this noteworthy event. She
came to London expressly for it, and she sent specially to Paris for
the three new gowns which she wore in course of the evening. She
sang encores after each of her operatic airs, and lavished the full
measure of her genius upon a delighted and astonished crowd. I
say "astonished" because the word fitly expressed the feelings with
which old opera habitues gazed upon the still young-looking face
of the diva and listened to the ever-fresh tones of her incomparable
voice what time she bridged a quarter of a century with her girlish
yet tragic embodiment of Juliette. Although it had ended all too
soon, the duo left behind the exquisite fragrance of an 'enchantment
long past and yet again renewed. ... In an artistic sense, the scene
from "Romeo" was essentially the clou of the entertainment.



CHAPTER XXI

Pattfs Later Contemporaries Her Unchallenged Supremacy Sembrich
and Melba Compared Charity Work in Paris (1901) Time and the
Diva Health, Voice, and Art Last American Tour (1903-04) A
New Manager and a New Generation Meeting the Baroness at Quar-
antine She Lands and Is Interviewed She Sings at Carnegie Hall
A Four-Months' Tour Good-bye to America Return to England A
Faithful Public President Loubet Bestows the Legion of Honor in
Paris Last Years of Patti's Career Preparations for Retirement
Farewell at the Albert Hall (1906) The Programme An Audience in
Tears Historic Leave-Taking A Famous Critic's Eulogium of the
Great Singer

THE birth, of the twentieth century found Adelina Patti
still securely established upon the lofty pedestal to which
the will of two continents had elevated her decades before.
Fifty years exactly had passed since the child of seven had
sung to her first audience ; and for forty years out of the fifty
she had been the foremost singer of her age. She was still
the living standard whereby every new prima donna had per-
force to be measured that is to say, every prima donna am-
bitious enough to sing Patti 's roles upon the boards where
Patti herself had sung them.

For the dpera-lovers of her day had good memories, and
were perhaps a shade more loyal to their . favorites than the
differently nurtured public of a later era. Besides, the glory
of the great singer had not yet departed, even if the stage
knew her no more. Her voice and art were still to be heard
in the land, and the impression made by their beauty was yet
vivid and actual.

And, for her part, what experiences, what triumphs, what
conquests had been hers ! What changes, what developments

351



352 THE REIGN OF PATTI

in musical life and thought, had conie within her purview!
Together with a distinct forward movement upon the lines of
the lyric drama, what steady deterioration had she witnessed,
alas! in her own branch of the singer's art, 1

Her retentive memory also enabled her to keep fresh in
mind all that she cared to remember. With an equal facility
she could dismiss from her recollection whatever incident,
whatever person or object, she wished to forget. The memory
of her early struggles and vicissitudes always remained strong
and clear ; and to the congenial listener she would dwell upon
them with evident pleasure. Her artistic life was no more a
sealed book to others than it was to herself. She referred to
it, as she had always done, without reluctance or hesitation.
If any difference might be noted, it was in her growing tend-
ency to laud and admire certain "giants of the past" whom
she had not always, as a rule, admitted to be giants. In the
absence of successors, they now loomed upon the slowly ob-
scuring horizon as eminently gigantic. For the age of the
bel canto was departing; and, with a lessening demand for
old-fashioned Italian opera, the call for worthy interpreters
even were it possible to perpetuate their line had inevitably
to diminish in proportionate measure.

And what of her own fin-de-siecle contemporaries ? Among
these Sembrich and Melba were, perhaps, the only sopranos
whom Patti considered capable of upholding the exalted tra-
ditions of the fading school. There were still coloratur sing-
ers, but very few of them artists of the first rank, and not one
whose vocal and histrionic resources would permit her to cover
the same wide operatic field that the diva's versatile genius
had enabled her to adorn. Both Sembrich and Melba were
endowed with lovely voices, rare charm, and great beauty of
style; but their limitations as prime donne stood out clearly
when they were compared with the supreme artist who had

i See Appendix CC.





(Above) CASKET PRESENTED WITH THE FREEDOM OF

BRECON
(Below) CASKET PRESENTED "WITH THE FREEDOM OF

SWANSEA



THE REIGN OP PATTI 353

made her European debut a full generation before they came
upon the scene.

Both were admirable vocalists. Sembrieh, an accomplished
musician and wonderful Liedter-singer, never miscalculated
her powers or essayed operatic parts for which she was either
physically or temperamentally unfitted. A clever aetress and
an artist to the finger-tips, she could always satisfy the most
exacting critic in any role, serious or comic, that she under-
took. In this respect Melba was not always so discriminating.
She attempted parts Carmen and Sieglinde, for Instance
in which she had not the remotest chance of succeeding. She
was not endowed, either, with comic talent (which Semhrich,
like Patti, possessed in a remarkable degree) ; while her dra-
matic gifts, if adequate for certain parts, never rose beyond
a certain restricted level of tragic intensity.

On the other hand, Melba was a born singer. Her tone was
exquisitely sweet and silvery, her scale a miracle of smooth-
ness and equality, her vocalization delightfully pure and ef-
fortless. Merely to shut one's eyes and listen to her was like
enjoying the song of a canary or a thrush. 1 She was at her

i Writing of Melba on her first appearance in America in 1893,
which, took place five years after her operatic debut, Mr, ELrehbiel said
in his "Chapters of Opera": "Her voice was charmingly fresh and ex-
quisitely beautiful. Her tone-production was more natural, and quite as
apparently spontaneous, as that of the wonderful woman [Patti] who
so long upheld the standard of lei canto throughout the world."

The meaning of the word "natural," as used here, is not quite clear.
It would have been impossible for any vocal production to be "more
natural" than Patti's, because it was the one gift, of all her gifts, that
was untouched throughout her life by either art or "artifice." The
peculiarly dark timbre which was its most individual characteristic
was so contemporary evidence lias told us already hers in childhood.
Her teacher, Barili, had not to impart either this or any other "trick"
that could affect the course of nature so far as her actual tone-produc-
tion was concerned. On the other hand, Melba'a "natural" way of sing-
ing was such that when she first sang in public it was objected that her
medium suffeied from an excess of voiat blanche. She had to work very
hard to correct this, and she had about succeeded in doing so at the



354 THE KEIGN OF PATTI

best in her lighter characters, and in these, as well as in the
interpretation of certain lyric roles or parts of mezzo carat-
tere, as the Italians classify them her unchallenged position
at Covent Garden in the nineties practically corresponded to
that of Sembrieh at the Metropolitan Opera House.

In the realm of opera, therefore, Patti was still without
either peer or successor, and, so far as the present chronicler
can determine, she was destined to remain so. With the eon-
cert platform she had not yet finished; but her appearances
were gradually to become less frequent. In 1901 she was
heard at the Albert Hall only twice in June and November
and the provincial tours were rather shorter than usual.
She went to Paris in April and sang at a concert organized
by Le Petit Journal in aid of the Caisse des Secours Imme-
diats. The Gaiete Theatre was crowded on that occasion by
an aristocratic audience, and ovations, recalls, and flowers
were lavished upon her with the old abundance. Said the
Paris correspondent of the Daily Telegraph: "Whether
Mme. Patti is still capable of supporting the weight of a great
role upon the stage is a question which critics may discuss;
but after hearing the great cantatrice sing to-day, one cannot
but declare that it is impossible to render such selections with
greater art."

In 1902 it was much the same story: concert work in more
restricted measure, but still no falling off in enthusiasm on
the part of a public ever loyal to its lifelong favorite. The
watchful and expert observer could alone perceive the signifi-
cance of the modifications that were now taking place. So
slow, so gradual, were they as to be almost imperceptible.
And so long as the velvety tones remained, so long as the

time when Bhe made her d^but in New York. It may be conceded,
however, that the darker timbre sounded just as "natural" to the new
listener as the over-light timbre that had originally prevailed.



THE REIGN OF PATTI 355

delicious legato and the indescribable Patti manner continued
in evidence, what did Londoners care? An extra breath here
and there ; a transposition of a semitone down or maybe two, 1
fewer excursions and those very "carefully" managed
above the top line of the treble stave; some diminution of
resonant power or of sustained vigor in the higher medium
no tes what were these, after all, but trifles when one could
still derive so much pleasure from the superlative qualities
that Patti, and Patti alone, possessed!

The critics, of course, observed these things ; but, showing
creditable delicacy and consideration, either passed them by
or touched upon them so lightly that their little reservations
almost escaped attention. They emphasized only what could
still be admired. Thus one journal: "It may not be main-
tained that Adelina Patti 's voice is as brilliant, as extensive
in compass, as full of youthful fire, as in the old days that
are gone ; but it is still happily a fact, ' ' etc. Again, later on :
"Nothing is more painful than to watch the gradual decay
of some great leviathan of art. With Mme. Patti the case
is different. True, her high notes are not what they once
were,- but her singing is still far and away finer than that of
any soprano of the same character now before the public.
There is a personal charm in her voice which never leaves it,
even when she is singing florid music. ' 7 2

It is doubtful whether at this epoch the illustrious artist
was herself realizing the exact nature and extent of the ef-
fect that the slowest "wear and tear" is bound ultimately
to impose upon the most perfectly adjusted human organiza-
tion. Her general health had somewhat improved, but she
was still subject to periodical attacks of rheumatism and

1 As a rule, this had not been necessary. Twenty years earlier, when
in New York, she wrote to a friend: "I never transpose the l Jewel
Song* in 'Faust' a key lower. I always sing it in its original key, and
sometimes a key higher; for it is very low for me as it is written."

2 The DaAly News, 1902; 1903.



356 THE REIGN OF PATTI

neuralgia attributed by one of her medical advisers to the
frequently damp atmosphere of the Swansea Valley.

On this account, perhaps, there was at one moment serious
talk of selling Craig-y-Nos Castle, and early in 1901 the
estate was actually in the market. A high price was asked,
however, and as no attractive offer was forthcoming, the
place was withdrawn from the agents 7 hands. Truth to tell,
none but the most vital considerations would have induced its
owner to relinquish her lovely home, and, after the first
impulse to sell it had passed, the idea was never broached
again.

Early in 1903 a suggestion of another kind penetrated the
mountain fastness of the Baroness Cederstrom, and was to
meet with a more favorable response. For yet once again,
before the end of her busy life, was she tempted to cross the
Atlantic to bid a very last farewell ("in concert/' nat-
urally) to the land of her childhood.

The conception of this supplementary tournee (or '* extra
turn," as one irreverent American writer called it) seems
to have originated in the fertile brain of Marcus B. Mayer,
Mme. Patti's trustworthy manager on more than one by-
gone visit to the United States. But it was not altogether on
his own account owing, it was understood, to certain financial
obstacles that the veteran manager "worked the oracle" in
this instance. It might have prospered better, perhaps, had
the scheme and its execution rested entirely in his hands.
Under no conceivable circumstances, however, could a Patti
tour in America, undertaken at this late day, have been cal-
culated to result in one of the brilliant successes associated
with the never-to-be-forgotten past.

Nine years had elapsed since her preceding visit, which
Americans had been bidden to regard as definitely final. It
was a long interval. A new generation had sprung up that



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 357

knew not Patti, yet had heard of her all their lives. Doubt-
less they expected her to return the same unapproachable diva
as of yore, with the same glorious, birdlike voice of wondrous
power, with the same youthful mien in fact, all that their
elders had described to them a thousand times. This was not
England, where she had never ceased to shine in the public
eye, where the passage of time had not been noted because
the marvel of its defiance had endured under the unbroken
observation of the people. To Britons she was indeed, might
well be the same inimitable, unchangeable Patti. In the
United States above all, in hard,, practical, critical, blase
New York nothing short of a miracle could have so bridged
those years of absence that expectation should be fully real-
ized and leave no sense of disappointment.

Sixty concerts were to be given within a period of six
months, and for each concert Mme, Patti was to be paid $5,000,
besides an additional fifty per cent, of the receipts on any
amount over $7,500. Further allowances for travelling ex-
penses, hotels, etc., were stipulated for, and it was agreed
that a deposit of $40,000 (8,000) should be paid into a Lon-
don bank as guaranty by the beginning of March, 1903. On
these conditions the contract was signed, and Mme. Patti duly
found herself engaged for one more long American tour to a
new manager to wit, Mr. Robert Grau, the younger brother
of Henry E. Abbey's former partner, Maurice Grau, who had
been for some time director of the Royal Opera at Covent
Garden (after the death of Harris), and impresario of the
Metropolitan Opera House, New Tork.

This Robert Grau, like Marcus Mayer, did not labor in
his own behalf alone, but as the head of a syndicate formed
for the purpose of carrying out the Patti enterprise. Here-
tofore he had been known in New York as an agent connected
with the theatrical and " vaudeville" (or music-hall) busi-
ness. Of operatic artists and concert management he had lit-



358 THE REIGN OF PATTI

tie, if any, experience. However, with Marcus Mayer as Ms
acting manager and the further assistance of a capable press-
agent, he planned his tour and fixed his dates. Then he "put
up" his deposit, and proceeded to "trust to luck" and the
magic name of Adelina Patti.

I happened to be living in New York at the time. I had
corresponded only at rare intervals with the Baroness Ceder-
strom since her marriage. She had, however, given me some
charming letters of introduction when I went to America in
December, 1901, and we were still excellent friends. The news
that she was coming over aroused feelings of pleasure at the
thought of seeing and hearing her once again.

On a breezy morning in October, 1903, I went with Robert
Grau and Marcus Mayer, on board a revenue cutter, to meet
the Baroness and her husband at quarantine. She received
us in her state-cabin with the utmost cordiality. She declared
she had enjoyed the trip and was feeling well.

Our greetings over, one or two press men came to the door
and desired to know if they might "put a few queries 77 ; but
Mme. Patti refused to be interviewed until after she had ar-
rived at her hotel. There, she said, she intended to receive
all of the journalists "in a bunch" and undergo the fire of
their collective interrogatories at one sitting. She asked me
what the papers were saying; whether so-and-so and so-and-so

were still writing for the New York ~? I told her they

were gossiping very little about her visit, but that Mr. Grau's
press-agent had been extremely busy. "Eh bien, nous ver-
ronsJ" was her reply.

At the dock, where there was a huge crowd, the people
welcomed her with a cheer as she descended the gang-plank
leaning on the arm of Marcus Mayer. They seemed, how-
ever, well-nigh as anxious to catch a glimpse of Baron Ceder-
stroin, who had n6t visited New York before. It was late in



THE REIGN OF PATTI 359

the afternoon before we reached the Savoy Hotel; but the
Baroness declined to take any repose, preferring to "have it
out" with the interviewers forthwith. She asked me to re-
main, and I was an amused witness of some pretty passages-
at-arms between the diva and her eight or ten questioners.

She understood their game of carte-and-tierce thoroughly;
parried their delicate thrusts with infinite tact; gave out
just as much information as she cared to, no more; dwelt
emphatically, of course, upon her delight at being in New
York again; and reiterated the assurance that no previous
"farewell" had been the real, absolute farewell that this one
was to be. Next day's interviews with Mme. Patti were the
first that had done any appreciable service to the tour.

It was a concert at Carnegie Hall on November 4, 1903,
that marked the "beginning of the end" of Adelina Patti 's
long association with the city of New York. No one present
on that day had heard her sing at Tripler's Hall in 1850,
when a wonder-child of seven. 1 It was doubtful, moreover,
whether any one was there who had witnessed her debut in
opera at the Academy of Music in 1859. Probably not more
than a third of the vast audience that now thronged Carnegie
Hall had known the joy of listening to Patti in her prime,
or even when she had sung in opera at the Metropolitan
fourteen years before. To all intents and purposes, it was a
new public and essentially a critical one. A public that still
loved its Sembrich, but was caring less and less for her
school; that could enjoy brilliant coloratur and elegant
nuances, but raved far more loudly over opulence of vocal
tone and strenuous (Wagnerian) declamation. To such an
assemblage the ordinary miscellaneous programme was not
calculated to appeal very strongly. 2

1 The lady referred to in Chapter III was still living, but an invalid
and unable to leave her room. She died in 1905.

2 It consisted of the usual heterogeneous selection of show-pieces



360 THE REIGN OF PATTI

Mme. Patti had a magnificent reception. She was very
nervous at the outset, and unable to do herself justice. As a
natural consequence her voice did not carry so well as usual
in the big hall, although its lovely quality was unchanged,
particularly in the more cantabile phrases. Later on she
recovered her control and sang "Home, sweet home" with all
the wondrous charm of yore.

The tour lasted about four months and comprised forty
concerts. It brought Mme. Patti a net profit of 50,000
($250,000) under the circumstances a remarkable financial
result. In spite of the fatigue and risks of constant travel-
ling, Mme. Patti was only once prevented by illness from ap-
pearing, namely, at Chicago, where she had an attack of sore
throat. In February she paid her return visit to New York,
and early in March bade her ultimate adieu to that city. She
was now heard to much better advantage. The impression
she left behind was one of astounding juvenility and extraor-
dinary preservation of vocal power in an artist who had been
singing in public for well over half-a-century. On her de-
parture for Liverpool many friends again assembled to see
her off. She seemed in the best of health and spirits, and it
was plain that she was glad to be going home.

So far as America was concerned, the reign of Patti was
over.

In England, too, the end was drawing near. Her appear-
ances in public after her return grew few and far between.
Not that the audiences failed her now more than in the past
or acclaimed her with an iota less of the old rapture. She
was simply losing the relish for work ; the fatigue of railway

executed by artists of various grades of talent. The performers en-
gaged by Robert Grau to assist on this tour were Miss Kathleen How-
ard (contralto), Mr. Wilfred Virgo (-tenor), Mr. Claude Cunningham
(baritone), Miss Vera Margolies (piano), Miss Rosa Zamels (violin),
Mr. Anton Hegner ('cello), and Signor Romualdo Sapio (conductor).



THE REIGN OF PATTI 361

travel was growing more irksome ; the duty of practising and
keeping in good voice was becoming something of a burden
that was all. But it was enough. Moreover, once she realized
that there were now defects beyond her control, that the flaws
in her once peerless singing were such as the people could
readily perceive, even though they as readily overlooked them
for the sake of what still remained of her matchless voice and
art, then Adelina Patti was not the artist to run for long
the risk of outstaying her welcome.

Yet, to be exact, the gradual process of retirement took
two and a half years from June 11, 1904, the date of Mme,
Patti 7 s first concert at the Albert Hall subsequent to her re-
turn from the United States. On that occasion she was un-
fortunately suffering from a severe attack of neuralgia, and
was not really fit to sing. Imagine the courage and determi-
nation requisite to conquer this most trying kind of physical
agony, and withal to get through seven pieces (four of them
encores), including the "Jewel Song/ 7 "Batti, batti," "Pur
dieesti," "Angels ever bright and fair/ 7 and "Yoi che sa-
pete"! Such an exacting effort under these conditions was
not without a detrimental effect, and it is worthy of mention
that she did not appear again in London for a whole year.

Let it also be noted that some of the metropolitan critics,
while apparently uninformed about the attack of neuralgia,
did not carry their customary indulgence to the length of
ignoring the contrast between former perfection and present
shortcomings. It was done in a polite and kindly fashion;
but it was a novel experience. Surprising to relate, she af-
forded the same critics much less chance for following up
their new line in the summer of 1905. She had recovered a
great deal of her physical strength, and, being in altogether
better voice, instantly regained some of the lost ground.

The Morning Post welcomed her return and said: "The
art of the bel canto has had many glorious exponents, but



362 THE REIGN OF PATTI

among these Mme. Patti, by universal consent, occupies a
unique place, and the wish that she may soon appear again
is one that will doubtless be echoed far and wide." In the
Standard one read: "With her own special charm of per-
sonality, her wonderfully finished vocalization, and her viva-
city, she drew from her delighted admirers the most enthusias-
tic applause. . . . Save in the upper register, her wonderful
voice shows little sign of the passage of time. ' ' And this last
remark, even then, was perfectly true.

In April of the same year (1905), shortly after singing
again at the Paris Gaiete in aid of the Caisse des Secours
Immediats, Baroness Cederstrom had conferred upon her the
ribbon of the Legion of Honor. The distinction was one that
she well deserved at the hands of the French nation, but
might never have received but for the powerful initiative of
M. Cassigneul, the director of Le Petit Journal and founder
of the above-named charity, for which a large sum of money
had been collected through her cooperation. It was M. Del-
casse who submitted to President Loubet the decree nominat-
ing the famous cantatrice a "foreign member of the Legion
d'Honneur." In appending his signature thereto the Presi-
dent uttered the following remark: "I do this with as much
pleasure as I experienced long ago when I had no gray hairs,
and when I heard Adelina Patti sing in ' Lucia' and 'La Son-
nambula.' "

On October 23 Baroness Cederstrom redeemed her promise
to give another concert at Cardiff in aid of the "Welsh chari-
ties. The net proceeds amounted to 750. Three weeks later
she was again appearing at the Albert Hall before the cus-
tomary "sea of expectant faces."

We come now to 1906,' the year of Patti 's retirement. It
is noteworthy that when she sang in London in the month of
Jime not & word had been Britten to indicate that the mo-



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 363

ment of final parting was close at hand. The notices of that
concert dealt no less gently than of yore with the public's
f< perennial favorite"; with the " l Queen of Song' par excel-
lence, who once more was able to delight her hearers by the
wonderful fluency of her vocalization and to revive memories
of former operatic triumphs. ' ' *

Not until September, indeed, did it become known that she
had definitely decided to retire into private life, and that,
after a farewell concert at the Albert Hall in December, she
would take leave of her admirers in the provinces during the
autumn of 1907. This announcement was fulfilled to the
letter, although she supplemented the tour in question by re-
appearing at the Albert Hall in the following November at
Mr. Percy Harrison's " benefit" concert. Every celebrated
popular singer is expected to emerge from his or her retire-
ment, and the Baroness Cederstrom generously did so for
somebody or other's benefit on a good many occasions.

To the use of the word " farewell" in connection with this
concert some objection was taken by the artist herself be-
cause the term was one that had been much abused; and by her
English manager because she had already promised to sing
subsequently at his "benefit" after her last tour under his
direction. It is difficult, however, to see how it could have
been called anything but a ''farewell," since it was intended
to mark the close (in London) of Mine. Patti's professional
career; and, despite a letter from Mr. Harrison on the subject,
the newspapers insisted upon describing the coming event
under the head-line in question. It served, moreover, to whet
public interest and create a tremendous demand for seats.
The concert was duly announced to take place at the Albert
Hall on Saturday afternoon, December 1.

As the date approached, the daily and weekly journals,
almost without exception, published biographical articles deal-

i The Morning Post, June 15, 1906,



364 THE BEIGN OF PATTI

Ing with the diva's unique lifetime of fifty-six years upon the
concert platform and the operatic stage. They included some
rather remarkable "copy," deserving of greater credit for
eulogistic intention than accuracy of historical detail.

Guesses as to her income generally made out that from
1861 to 1881 she had earned from 30,000 to 35,000 per
annum ; which was probably not very wide of the mark. But
after that the writers seem to have had no sort of line to go
upon. She never lived up to her income, and the interest
on her capital amply sufficed to meet her expenditure. In any
case, she was considered to be the richest prima donna the
world had known.

Had she been induced to make gramophone records ten
years before she did, her income from that source would have
been very large. But she felt a curious aversion against the
new-fangled toy, as she regarded it, and consistently refused to
follow the example of Tamagno, Sembrich, Melba, and Caruso.
The leading gramophone companies tried every available de-
vice, even following her to her hotels when she went abroad ;
but she declined to be caught, until at last one day, in sheer
despair, she turned to her most persistent petitioner and said,
"Well, if you will go to my solicitor, Sir George Lewis, and
arrange everything with him, I will do whatever he agrees
to."

The conditions imposed by Sir George were simple. "You
will have to take your entire apparatus down to Craig-y-Nos
Castle ; have it ready for immediate use ; and wait there from
day to day until the Baroness says she is willing to sing for
you." It was done. But many days passed ere the fateful
hour struck and the Baroness declared herself ready. Then,
with her accustomed ardor, she threw herself heart and soul
into the business, and did not desist until she had made eight
or ten excellent records. Those were the only ones she ever
made, and the royalties on them were regularly paid accord-



THE REIGN OF PATTI 365

ing to agreement tlircmgli Sir George Lewis, whom the world
has probably to thank for being able still to hear even so
much of the voice that was once Patti's.

Happily her feeling towards the gramophone changed from
the moment when she first heard her own records. This w*as
two or three days after she had finished making them. The
Baroness was coming down to dejeuner, and descending the
main staircase to the hall (where the instrument had cun-
ningly been placed), when the tones of her own voice fell for
the first time upon her ear. One who was present relates that
she stopped, turned visibly pale, clutched at the banisters, and
remained where she was standing until the piece was finished.
Then she ran quickly down the stairs to the hall, and exclaim-
ing, "Oh, you darling!' 7 threw her arms round the horn of
the gramophone. Her aversion had been conquered by her
own voice.

The most interesting of the farewell articles was the one
from the pen of Joseph Bennett which appeared in the columns
of the Daily Telegraph. 1 It almost made amends for the omis-
sion of any biographical or anecdotal reference to Patti in that
critic's " Forty Years of Music' 7 an omission explained (but
not accounted for) on page 123 of the book. He says there:

Shortly before this chapter was written (November, 1906), Ade-
lina Patti to call her by her first and best known name retired
from public life as a professional singer. 2 The withdrawal may not
be final, but it does not affect my rule to keep from this book all
personal recollections of living people.

The rule, however, was evidently of the sort that can as
easily be broken as observed vide pages 257-8 of the same
book. One other allusion only does Bennett make therein to

1 See Appendix DD.

2 There is a slight discrepancy here, Mrae. Patti's retirement from
public life did not actually take place until the month after that in
which Bennett wrote his chapter.



366 THE REIGN OF PATTI

Adelina Patti, namely, when he quotes a letter (dated July
24, 1867) from Maurice Strakoseh inviting him to dinner:

"You should much oblige Mile. Patti and myself by giving
us the pleasure of dining with us Friday next at half -past
six. You will meet our common friend, A. S. S. "

So it was because he met Arthur S. Sullivan, not because
he dined with Patti, that Bennett included Strakoseh ? s letter
in his "Forty Years of Music"!

Well might the writers who witnessed and recorded the
formal leave-taking at the Albert Hall, on a cold December
afternoon in 1906, claim for it the dignity of an historic
event. It was in a sense more historical than formal. It
marked the ending of an unparallelled career ; yet so simple
was the function that it presented scarcely any features to
differentiate it from an ordinary familiar Patti concert. A
bigger crowd, if possible ; a more tense emotion in the air ; a
fuller measure of excitement and enthusiasm; perhaps a
larger display of floral tributes. Otherwise, what? Let the
programme tell the tale :

PAET I

Great Organ Fugue on "Bach," Op. 60, No. 1 . . . Schumann

"Mr. H. L. Balfour
Air "Through the Forest" (Der FreiscJiutz) . . . . Weber

Mr. Ben Davies
Aria "Voi ehe sapete" (Le Nozze di Figaro) .... Mozart

Mme. Adelina Patti
Solo Piano

Miss Elsie Home

Eeeit. and Aria "Ombra mai f u" Handel

Mme. Ada Crossley

Solo Violin Lento, G-avotte, and Presto Bach

Senor Sarasate

Song "La Serenata" Tosti

Mme. Adelina Patti



THE KEIGN OF PATTI 367

PAET II

Great Organ "Melody" /. A. West

Mr. H. L. Balfour

Song "A Garden of Love" Guy D'Hardelot

Mr. Ben Davies

Vocal Waltz "II Bacio" Arditi

Mme. Adelina Patti

Solo Piano

Miss Elsie Home

Song "Through Love to Light" Cuthbert Wynne

Mme. Ada Crossley

Solo Violin "Jota de Pablo" .;].? Sarasate

(First performance in England)
Senor Sarasate

Great Organ New March, "Newquay" . . , . JEL C. Tanking
Mr. H. C. Tonking

It would be sheer insincerity to argue that this scheme
was worthy of an historic event. It may or may not have
been the best that could be compiled under the circumstances.
Anyhow, the farewell itself, not the music that it brought
forth, was what made history of that day's proceedings. It
was not what Patti sang, but the feeling that they were lis-
tening to her for the last time, that brought the lump to peo-
ple's throats and the tears to their eyes until they grew hys-
terical and clapped and shouted till they could clap and
shout no more. They probably did not miss the worn-out
chevaux de bataille of Rossini, Donizetti, or Verdi. Enough
that Patti was bidding them good-bye, that they would know
no more the spell of her singing in "Home, sweet home."
It was, after all, a saddening, nay, a painful reflection that
they might never again feel the thrill of her luscious voix
d'or.

There was something, too, besides the voice and the sing-



368 THE REIGN OF PATTI

ing that made the vast assemblage cling lovingly to those last
precious moments. There was the remarkable "personality
whose power, impalpable and indefinable," one veteran critic
of this concert justly declared to be "no less important in
the public performer than a highly finished technical and
artistic accomplishment. When these are combined in one
person, then we recognize the true artist and the historic
personage. In Mine. Patti they are combined in an almost
superlative degree. ' ' *
The writer went on :

Will any deny her right to be described as historic? Certainly
none who have heard her, year in, year out, for nearly two genera-
tions, during which the art that she has so long adorned has under-
gone something 1 like a complete change, and with it public opinion
of it. Yet, in spite of this, the diva has gone on her way, looking
neither to the right hand nor to the left, untouched by the transi-
tions of music or musical life, singing largely the music of a by-
gone day, yet singing it as she only could sing it. And none, surely,
would have it otherwise.

To praise her singing is almost an impertinence, yet not a soul in
that vast crowd on Saturday but must have asked himself where, as
song after song was delivered, the equal of that singing, the rarest
beauty of phrasing, the perfection of the technical command, and
the grace and elegance of the style were again to be heard.

One little instance. Will any forget that literally marvellous trill
not in the least like that of the proverbial bird, but a lovely hu-
man thing which Mme. Patti uttered at the close of "Pur dieesti,"
given as an encore after Tosti's "Serenata"1 Whether as the re-
sult of the Wagnerisation of the singing art, and the advent of the
modern declamatory style, need not be argued; certain it is that to
Mine. Patti one had to go and, alas, can ro no longer to find its
possibility.

i The DMy Telegraph, December 3, 1906. This notice was not signed,
but beyond a doubt it was from the pen of Joseph Bennett.



THE REIGN OF PATTI 369

And so the inimitable maestria of the bygone vocal epoch
asserted itself to the very end. Never mind the rest. It is
good to have it on record that whatever the great songstress
did on that day of farewell however simple and unpreten-
tious its nature was done in her own unapproachable man-
ner. The setting sun touched the horizon, not in midsummer
glory, but in the calm, clear effulgence of a soft, gentle, wintry
sky. There were no more feux d'artifice to trick the ear or
dazzle the spectator. Opera and its fioriture were done with.
With such straightforward melodies as " Robin Adair/'
"Comin 7 thro' the rye/' and "Home, sweet home/' added
for encores, the final return to the simplicity of the early
ballad days was neither inappropriate nor unjustified.

But, as another critic observed, "If music-lovers will al-
ways cherish those last sweet notes, Patti will remember with
still greater emotion the affectionate cheers, the demonstra-
tions of loving regard which marked her farewell. ' ' Never
before or since has such a testimony of personal adoration
of a public artist been witnessed within the spacious amphi-
theatre of the Albert Hall. A veritable cascade of flowers
began pouring upon the platform after the first song, and
by the end of the afternoon it had filled the entire available
space, so that there was only just room for Mme. Patti and
Mr. Ganz at the grand piano. Among these floral tributes
was a huge seven-pointed star nearly eight feet in height,
made of yellow chrysanthemums, and lighted at each point
with an electric lamp. It symbolized the fact that the great-
est star of her time remained shining and active to the end.

Such were the ultimate material tokens of the bond that
had united the "Queen of Song" and her British subjects
during the lengthy span of five-and-forty years. The pathos
of the ultimate adieu proved trying for the singer and for
many hundreds among her audience of nine thousand. They
were palpably affected, and the handkerchiefs that waved



370 THE REIGN OF PATTI

"good-bye" served also to wipe away the ready tears. Then
the people slowly departed; and, to quote again: "As we
filed out into the cold evening air a voice in the multitude
was heard to murmur :

" 'God sent His singers upon earth
With songs of sadness and of mirth,
That they may touch the hearts of men '

Surely this was one of them."



CHAPTER XXII

An Epilogue of Thirteen YearsPeriod of Tranquillity and Repose
New Scenes Visited The Bayreuth Festival Patti and Wagner
Her Retentive Memory First Meeting with the Prince of Wales Re-
called A Last "Barbiere" in Private Reappearance at Benefit Con-
certs Her Welsh Charities Failing Health The Passing Away of
Patti A Final Appreciation

THE curtain had been rung down upon the closing public
episode of Patti J s romantic reign, so far as it was to
be enacted within the gaze or ken of a still curious and inter-
ested public. But nearly thirteen years were yet to elapse
before the termination of that tranquil epilogue which sub-
sequently ran its uneventful course "behind the scenes."
The end came very rapidly and peacefully, after a brief ill-
ness, on the morning of Saturday, September 27, 1919, at
Craig-y-Nos Castle.

To attempt an account of these concluding years would be
to intrude upon the privacy of a retirement that was meant,
for excellent reasons, to be real in every sense. The greater
part of the time was spent in "Wales; but rarely if ever was
the castle the scene of festivities on the old-fashioned scale.
The Baron and Baroness Rolf Cederstrom thoroughly enjoyed
the quietude of the life at Craig-y-Nos, and preferred its bu-
colic pleasures to the excitement of entertaining or even to
the joys of the little theatre.

In the summer they generally went abroad, and made a
point of. never missing a Bayreuth Festival. The music of
"Wagner possessed a fascination, for the Baroness that seemed
to grow with the fulfilment of her longing to listen to it.
The Baron and Baroness paid a visit to Wahnfried during

371



372 THE EEIGN OP PATTI

one of these pilgrimages to the Wagnerian Mecca, and were
received with "special honors/'

In any ease, no amount of gossip could attenuate by the
smallest degree the great singer's admiration for the later
works of "Wagner. In a letter to the author, dated September
10, 1892, she says :

"How I enjoyed ' Parsifal!' How gloriously they give it
at Bayreuth; in fact, all the performances (including the
1 Ring ' ) were admirable ! ' '

Again in another letter she writes :

"I must tell you how immensely impressed I was by the
Bayreuth performances. I could never have imagined any-
thing so perfect as the mise en scene, and I thought the 'Ring'
simply divine. There are no words to express it ; it is all so
wonderful and beautiful. 7 '

Once, after one of these Bayreuth visits, the Baron and
Baroness were on their way to the South of Italy, when the
train stopped for a few minutes at Orvieto, a station between
Rome and Naples. On the platform the Baron met Dr. Hans
Richter, who was delighted to hear that they had been to Bay-
reuth. "But you know/' exclaimed the Baron, "my wife is
extremely fond of Wagner." Whereupon the famous con-
ductor observed, in his usual bluff manner, "If she did not
love him she would not be the great artist that she is!"

Her memory was singularly clear and accurate concerning
those incidents of her life that had really impressed her. It
seldom played her false, and it remained retentive to the last.
She would smile at some of the anecdotes told about her by
busy and irrepressible newspaper men on both sides of the
Atlantic, but did not care sufficiently to take the necessary
steps to correct or contradict what was untrue. "JJet them
write what they please," she would say. "It cannot hurt
me, and if it is too stupid the public will not believe it."



THE REIGN OF PATTI 373

As has been remarked already, she was not particularly
fond of becoming reminiscent, but when the humor seized
her it was of the early days in America that she liked best
to speak. She never forgot, for instance, the occasion when
she first sang "Casta diva" to her family, standing upon a
table ; or being taken to hear Jenny Lind ; or the excitement
of her debut as a child of seven at Tripler's Hall, New York;
or her first appearance in opera ten years later at the Acad-
emy of Music; or being introduced to the Prince of Wales at
Philadelphia shortly after the notable event just mentioned
(in 1860), when his Royal Highness was paying his first visit
to the United States.

During a visit to Paris, in May, 1907, the Baroness Ceder-
strom afforded welcome proof that, notwithstanding her re-
tirement, she still possessed a remarkable reserve of both
physical energy and vocal resource. This she did by appear-
ing at a private performance of "II Barbiere," given in the
small theatre attached to M. Jean de Reszke's house in the
Rue de la Faisanderie. It was a wonderfully interesting
evening; for the group of artists, apart from the diva (we
may still call her by her old title) in her favorite part of
Rosina, included Edouard de Reszke as Dan Basilio, Signor
Anselmi as Almaviva, Signor Ancona as Figaro, and Signor
Pim-Corsi as Don Bartolo. She was now in her sixty-fifth
year, and in excellent voice ; she sang with a vigor and beauty
of tone that her old friend Jean described as "simply miracu-
lous." This was the last time that Adelina Patti appeared
on the stage in a complete representation of an opera.

In England, in November, 1907, barely a year after her
"farewell/' she kept her promise and sang before an enormous
audience at the Albert Hall for the benefit of her former
manager, or impresario, as he loved to dub himself, Percy
Harrison. It may go without saying that old pieces were



374 THE REIGN OF PATTI

drawn upon and familiar scenes reenacted with the wonted
ardor "only more so." For the art of the singer had un-
dergone no change, and the freshness of the well-remembered
voice seemed more than ever unaccountable. Another phe-
nomenal veteran, Sir Charles Santley, then seventy-three years
of age, appeared at the concert, and gave a similar wonderful
exhibition of powers still unimpaired; Mine. Ada Crossley
" and Mr. Ben Davies completing a memorable vocal quartet.

Eeferenee has been made to Mr. Percy Harrison's long
association with Mme. Patti. In December, 1914, some three
years before he died, he was asked by the author to state
exactly how long this had lasted. His reply (dated from
Birmingham) expressed regret that he could not at that mo-
ment obtain access to old papers and could only speak from
memory. He went on to say:

"I commenced my Subscription Concerts here in Birming-
ham in 1870, and I see that Mme. Patti sang for me on Sep-
tember 25, 1874, that being, I believe, the first occasion when
she appeared at my usual Subscription Concerts. But I
have some idea that she sang for my late uncle before then
whether once only or oftener I cannot remember. Subse-
quently to 1874 I again engaged the diva, intermittently at
first, but later on pretty nearly every year, until her retire-
ment from her professional career in 1906."

The enthusiasm witnessed at the Harrison benefit was re-
newed a year later, when the Baroness Cederstrom yielded to
the persuasion of Father Bernard Yaughan, and took part in
a concert given at the Albert Hall (November 4, 1908) to aid
a scheme for the betterment of poor children in the East End
of London. She had already given practical support to Fa-
ther Vaughan in obtaining funds for the erection of a club-
house for men and boys in the Commercial Eoad parish of
St. Mary and St. Michael a successful institution known as



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 375

"Our Lady's Home." Thanks to her present cooperation,
the charitable purpose in view was fully achieved. Moreover,
her personal share in the programme listened to and cheered
by some nine thousand persons was by no means a light one,
seeing that it comprised "Angels ever bright and fair/' "Pur
dicesti," "Voi che sapete," Gounod's "Ave Maria," Tosti's
"Serenata," and the inevitable "Home, sweet home."

Soon after this she was again singing at the same place .for
the " farewell" of her former colleague, Mme. Albani; and
yet again, at a concert given for the benefit of her old friend
and faithful accompanist Wilhelm Ganz, who had been dis-
abled in 1911 by an accident. Then, in her seventy-second
year, she sang at the Albert Hall in aid of the Red Cross
War Fund, on October 20, 1914, that being her last appear-
ance in public. Altogether she gave her services for charitable
and philanthropic purposes with comparative frequency dur-
ing the last twenty years of her life far more frequently,
indeed, than at any other period. She was now no longer
under the control of an impresario who took the narrow view
that she might cheapen her value as a public artist by singing
for nothing !

Her gifts to the charities of South "Wales and the proceeds
of the annual concerts that she gave on their behalf amounted
to many thousands of pounds. She loved the old towns in
the neighborhood of her home, particularly Brecon, which was
the nearest, and where she had created a sensation by unex-
pectedly singing at the National Eisteddfod of 1889. 1 . To the
villagers for miles around she was a veritable Lady Bountiful.
Indeed, as one of the local papers declared in its memoir of

i She led an assemblage of fifteen thousand persons in the singing of
their national anthem, and "in the refrain the fifteen thousand voices
sang as one," with an effect said to have been intensely thrilling and
without parallel at these gatherings.



376 THE BEIGN OF PATTI

her: "Her benevolence was of the most profuse character,
and it is no exaggeration to say that never was a woman more
beloved by the simple villagers of the Swansea Valley than
was Mme. Patti."

The sufferings and horrors of the Great War cast a deep
shadow over the closing years of this sensitive woman's exist-
ence. She missed her journeys on the Continent, her trips
to Switzerland and Bayreuth, the changes of scene to which
she had grown accustomed since 1900. During the winter
that followed the signing of the armistice her health began
seriously to fail. Early in 1919 a medical consultation was
held, and the doctors detected unmistakable signs of growing
heart-weakness. She was taken to the seaside and spent her
last her seventy-sixth birthday at Brighton. But, in spite
of the most watchful care on the part of her husband and those
around her, she gradually lost strength, and by the middle of
September it became evident that the end was not far off.
She lingered, free from all pain and partly unconscious, until
the morning of the 27th, then passed quietly away with her
hand clasped in her husband's. Her local medical attendant,
Dr. Watson of Abercrave, was also present.

After the body had been embalmed, it lay for a while in
the chapel erected a few years previously at Craig-y-Nos
Castle. Thence it was removed on October 24, to London,
and placed in the Eoman Catholic Chapel of St. Mary's Ceme-
tery, Kensal Green, where a short service was held on the
following morning. The coffin was afterward placed in one
of the catacombs in the crypt of the chapel, to await removal
to the great cemetery of Pere Lachaise, in Paris, where the
Baroness Cederstrom had expressed a wish to be buried, not
far from the graves of her father and her sister Amalia.
For this purpose the Baron ordered to be erected a tomb
worthy alike in its dignity and prominence to be the last
resting-place of the illustrious singer.



THE REIGN OF PATTI 377

It "Fill be convenient to enumerate here the principal decora-
tions that were conferred upon her. They were :

The Legion of Honor

Les Palmes de France

The Russian Order of Merit (in brilliants)

The Medaille de la Ville de Bruxelles

The Swedish Order, Literis et Artibus (in brilliants)

The Gold Medal of the Philharmonic Society

She was also an honorary member of innumerable musical
societies and academies of distinction in various parts of the
world.

The life-work of Adelina Patti was spread over the best
part of the Victorian age. It stirred the hearts of three
generations of music-lovers. Her active career was carried
on during the most remarkable period of change and develop-
ment that musical art has ever passed through a change
gradual but unceasing; a development slow but sure. "With
the turn of the century nothing in the vocal world had re-
mained unaltered, and no one had stood unmoved through it
all save this great singer, who resembled some lofty rock
reared in the midst of a broad river and which neither stream
nor rapid could budge.

Betwixt her debut at Covent Garden and her exit from this
earthly stage there stretched a span of hard on sixty years.
Beckoning from her first appearance in opera in New York,
it was exactly that. She had blossomed the rarest flower
her art ever yielded before the American Civil War began.
She lived long enough to witness the end of the biggest war in
history. Truly, there were many signs that the times had
changed. "We will note only one. The criticisms on her early
appearances in England in 1861 had filled columns of the
leading papers. The obituary notices of 1919, which might



378 THE KEIGN OF PATTI

have been even more interesting, because there was so much
to say about the great career that had intervened, were chiefly
remarkable for their brevity and restraint. It is fair to re-
member that her death occurred unexpectedly, and at the out-
set of a gigantic railway strike which excluded almost every
other topic from the pages of the newspapers. Nevertheless,
one would like to know what the great editors of a bygone
day would have said and done.

It would not be correct to assert- that with Patti disap-
peared the final link that bound the vocal past with the vocal
present. Unlike Jenny Lind and Grisi, whom she followed,
she has not had a successor. She was the last of the race of
truly great women singers; she was the ring, the jewel call
it what you will forming the end of a chain that has no con-
tinuance. There might be other prime donne assolute, other
mistresses of florid or coloratura singing, but none who could
carry on the great traditions that she so long maintained
and kept aliVe.

This splendid succession of singers which she ended had
flourished for little more than a century, all told; and she
formed its most finished, its most perfect product. None of
her contemporaries could compare with her in versatility,
wealth of inspiration, or personal charm, much less in beauty
of voice and supreme mastery of all the arts of vocalization.

She was the last perfect exemplar of the Eossini school
a school that had very nearly, perhaps already had its day ;
whose sole claim to a renewed raison d'etre would be the up-
rising of another genius with the transcendent gifts of an
Adelina Patti to infuse new life into its dry bones. But that
has not yet happened; probably never will happen.

It was not the Rossini school only, however, that derived
fresh vitality from her. She was able thanks to her mar-
vellous faculty for imbuing the most hackneyed roles with her
own rare individuality, her own rich spontaneity of feeling



THE REIGN OP PATTI 379

to enhance the popularity of Bellini, Donizetti, and even Verdi.
Not only did she sing their operas better than any one else,
and reveal in them beauties that others let pass unnoticed,
but her fascinating personality and persuasive charm im-
parted to their conventional heroines a new element of romance^
that proved as irresistible as the haunting loveliness of her
voice and the brilliance of her singing.

The exquisite purity of her style brought an added grace
to the simple tunes jof Mozart, a more delicate polish to the
suave and rapturous melodies of Gounod, an almost classical
dignity to the tragic periods and pastoral refrains of Meyer-
beer. In a word, she touched no figure in the operatic gal-
lery that she did not adorn. No wonder Verdi, when asked
to name his three favorite prime donne, replied: " First,
Adelina; second, Adelina; third, Adelina!" In his estima-
tion, with her Leonora, her Violetta, and her Aida she liter-
ally " filled the bill."

It was never said of her that she was colorless or uninter-
esting; not even when she essayed the one or two parts
(Carmen, for instance) that did not really suit her. There
was a quality, a distinction about whatever she did that al-
ways raised her above the level of her colleagues, no matter
how distinguished; that secured for her the centre of the
stage, the concentrated and virtually exclusive attention of
her audience. Apart from the fact that she was the "diva,"
the incomparable Patti whom every one went to see and hear,
she possessed a power of magnetic attraction that never failed
to make itself instantly felt, in the concert-room as in the
theatre. No other vocalist of her time with the solitary ex-
ception, maybe, of Sims Reeves could create the ct pin-drop"
silence that reigned while she was singing above all, when
she was singing '/Home, sweet home," "With that tranquil
sostenuto in the words and tune of a simple ballad she was
wont to hold ten thousand people entranced hold them, a's it



380 THE BEIGN OP PATTI

were, in the hollow of her hand ; to move and sway their emo-
tions at her will.

She knew she had this power, and she rejoiced in it. Yet
never was there a prima donna who treated her public more
seriously, or would have so scorned to play tricks with them
and take advantage of their love and indulgence. She proved
it, first, by the fact that she so rarely disappointed them.
She proved it again by the conscientious care with which she
studied everything, whether an opera, an oratorio, a Wagner
Song, or an ordinary drawing-room piece. For she never
spared herself trouble where her art was concerned. Her
reputation as an artist was more to her than aught else.

For the same reason, she always accounted it a blessing
that she knew her own limitations well enough never to make
the mistake of attempting any task that lay beyond her physi-
cal means. She would not, if she could help it, risk the
humiliation of failure under any circumstances. Occasionally,
as we know, at the height of her fame at Covent Garden, she
allowed herself to be persuaded to appear in a mediocre opera
" written specially for her" by some second-rate French com-
poser who happened to have influence at the Tuileries. The
blame for these ventures could not really be laid at her door.
In later years she took pleasure in endeavoring to bring "hid-
den musical genius" (as she imagined it) to the light of day;
and very disappointed she was when it proved not to bear the
cachet of the real article.

Patti was always generous in her applause for her fellow
artists. "When they were companions on her many tours, she
would encourage and help them with useful criticism. The
only fault she could not pardon was stupidity. She rarely
took the trouble to point out the same error a second time.
She knew how to tolerate mediocrity when she could not avoid
it; but it was rather from a feeling of pity than because



THE REIGN OF PATTI 381

it did not try her patience. Very often it did. In those cases
she said nothing to the offending parties, but, after consider-
ing how far their laches affected her comfort or the artistic
serenity of the ensemble, she would send for Mapleson or Percy
Harrison and make the point quite clear. "You know/' she
would say, "I like so-and-so very much; but if there is one
person in this world I cannot stand, it is an idiot or any-
body who habitually sings off the key. ?y

The three singers whom she admired most were Jenny Lind,
Alboni, and Christine Nilsson. The last-named was unques-
tionably her greatest rival in the esteem of the public; but
they were the best of friends, and her admiration for the
talent of the younger Swedish artist was whole-souled. When
she died, one of the earliest and most touching messages re-
ceived by her husband (Baron Cederstrom) was from Christine
Nilsson, Countess Casa de Miranda. The peerless Alboni she
loved, and thought her voice the most beautiful contralto that
the world had ever known. Nor did she ever forget their won-
derful duet at Bossini's funeral.

From her girlhood her adoration of Jenny Lind had grown
together with her memory of that renowned singer, whom she
had been taken when a child to hear in America. It was
only in after years that she learned how entirely reciprocal
was the admiration existing between them the one who had
been called the "Swedish Nightingale" and the one who
was now known as the "Queen of Song/' Once, early in the
eighties, Madame Lind-Goldschmidt went to hear Patti at Co-
vent Garden. She was accompanied by Sir Arthur Sullivan,
who, when he next met Mme. Patti, asked her if she would
like to know what Jenny Lind had said about her. "I would
indeed, ' ' was her reply. ' ' Well, ' * said Sir Arthur, * ' she made
this remark: There is only one Niagara; and there is only
one Patti.' " The recipient of the compliment treasured it
as the greatest that had ever been bestowed upon her.



382 THE REIGN OF PATTI

"A beautiful Yoice is the gift of God." These words,
written by Adelina Patti in the birthday-book of a friend, at
once indicate her recognition of what she herself owed to
nature and the true source of that modesty which was not the
least of her good qualities. For, all things considered, she
was a singularly modest woman, unspoiled by adulation, won-
derfully free from vanity, affectation, or self-assertiveness.
Free, too, from the petty jealousies or the necessity for in-
trigue common to the atmosphere of the stage and the vie
d y artiste, she commanded the sincere affection and respect of
those who came into contact with her, and bore herself with
queenly dignity and a sweet amiability of manner toward all
alike.

So much for the woman. Of the singer what is there to
say that has not already been said?

One of the main objects of this life-story has been to give
a faithful idea of what Patti was like, and why she stood
for half-a-century upon so exalted a pinnacle of fame and
glory. There is no need to justify farther the verdict of her
own public or to anticipate the opinion of posterity. It will
be hard for future generations to realize, even with the aid
of an "unvarnished tale" such as this, what a tremendous
store their forefathers set upon the last of the "divas. ' ' Com-
parisons in such a case are valueless. Unluckily, I repeat,
the gramophone came too late to preserve reproductions of
her voice while anywhere near its prime. The records that
she made (as described in the previous chapter) convey but
a faint notion of the pristine splendor of its timbre. Could
it ever have been conveyed ?

Her singing was, nevertheless, an unalloyed delight to all
who heard her, not only in her prime, but long after her
career had passed its meridian ; and alas ! she took the secret
of her wondrous art with her. Her would-be imitators found
her inimitable even when they had the opportunity of



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 383

listening to her in proprid persona. They caught a pale re-
flex of her method and her manner; but to copy her style
the spontaneity, the glowing warmth, the impulsive energy,
the inexpressible charm of Patti of that which was Patti
apart altogether from her supreme technical mastery, lay far,
very far beyond their power.

She was the model, the inspiration, for every operatic
prima donna whose "fretful hour' 7 upon the lyric boards coin-
cided with her own. Not one of them was ever known to
grudge her willing homage or deep, unmeasured, abiding ad-
miration.

And so a last farewell, Queen of Song,
To close the record of your glorious reign;
Nor shall the dwellers in this poorer world
E'er listen spellbound to your like again.



APPENDIX A

THE MUSICAL TKAINING OF ADELINA PATTI
(Prom the Times, August 7, 1884)

To the Editor of the Times.
Sir:

In the Times of July 28 it is stated that Adelina Patti was trained
by a Hungarian teacher. Let me, sir, establish the truth, having
been her first musical director and conductor at the Academy of
Music, New York, when she appeared in opera for the first time on
the night of Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24, 1859.

She never had a Hungarian teacher. Her first teacher, when she
was a child, was Signora Paravalli, an Italian prima donna; then
her half-brothers Antonio and Ettore Barili. The first died in
Naples some years ago, and the second is still living and teaching
in New York. In the year 1859 Messrs. B. Ullmann and Maurice
Strakosch were associate managers of the Academy of Music. The
prime donne engaged by the latter in Europe, Creseimanno and
Speranza, made a failure. Under the circumstances, Adelina's
sister, Mme. Strakosch, suggested the idea of making the little girl
appear in opera. Her husband was opposed to it, saying she was
too young. I was then appealed to, and, being the musical direc-
tor, the decision was left to me, and, after hearing a single piece
sung by Her, I concluded favourably for the debut. Mr. Strakosch
was invariably opposed, and the other manager, Mr. UJlmann, said:
"I do like Pontius Pilate: I wash my hands. If she succeeds, so
much the better for you; if not, so much the worse for you." The
conditions of the engagement were stipulated with her father, Salva-
tore Patti, at one hundred dollars for each representation. I then
began to teach her Donizetti's opera "Lucia" at Mr. Strakosch's
house. After she had learned her part I announced a pianoforte
rehearsal with the other artists Brignoli, the tenor; Amadio, the

384



THE REIGN OF PATTI 385

baritone; and Coletti, the basso. Everybody was pleased with her
voice. At the orchestra rehearsal she surprised everybody, and she
had an ovation from the musicians. At the general rehearsal, for
which hundreds and hundreds of invitations had been issued, she
made a sensation; and on her first appearance, on the 24th of No-
vember, 1859, she created an excitement, and she was encored in the
septuor and in the Mad Scene.

After having taught her "Lucia," I did the same for "Sonnam-
bula." Then Signor Manzoeehi, a maitre de chant of talent, pre-
pared her for the "Barbiere di Siviglia," "Puritani," etc. Her suc-
cess never abated during the two seasons she sang at the Academy
of Music. The conclusion is that Mme. Adelina Patti was not
trained by a Hungarian teacher, but only Italian teachers, who had
the true tradition of good schools for singing, and they were Signora
Paravalli, Ettore and Antonio Barili, Muzio, and Manzocchi.

Believe me, your obedient servant,

EMMANUEL Muzio,

(Formerly Music Director of the Academy of Music, New York; of
the Italiens in Paris; and at Venice, Bologna, Milan, etc., 5 Rue des
Capucines, Paris.)

MAURICE STRAKOSCH'S REPLY TO THE ABOVE

To the Editor of the Times.

SIR : Under the heading "The Musical Training of Adelina Patti"
a statement has recently appeared in the Times. Its publication
proves the interest your readers take in everything that concerns that
great artist. I send you a brief statement of the facts.

In October, 1843, in Vicenza, Italy, I gave a concert at which
Clotilda, the [half] sister of Adelina, appeared. The child Adelina
was then six months old; and from that time on, with a few excep-
tions mentioned later on, I was constantly with Adelina Patti until
her marriage to the Marquis de Caux.

She was, so to say, born in and to the opera. Her mother waa
singing Norma when she found herself compelled to leave the stage
before the last act; shortly after, Patti's baby voice was heard. 1

i This part of Mr, Strakosch's statement is not exactly in accord with,
the known facts.



386 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

The child was with, her mother at the opera even when a baby,
and at the age of three years her father went to New York to direct
Italian opera in that city. She could herself, when only four years
old, sing many of the most difficult operatic airs almost to perfection,
incredible as this may seem. Besides her mother and sisters, she
heard the great artists of that day, I, then her brother-in-law, taking
care that she should lose no opportunity of doing so. Among those
she heard at that 'tender, impressionable age I may mention Jenny
Lind, Grisi, Bosio, Sontag, Frezzolini, Piecolomini, Alboni, and
Parepa-Rosa.

Signora Paravelli, a friend of the house, taught the child her
letters, and, being a good singer and pianist, sometimes played her
accompaniments when she sang.

One day, Max Maretzek, successor to Signor Patti as director, was
to give a charity benefit at Triplets Hall, New York, all his operatic
artists taking part. Then and there, in 1850, Adelina Patti, not yet
eight years of age, made her first public appearance, singing the
"Rondo" from "Sonnambula," and Jenny Lind's "Echo Song."

I had just returned from a concert tour, and at the urgent request
of her parents, who were members of my household, I organised
some concerts for Adelina, and with marked success. Soon after I
made an arrangement for her appearance in the concerts of the
great violinist, Ole Bull, which I directed and managed, with Ade-
lina as one of the company, some three years.

During those years she studied with me and learned over one
hundred operatic selections and ballads, hearing and seeing the best
vocal and dramatic artists. She never failed to sing daily her
scales and exercises.

When she was between twelve and thirteen, and it was best that
she should cease singing for a time, I was absent from her, en-
gaged in writing an opera "Giovanni di Napoli," written for Mile.
Parodi, and performed in New York in 1857. During my absence,
and against my advice, she made a tour in the. West Indies with
Gottsehalk, and was gone about two years. Until I rejoined her,
she studied with her half-brother, Ettore Barili, also with Signor
Manzocchi, learning two operas "Sonnambula" and "Lucia."

When she was fifteen, both her parents, thinking her ready for the



THE BEIGN OF PATTI 387

stage, and encouraged by all who heard the marvellous child, desired
that she should make her operatic d6but. I most earnestly opposed
it, assured that her voice needed rest and development. I fortu-
nately persuaded them to postpone her appearance for one year,
when I thought she could safely take a principal part in operatic
performances. She studied faithfully the ensuing months, and I
altered some passages in which her voice was too severely taxed,
and introduced cadenzas which enabled her to employ her marvellous
upper register in the two operas of "Sonnambula" and "Lucia"
cadenzas which Mme. Patti still sings without change.

She made her debut on the 24th November, 1859, under my man-
agement, having one single piano and one orchestral rehearsal with
my then conductor, Signor E. Muzio. She had on that first night
the phenomenal success which has but continued and augmented ever
since. During a period of nine years I was never absent for a day
from her father and herself, nor failed to study with her. I was
her sole vocal and musical instructor. During that time I had the
honour of presenting her to the London public and the principal
European capitals, her first appearance in London taking place on the
14th of May, 1861. And, by and by, I had no little difficulty in
effecting an arrangement with the veteran manager, Mr. Gye, whose
fame as an opera director will never die. I only succeeded in mak-
ing an engagement which compelled Patti to sing three nights with-
out pay, Gye reserving the right to engage her for five seasons on
his own terms. He paid her the first season 150 a -month, she
to sing eight times not quite 20 a night. Times have changed
since then.

She studied with me from the first to the last note the fol-
lowing operas, and retains my cadenzas and changes at the present
moment: "Barbiere di Siviglia," "Don Pasquale," "Puritani,"
"Elisir d'Amore," "Martha," "Don Giovanni" (Zerlina), "Traviata,"
"Trovatore," "Rigoletto," "Ernani," "Mose in Egitto," "Othello,"
"Linda di Chamouni," "Dinorah," "Huguenots" (Valentino),
"Faust," "Eomeo e Giuletta," Yerdi's "Giovanna d'Arco," "Don
Desiderio" by Poniatowsky, 1 etc.

i This opera was produced at Pisa in 1839 and at Paris in 1858, but
there is no evidence that Patti ever sang i it.



388 THE BBIGN OF PATTI

I claim no special merit for this, as Adelina Patti had really
so exceptional a talent that she would probably have achieved all
that she has without me, or even more with a more competent teacher.
But I must claim most positively that I was her only teacher for
a year previous to her debut until her marriage.

It is also my most intimate conviction that the care I was able to
exercise during the development of her voice, and the unmatched
solidity it acquired, not only preserved her organ but helped to make
it so exceptional.

To those who would dedicate themselves to the art of song I would
say, "There is but one method, that of the old Italian school." I
myself was in Italy when I could hear the artists who knew the
traditions of that school, and enjoyed the instruction and friendship
of Chevalier Mieheroux, the teacher of Pasta, whom I also knew
intimately. She had retired to private life, the possessor of a large
fortune, which she generously dispensed in aid of charity and art.
She was living in Milan and Como, and graciously received a certain
number of pupils, whom she fitted for the operatic stage when she
found them sufficiently talented, while to others she gave a dot
enabling them to marry. When they were receiving her instruction
I played for her the accompaniments, and the knowledge gained from
Mieheroux and Pasta I imparted as far as lay in my power to Ade-
lina Patti.

Believe me, sir, your obedient servant,

MAURICE STRAKOSCH,
Ole Bull's Island, Norway.



APPENDIX B

DEBUT OF MISS PATTI

(From the New York Herald, November 25, 1859)

A YOUNG- lady, not yet seventeen, almost an American by birth,
having arrived here when an infant, belonging to an Italian
family which has been fruitful of good artists, sang last night the
favorite role of debutantes, Lucia di Lammermoor.

Whether it is from the natural sympathy with the forlorn fiancee
of the Master of Ravenswood which is infused into the female breast
with Donizetti's tender music, or from a clever inspiration that to
be unhappy and pretty is a sure passport to the affections of an au-
dience, we cannot say. Certain it is, however, that the aspirations
for the ovations, the triumphs, the glories, that await a successful
prima donna almost always select this opera for their preliminary
dash at the laurels. The music affords a fine opportunity to show
the quality and cultivation of the soprano voice, and it is so familiar
as to provoke comparison with first-rate artists, and provoke the
severest criticisms by the most rigid recognized tests.

All these were duly, and thoroughly applied to Miss Adelina Patti
a day or two since by a very critical audience at what was called a
show rehearsal. It was then ascertained that Miss Patti had a fine
voice, and that she knew how to sing. The artists and amateurs were
in raptures. This was a certificate to the public, who do not nowa-
days put their faith in managers' announcements, unless they are
indorsed. With an off night and an opera worn to bits, the public
interest in Miss Patti's dlarge audience, rather more popular than usual, but still numbering
the best known habitue's and most critical amateurs. The de-
butante was received politely but cordially an indication that there
was not a strong claque, which was a relief. Her appearance was
that of a young" lady, petite and interesting, with just a tinge of

389



390 THE REIGN OF PATTI

school-room in her manner. She was apparently self-possessed, but
not self-assured.

After the first few bars of recitative, she launched boldly into the
cavatina one of the most difficult pieces of the opera. This she
sang perfectly, displaying a thorough Italian method and a high so-
prano voice, fresH and full and even throughout. In the succeeding
cabaletta, which was brilliantly executed, Miss Patti took the high
note E flat, above the line, with the greatest ease. In this cabaletta
we noticed a tendency to show off vocal gifts which may be just
a little out of place. The introduction of variations not written
by the composer is only pardonable in an artist who has already as-
sured her position.

In the duet with the tenor (Brignoli) and with the baritone
(Ferri), and the Mad Scene, Miss Patti sang with sympathetic
tenderness a rare gift in one so young and increased the enthusi-
asm of the audience to a positive furore, which was demonstrated
in the usual way recalls, bouquets, wreaths, etc., etc. The horti-
cultural business was more extensive than usual.

Of course we speak to-day only of Miss PattFs qualifications as a
singer. Acting she has yet to learn ; but artists, like poets, are born,
not made. The mere convenances of the stage will come of them-
selves. She is already pretty well acquainted with them. So far
as her voice, skill, method, and execution are concerned, we are sim-
ply recording the unanimous opinion of the public when we pro-
nounce the debut of Miss Patti a grand success.

Everyone predicts a career for this young artist, and who knows
but the managers may find in her their long-looked-for sensation 1 ?

On the same day the following curiously worded but obvi-
ously sincere notice appeared in the New York Tribune:

Extraordinary interest was excited last evening on the first ap-
pearance of Miss Adeline Patti, of this city, in the character of
Lucia. The qualities for this role are full soprano voice, with abso-
lute facility in the upper notes, thorough volatility of tone, or rapid
execution, great power of holding tones, especially attenuating them
to the last degree, a gentle ladylike demeanor, and to some extent



THE EBIGN OF PATTI 391

clearness of dramatic action. All these Miss Adeline Patti pos-
sesses unequivocally. She is neatly formed, with a sympathetic
face; she has a good carriage and mode of holding herself in the
necessary dramatic position. Her voice is clear and excellent; the
brilliant execution with which she begins at the outset of her career
she is only turned of sweet sixteen ranks with that where the
best singers end. This is saying a good deal, but it is not an
overstatement. . . . There is in her as much sentiment as we ought
to look for in one so young. Great passion, heart-rending pathos,
can only be found in the artist, whether the singer, the actor, or the
orator, after an experience with the world realities, with its sadness,
its sorrows. These will all come fast enough to give the tragic
element to the young aspirant. . . . Miss Adeline Patti, though an
American without a transatlantic puff, though a child brought up
in the midst of us, a positive unqualified rich success because she
merited it. The applause from a good audience was immense; calls
before the curtain and bouquets were the order of the night.

Also this excerpt from correspondence to Dwight's Journal
of Music of the same date:

Last evening Miss Adeline Patti, who some years ago sang as an
infant prodigy, made her second debut as a prima donna. Verily
it made us old opera habitues feel older than ever, and the sadness
attending the thought of our own years naturally attuned our souls
to a full enjoyment of the melancholy beauty of the Lucia. So far,
I have heard no dissenting opinion touching the abilities of the
young debutante. She is most pleasing in countenance, has enjoyed
really judicious instruction, rejoices in a freshness of voice extraor-
dinary, and knows no such word as fiasco. Let her be heard more !



APPENDIX C

DEBUT IN PHILADELPHIA

(Extract from a Philadelphia paper: February, 1860)

fTIHE best school of music . . . lives still in the person of
JL Miss Adelina Patti, the young artist who last evening- en-
chanted a large audience at the Academy of Music by her exquisite
performance of the heroine in "Lucia di Lammermoor." There were
hundreds there with whom Lucia had long been worn threadbare,
and a new sensation in connection with it was pronounced impossi-
ble. But even to the most blase of opera-goers the evening was
one of delighted surprise and greater enthusiasm has never been
exhibited in the Academy on any occasion.

Miss Patti is very young in years and appearance, but she is a
finished artist. She makes her debut, indeed, at a point of perfec-
tion to which mature prima donnas never attain. . . . Her voice is
a pure, delicious soprano, of great evenness and purity of tone,
amply powerful in the upper and medium parts and promising
greater strength in the lower. It is a fresh, unspoiled voice, with
no tremble in it, and none of the cracks that exposure to the Yerdi
fire always makes in that delicate article, the female voice. It is as
flexible as Sontag's,with a good natural shake, and a facility of
execution that makes all appearance of physical effort in the most
elaborate passages totally unnecessary. Nature has done everything
for Miss Patti; but the very best teaching has given her that beau-
tiful graceful delivery, noticeable particularly in recitative passages,
but not the less to be admired in others. She has been singing
ever since she could walk, having really "lisped in numbers." She
has been heard here in concerts when only eight or ten years of age.
But the usual fate of infant prodigies has not attended her; for her
talent and her voice have grown with her growth, and, having ceased

392



THE REIGN OF PATTI 393

to be an infant phenomenon, she is now that far rarer phenomenon,
a beautiful singer of the purest and best school . . .

The triumph of the evening was in the Mad Scene, which was
full of touching tenderness, united with as beautiful singing as ever
fell from mortal lips. At its close the audience were entirely thrown
off their usual reserve. Bouquets flew from every part of the house,
the young artist was thrice called out, and at the last call there was
an irrepressible shout of enthusiasm, the most honest and legitimate
ever displayed in the Academy.



APPENDIX D

DEBUT AT COVENT GARDEN"
(From the Times, Wednesday, May 15, 1861)

ANEW Amina does not usually excite much curiosity among fre-
quenters of the opera. There have been since the days of
Malibran so many Aminas, and nineteen out of twenty of them com-
monplace. Even the announcement of a new singer, irrespective of
Amina, or Lucia, or Arline, or Maritana, or any other character,
Italian or English (not excepting the Traviata herself) so strong
the reaction against preliminary flourish is nowadays received with
something like indifference. How many Pastas, how many G-risis,
how many Jenny Linds ("nightingales," of course) have suddenly
come forth and as suddenly vanished, or at best remained content to
occupy a second-, third-, or fourth-rate position 1 ? The musical pub-
lic has sunk into a sort of lethargic and cynical incredulity, the
result of many sanguine hopes raised, and just as many woefully
disappointed.

At present we may venture to suggest the most prudent way
to obtain an impartial and indulgent hearing for a new aspirant to
lyric honours is to say nothing in advance. Mr. Gye has adopted this
course of action, or inaction,, with regard to a very young lady who
made her first appearance last night as the heroine of "La Sonnam-
bula," and who, we may add at once, created such a sensation as
has not been parallelled for years. It was simply advertised, last
week, that Tuesday, May 14, Mile. Adelina Patti would assume the
part of Amina in Bellini's well known opera. Apart from those
who had visited the United States of America, or those in the habit
of perusing the musical notices of American journals, no one had
ever heard of Mile. Adelina Patti ; and thus, although the house was
brilliantly attended (it being a "subscription night")? there were
no symptoms whatever of a more than ordinary degree of expecta-
tion. As that diverting necromancer, Gospadin Friskell, used to

394



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 395

declare, there was "no preparation" ; certainly there was no "claque"
no disposition to anticipate favour or extort applanse. The de-
butante was at first cahnly, then more warmly, then enthusiastically
but always fairly and dispassionately judged; and she who, to
Europe at any rate, was yesterday without a name, before to-morrow
will be a "town talk."

And now comes the difficult part of our task. Is Mile. Adeline
Patti it would naturally be asked a phenomenon? Decidedly
yes. Is she a perfect artist? Decidedly no. How can a
girl of scarcely eighteen summers have reached perfection in an
art so difficult? It is simply impossible. We are almost inclined
to say she is something better than perfect; for perfection at her
age could be little else than mechanical, and might probably settle
down at last into a cold abstraction or mere commonplace technical
correctness. No; Mile. Patti has the faults incidental to youth and
experience; but these in no single instance wear the semblance of
being ineradicable; on the contrary, they are in a great measure
the consequence of an ardent ambition to attain at a jump what can
only be attained with years of laborious application.

The management of the voice, the gradation of tone, the balance
of cadence, the rounding off of phrase, are all occasionally more
or less defective; but to compensate for these inevitable drawbacks
there is an abiding charm in every vocal accent, an earnestness in
every look, and an intelligence in every movement and gesture that
undeniably proclaim an artist "native and to the manner born."
And let it be understood that these qualities of charm, of earnest-
ness, and of intelligence are not merely the prepossessing attributes
of extreme youth, allied to personal comeliness, but the evident
offspring of thought, of talent we may almost add of genius, but
assuredly of natural endowments, both mental and physical, far
beyond the average.

Mile. Patti's first appearance on the stage seemed to take the au-
dience by surprise. So young an Amina young enough in appear-
ance to be the daughter of her Elvino (Signor Tiberini) an Amina,
in short, not yet done growing had never before been witnessed.
The recitative, "Care compagne," however, showed at once that in
this particular case youthfulness and depth of feeling might be



396 THE REIGN OP PATTl

found both naturally and gracefully united; while, long before the
termination of the air "Come per me sereno," with its brilliant
cdbdletta, "Sovra il sen la man mi posa," a conviction was unani-
mously entertained by the audience that a singer of genuine feeling,
rare gifts, and decided originality stood before them.

A high soprano voice, equal, fresh, and telling in every note of
the medium, the upper E flat and even F at ready command ; admir-
able accentuation of the words ; considerable flexibility ; dashing and
effective use of "bravura"; expression warm, energetic, and varied,
while never exaggerated and, last, not least, an intonation scarcely
ever at fault such were the valuable qualities that revealed them-
selves in turn during the execution of Amina's well known apos-
trophe to her companions on the auspicious day that is to unite her
to Elmnoy and which raised the house to positive enthusiasm.

A thing that must have astonished everyone was the thorough
ease and aplomb (an excellent term) with which so young a stranger
confronted so formidable an assembly in the midst of difficulties
that at tunes are apt to unsettle the oldest and most practised
stage singers. Too much self -composure, it might be urged, for one
of Mile. Patti's years, were it not that the ingenious confidence of
youth, when uncheckered by the susceptibility of a nervous tempera-
ment, often makes it unapprehensive of danger and careless of re-
sults. At any rate, Mile. Adelina Patti's first essay was a veritable
triumph, and her ultimate success thus placed beyond a doubt.

When the applause at the end of " Come per me sereno" had sub-
sided, there was a general buzz of satisfaction. The conscious-
ness of a new sensation having been unexpectedly experienced seemed
universal among the audience, who in grateful recognition might have
addressed the new songstress in the language with which the village
chorus apostrophise Amina:

Vive felice! e questo

II comrnun voto, Adelina!

The history of Mile. Patti's first appearance is told in the fore-
going. What followed was to match. , Needless to describe the
familiar incident of the bedroom, the arraignment and despair of
Amina; still less requisite to descant upon the Mill Scene, with



THE REIGN OF PATTI 397

the touching appeal of the innocent girl to the flowers that drop
from her unconscious hands; or the awakening of the somnambulist
to rapture, when her innocence is established and her lover once
more at her feet. Enough that "Ah, non credea mirarti" was
given with the truest expression, and "Ah, non grange" with won-
derful brilliancy, at the second verse rendered still more brilliant
by a variety of new ornaments (the "staccato," as in the first
eavatina, slightly over-obtruded), the high E fiat and the F again
successfully attacked, and the whole crowned with a neat, equal, and
powerful shake upon the penultimate note which, considering thaifc
the air was sung in the original key (B flat) , was a feat of no small
peril.

The descent of the curtain was the signal for loud and long-
continued plaudits. For the third time Mile. Patti was led for-
ward by Signor Tiberini; and then, in obedience to a general sum-
mons, she came on alone, to receive fresh honours. To conclude
if Mle. Patti will rightly estimate the enthusiasm caused by her
first appearance before the most generous (although perhaps the
most jaded) of operatic publics, and not regarding herself as
faultless study her art with increased assiduity, a bright future
is in store for her. If, on the other hand, but we would rather
not contemplate the opposite contingency.

(From the Times, second notice, May 23, 1861)

The second appearance of Mademoiselle Adelina Patti has con-
firmed her triumph. The house, last night, was crammed to suffo-
cation, and the enthusiasm of the audience unbounded. So great
was the excitement that we were reminded of the hottest days (or
nights) of rivalry between our two Italian operas, with Jenny Lind
at the Haymarket and Alboni at the Royal Italian Opera, each
counting adherents by the thousands, and giving occasion for as
much controversial warmth as if that memorable contest between the
German Gluck and the Italian Piceini, which even the gravity of
history is unable to ignore, had been revived with augmented vigour.
Mile. Patti and her manager, nevertheless, enjoy at the present mo-
ment an advantage of which neither Mile. Lind and Mr. Lumley, nor
Mile. Alboni and Mr. Frederick Beale, could boast. There i no



398 . THE REIGN OF PATTI

opposition to contend with, and therefore nothing to divide the at-
tention of the operatic world. The young prima donna is alone
in her glory, and it depends on herself to walk over the course,
not merely with ease, but with distinction. That, besides the strong
attraction inseparable from youth and promise, Mile. Patti possesses
the secret of charming impartial hearers into zealous partisans,
is pretty evident. Whatever she does is applauded not with the
conventional nonchalance of indifferent approval, but with applause
dictated to the hands by the heart. Every point in her impersona-
tion of Amina that "told" on the night of her first appearance was
doubly appreciated now; and not to enter into long detail, at the
end of "Ah, non giunge" (which, by the way, she gave with an in-
creased brilliancy, the result of increased confidence) the audience
were fairly beside themselves. Of course, Mile. Patti came for-
ward with Signor TiberinL Of course she appeared.

(From the Musical World, May 18, 1861)

"La Sonnambula," on Tuesday, was one of the most interesting
performances we have witnessed at the Royal Italian Opera. The
success of Mile. Adelina Patti now, indeed, the principal topic
in London musical circles took everybody by surprise, except those
who had been present at the rehearsal and who were let into the se-
cret. The reports of the American journals, although apparently
overcharged and extravagant, must really be received as a closer
approximation to the truth. The writers in the London papers on
Wednesday, except in one or two instances, are as high-flown,
uncompromising, and enthusiastic in the young artist's praise as
their contemporaries of the New Orleans and Philadelphia press
whose articles we have published.

Mile. Patti is even now, at eighteen years of age, in many re-
spects a great singer. Her voice is beautiful in quality a real
soprano equal in every part of the register, without the slightest
tendency to tremulousness, and reaching to F in alt with astonish-
ing ease. It is, moreover, extremely flexible, and is managed with
more rthan ordinary skill. The young lady, indeed, is almost a
thorough mistress of vocalisation, and has evidently devoted her
whole soul to her profession. . . . We were surprised and delighted



THE KBIGN OF PATTI 399

beyond measure with her performance of Amina, which created the
greatest sensation we have known at Covent Garden for years.
Mile. Patti's histrionic if not so marked as her vocal powers
everywhere betray the true instinct of genius; and there are some
parts of her acting in the "Sonnambula" which could hardly be
surpassed for truth, grace, and intensity of feeling.

(Editorial article, Musical World, May 18, 1861)

We had read about the lady in foreign journals, and had writ-
ten about her no later than last week; but, although all we had
read was highly eulogistic, and though we presented her in a most
favourable light to the reader, ... we were by no means sanguine
as to the result. The general audience, of course, who knew noth-
ing whatsoever about Miss Adelina Patti, was apathetic in the ex-
treme, and there was not the least excitement manifested. The
theatre, though subsequently full, at first, indeed, was badly at-
tended, and little interest or curiosity was betokened for the d-
butante. A few, however, who learned what had taken place at
rehearsal, were anxious and excited, and these were her solitary
friends; and so Mile. Adelina Patti made her first appearance in
England with little or no hope or expectation from any feeling
previously created in her favour.

Never did singer make her debut in this country with so little
known of her antecedents, and with so little stir made about her
beforehand. . . . Her name had only appeared four days in ad-
vance of her d^but, and without a single remark in the advertise-
ments. Not only was the young lady unheralded by puff of any
kind, but the usual, indeed indispensable, statement as to who she
was and where she came from, was omitted altogether. Did the
director, assured of success, follow this unprecedented mode of secur-
ing a sensation? Or did he fear for the result, and so hold his
peace*? We think the latter most probable, as the temptation to
disclosure involved in the complete conviction of having something
great to exhibit would be almost too much for managerial forbear-
ance. Mile. Adelina Patti, we may therefore conclude, came out
without any extraordinary hope on the part of the director at all



400 THE REIGN OF PATTI

events, until after the rehearsal, when announcement was too late
and with no expectation on the part of the public.

Never was surprise greater, nor result more triumphant. Mile.
Patti was welcomed with the warmth due to her extreme youth and
prepossessing appearance; but there was no enthusiasm. The utmost
attention was paid to the recitative preceding Aminafs address to
her companions, and the first hearing .was satisfactory. The young
artist for a moment or two betrayed nervousness ; but she instantly
shook off all fear, as if conscious of her strength, and executed a
passage di bravura which completely electrified the house.

The audience was now indeed all ears, and Mile. Patti's success
may be chronicled as a perfect climax, rising from the first scene
and attaining its culminating point in the famous rondo finale
"Ah, non giunge." What our opinions of the debutante are will be
found in our notice of the young lady's performance in its proper
place. Meanwhile, we may assert emphatically that Italian opera
has obtained an accession of strength in a certain line which we
did not expect to witness in our time. Mile. Adelina Patti is a
triumphant refutation that art and genius have deserted the operatic
stage. Having now obtained the legitimate successor of Bosio, Persi-
ani, we were about to add (and why not*?) Jenny Lind, why may
we not look for another Pasta, Malibran, Catalani, Rubini, Tam-
burini, Lablaehe? Why should not the advent of Mile. Patti fill
us with hope for the fortunes of Italian opera? We may indulge
imagination so far. -At all events, we have experienced a new sen-
sation, and that is something.

(Yet another account, which, however, did not appear un-
til much later, is also worthy of reproduction here : the testi-
mony of Dr. John Cox, an old and experienced habitue of the
Opera.)

On Tuesday, May 14, a "trump card" was indeed played by Mr.
P. Gye, he having been fortunate enough to secure to himself the
services of Mile. Adelina Patti, who took the town by storm; and
no marvel, since no such debut had been witnessed since that of
Grisi on Easter Tuesday, 1834. As I had been fortunate enough to



THE REIGN OF PATTI 401

witness the former event, so was I also privileged to be present
at the latter/ and in each instance the cases seemed to be very
nearly identical. I had expected nothing from Grisi, and less
perhaps certainly not more from Mile. Adelina Patti.

That she came out with equal powers to those manifested by her
great predecessor is not to be admitted. She had not the ad-
vantages of the same training, nor was her voice thoroughly formed ;
but the singular combination of youth and maturity in her appear-
ance could not fail to strike every beholder; and this, being added
to musical qualities already singularly high, won for her, on the in-
stant, a rapturous welcome. Her voice a high soprano, well in
tunereached E flat in alt easily, and was powerful enough for any
theatre. It was then more flexible than fascinating. The latter
quality was to come, as it has done most abundantly. Her shake
was clear and brilliant; but she seemed to prefer staccato flights
and ornaments, which were more extraordinary than agreeable or sat-
isfactory to a well-trained ear.

As an actress, Mile. A. Patti was composed rather than sympa-
thetic, although as to the part in which she appeared Amina
in "La Sonnambula" she had abundant opportunities of showing
the latter quality. What she did, however, was elegant and un-
affected, yet not always appropriate: for instance, throughout her
first Sleep-Walking Scene she soliloquised in full voice till the mo-
ment when the weary girl lies down to repose, which was the best
part of her performance. It was doubted at the time, by many of
those best competent to judge, whether another first-class artiste, or
one who might become so, had appeared; but time has proved that
she was deserving of recognition in the former capacity, and that
she has maintained and improved upon that position to the present
hour. 1

i "Musical Recollections." London: Tinsley Bros., 1872.



APPENDIX E

FIRST APPEARANCE AS LUCIA AT COVENT GARDEN
(From the Times, May 27, 1861)

MLLE. ADELINA PATTI has lost none of her laurels by her
impersonation of "Lucy of Lammermoor. The opera, which
is generally looked upon as the masterpiece of Donizetti, was given
on Saturday night before the largest audience probably ever as-
sembled within the walls of the new theatre. "All the world" or,
in stricter language, all the musical world were there, and the
young singer had to brave an ordeal before which the most ex-
perienced artist might reasonably have quailed. . . . This time there
was no question about "youth and inexperience"; the enormous
audience had come with the expectation of being entertained quand
meme, and with the settled belief that they were going to witness
a performance of the highest stamp. ...

The Lucia of Mile. Patti may be described, mutato nomine, in
pretty nearly the same terms as her Amina. It combines the same
engaging beauties with the same inevitable defects, the defects
as in the first instance being precisely those which years of prac-
tice must be devoted to surmount, while the beauties are such as
could only proceed from rare natural endowments united to an early
quickness of apprehension almost unprecedented. There is another
recommendation, moreover, calculated to elicit for Mile. Patti the
especial sympathy of those who admire the genuine school of Italiau
opera. BQer style is Italian, her pronunciation of the words is
Italian, her delivery of the voice is Italian, her method of execution
is Italian, and, in short, her whole performance, from the first to last,
is Italian of the purest. . . . The first act of Mile. Patti's Lucia is
the least striking; though, in her opening scene with Alisa, she re-
stores the original cavatina in place of the so frequently inter-
polated "Perche non ho," and then in a truly artistic spirit sacri-

402



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 403

fices a means of ad captandum effect out of deference to the
original intention of the composer.

Her duet with the Edgar do (Signor Tiberini), if a little deficient
in warmth of expression, offers more than one beautiful point, and
with respect to mere execution is irreproachable. That with Enrico
(Signor Graziani) at the commencement of Act II affords an-
other proof of Mile. Patti's good taste, and, it may be added, of
her uncommon vocal proficiency. She not only gives the first move-
ment in the proper key, but sings the florid passages exactly as they
were written which very few representatives of Lucia have done
since the opera was first brought out. Here, it is true, as in the
love scene with Edgardo, she might abandon herself more freely
to the dramatic situation and exhibit still more poignant signs of
distress at the exclamation "Ahi . . . il folgore piombo," when the
forged letter has persuaded her of her lover's inconstancy; but the
sequel would atone for much graver shortcomings.

The scene of the signing of the contract and the unexpected ar-
rival of Edgardo are done to perfection. Mental anguish and utter
prostration of spirit could hardly be portrayed with intenser earn-
estness. That Mile. Patti possesses the dramatic instinct as well as
extraordinary musical talent this one situation is quite enough to
prove. We have seen it represented with a more liberal administra-
tion of the shows and gestures of emotion, but never with more
touching and unaffected sentiment.

The crowning triumph of the young singer the Lucy of eighteen
summers is obtained in the famous Mad Scene one of those strokes
of genius with which the too careless Donizetti has on more than
one occasion redeemed a comparatively feeble opera. Here, as in
the final act of the "Sonnambula," Mile. Patti puts forth all her
energy, and succeeds in riveting attention from the first note to
the last, the audience being gradually wound up to a pitch of en-
thusiasm. One of the greatest attractions of the powerfully worked-
up scene, in the hands of Mile. Patti who imitates no preceding
mode (being too young, indeed, to have profited by any) is its en-
tire and abiding 1 freshness. The conception is as original as the
execution is brilliant, and the one as strikingly picturesque as the
other is surprising.



404: THE REIGN OF PATTI

In the fioriture with which, like all her predecessors, Mile. Patti
embellishes the already sufficiently elaborate text, the same pe-
culiarities are observable as in her version of "Ah, non giunge,"
and the slow movement that precedes it; and these are dealt out
even in greater .profusion, if not absolutely with greater effect. The
impression produced whatever nice objections might be taken here
and there fairly disarms criticism.

The audience on Saturday night, as though delighted at being
allowed in the end to give expression to their pent-up feelings, broke
forth into vehement applause, alike from boxes, stalls, and gal-
leries applause as genuine and unanimous as we can remember,
and prolonged until the new favourite had come forth from behind
the scenes, an eye-witness to the sensation she had created. Even
this was not enough, for no sooner had Edgardo given up the ghost
than the call for Signer Tiberini, promptly responded to, was fol-
lowed by another for Mile. Patti, kept up with such pertinacity
that the young lady was ultimately induced to make her appear-
ance with iier toilette only half achieved. That Mile. Patti has
already won the sympathy of the English public is unquestionable;
to make her conquest good depends on herself.

(From the Athenceum, June 1, 1861)

Presently it may come to be proved whether the new singer
is available in the better and more unhackneyed repertory of music
by Mozart, Rossini, and Meyerbeer. Meanwhile Mile. Patti is more
intensely the fashion than any singer who has till now sung at
Covent Garden. . . . fr Lucia" did not alter our impressions of Mile.
Patti's qualifications. The fatigue of her voice was more evident
than in "Sonnambula." Its tones were frequently not agreeable
now and then out of tune. She appeared generally disposed to get
through the sustained passages of the part for the sake of arriv-
ing at her favourite staccato effects, with which the music was
garnished. In her concerted -music want of body of voice was to
be felt; but she phrased it well; a broad cadenza in the recitative
preceding the largo of the mad song was by much her most satis-
factory and artistic display of the whole evening. . . .

The cabaletta, to which Mme. Persiani used to give such poignancy



THE EEIGN OF PATTI 405

of accent, was ineffective because hurried. Respecting Mile. Patti's
careful training there cannot be two opinions. . . . Her acting bore
out her singing, as before. Not a trace of nervousness was in it;
not a touch of inspiration to distinguish her from every Lucia
who has gone before her. It was pleasing, though conventional;
least conventional in the contract scene. There her helpless, girlish
distress after the "malediction" and her appeal to everyone in turn
for pity and rescue, were pretty and pathetic. She was tumultu-
ously applauded, though less so than in her former part. Whether
the rapture will last or not depends on herself.



APPENDIX F

FIRST APPEARANCE OF V1OLETTA AT COVENT
GARDEN

(From'the Times, July 5, 1861)

LAST night Mile. Adelina Patti appeared in "La Traviata,"
which, much and not unreasonably as it has been stigmatised
by moralistsas much and perhaps less fairly by musicians ; often,
too, as it has been laid aside for "used up" seems to imbibe new
life whenever there is a new singer to represent the heroine.

Mile. Piccolomini wore it out; but then Mme. Bosio revived it.
Mle. Piecolomini again did it to death ; but again it was revived
by Mme. Peneo. No one, indeed, had made the opera "pay" except
Mile. Piccolomini, and with the loss of Mile. Piccolomini it was be-
lieved (hoped 1 ?) that the London public would also have to put up
with the loss of Violetta both retiring on their laurels. Not so,
however. The success achieved by Mile. Patti with those heroines
of impeachable character, Amina and Lucy of Lammermoor, was so
brilliant that not to have allowed her, in turn, to revive the Traviata
would have been outraging a precedent. . . .

Our readers need be under no apprehension; we are not going
to describe the Traviata; . . . our opinion of the opera has been
stated more than once; and if another Jenny Lind were to come
forward and enchant our ears with the sentimental strains of "Ah !
fors 5 e lui che Tanuna/* and the gay divisions of its cabaletta; if. an-
other Rachel were to eke out the horrors of the Bedroom Scene,
with twice the agonies of the poisoned Adrienne, we should feel
in no way disposed to change or modify it. Nevertheless, a word
or two may be legitimately bestowed on Mile. Patti, who, though
neither a Lind nor a Rachel, is something so genuine, piquant, orig-
inal, and attractive that, if the promise of her extreme youth is not

406



THE REIGN OF PATTI 407

subsequently belied by lier mature achievement, she will have no
reason to regret being anything- more or less than herself.

Mile. Patti 7 s Violetta, as an artistic display, is more elaborately
finished than any previous impersonation of the character we remem-
ber. As a piece of acting if we accept her endeavour to soften
down, nay, altogether to obliterate whatever under any circum-
stances is likely to offend the taste or shock the scruples of the
most reserved spectator as legitimate it must be pronounced con-
summate. Mile. Patti represents Violetta as one who, under other
conditions, might have adorned a very different sphere from that in
which she is unhappily destined to move. . . . Her gaiety in the
earlier scenes is continually under check. Now and then a gesture,
a movement, a mere look, shows plainly that, while striving to brave
it out, she is ashamed of and really detests her position; and that
even the idea of disinterested love for Alfredo, ultimately leading to
redemption, breaks upon her, from time to time, as an illusion
to the emptiness of which she becomes thoroughly alive.

In the first act, the interest would be voted rather slow. In
the second act, however, the interest still rises with the situation,
as conceived and represented by the actress. Into the details of
the lingering death we shall not enter, but we may single out . . .
the duet with Alfredo in the third act, "Parigi o cara," as a genuine
triumph of expression which, had Mile. Patti done nothing else re-
markable, would have fixed her performance in the memory of the
audience. The voice to use a not infelicitous conventional term
is sympathetic; "the manner is sympathetic"; and if the method
is faulty, that is more than condoned by the extreme youth of the
executant ... ,. ,



APPENDIX G

THE NEW ZERLINA AT QRISI'S FABEWELL
(From the Times, July 8, 1861)

THE occasion was rendered further interesting by a new Zer-
Una, and such a Zerlina as, all things considered, the stage has
not witnessed for many years. So far, indeed, as the impersona-
tion goes, we are inclined to think that only those who are old
enough to have seen Malibran in the part can remember anything
to match it. We may as well premise the music has been rendered
with greater finish by experienced singers, Persiani, Alboni and
Bosio, for instance, but never with more eminently musical expres-
sion. The audience was taken at once by the youthful appear-
ance of Mile. Patti, and by the vivacity of her "Giovinette che
fate." . . . With "La ci darem" they were thoroughly charmed.
The hesitation in the solo of Zerlina, "Vorrei, e non vorrei"; the
archness she threw into the line "Ma puo burlarmi ancor" ; and the
passing- thought, while still her mind is not entirely made up, be-
stowed on poor Masetto, "Mi fa pieta," were one and all perfect.
The encore that followed was unanimous.

Still more striking, however, was "Batti, batti" a little drama
in itself. Besides being exquisitely sung, the by-play by which Mile.
Patti accompanied this was inimitable. When she sang "Batti, batti,
o bel Masetto," it was with an evident conviction that were Masetto
a thousand times as jealous, he would not (could not) do it on any
account. . . . Receding a few steps away from Masetto as if better
to satisfy herself of her victory, and then, seeing the complete
metamorphosis her endearments have achieved,, running back to em-
brace him like a wayward child with the words "Pace, pace, o
vita mia," the whole picture is filled up, the sentiment of the duet
expressed to the life, and just as complete a conquest made of the
audience as of Masetto.

408



THE KEIGN OF PATTI 409

In the Ball Scene the astonishment of the peasant girl at the
grandeur that surrounds her, the restraint with which she listens
to the insinuating advances of Don Giovanni, her awkwardness in
the dance, and many other happy and delicate touches show that
like her incomparable Masetto, Signer Eonconi she never for an
instant loses, sight of the character she is sustaining. The "Vedrai
carino" was less spontaneous, less finished, too, in its vocal phras-
ing, and somewhat damaged at the end by a trivial ornament which
altered the text of Mozart while very far from improving it. ...
But, every shortcoming allowed for, Mile. Patti's Zerlina was a
genuine artistic triumph, and made an unmistakable impression on
the most crowded house of the season.

(From the Musical World, July 13, 1861)

The performance of "Don Giovanni" derived a special inter-
est from the appearance of Mile. Adelina Patti in the charac-
ter of Zerlina the happiest of her efforts and the greatest of her
triumphs. Mile. Patti is gifted by nature with the requisites for
succeeding in this captivating part. In her pretty peasant attire
she was all a painter could imagine as a Spanish country girl; her
grace and simplicity, and the very sound of her fresh, youthful
voice, completing the illusion. Her acting too was perfect. She
was neither, as most of our Zerlinas are, the fine lady masquerading
in homely garb, nor the vulgar hoyden, according to Piecolomini's
notion of the character, but the rustic a little idealized, such as we
could fancy, though we have never seen in actual life. Everything
she did was so entirely the result of impulse, so artless and un-
premeditated, the minutest details were so consistent and character-
istic, as to leave the audience convinced that nothing less than an
actress of nature's own making was befort them. . . .

Hitherto she has shone chiefly though by no means exclusively
in pieces demanding great compass of voiee ; brilliant execution, and
variety of florid embellishment. The music of Zerlina neither re-
quires nor admits of such means of effect. Yet to sing it according
to the design of the composer is the severest trial to which the vocal
artist can be exposed. And through this trial our young prima
donna passed triumphantly. . , , Mile. Patti showed her skill in the



410 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

art of delivering the light, rapid parlante recitative of the Italian
comic stage an art in danger of being lost, now that this kind of
musical dialogue is going out of use. . . . Zerlina's lively prattle
was clear and intelligible as if she was simply talking without musi-
cal notes at all. We do know what has been Mile. Patti's musical
education, but in this and every other respect it has evidently been
excellent.

(From letters from "An American in London" addressed to
Dwight's Boston Journal of Music, August 3, 1861)

But the chief delight and admiration of the audience was "little
Patti" as the clever little witch and coquette of a peasant bride,
Zerlina. And justly so. It was the most charming of all her
charming impersonations; decidedly the most fascinating Zerlina,
musically and dramatically, I have seen since Bosio. It would be
folly to expect in her the perfect singer we have lost in Bosio ; yet
she sang all the music simply, with pure style and expression, and
with most felicitous and characteristic touches. The voice, which
we had feared was growing old too fast from too much work in
public, and too little time for rest and private study, had a deli-
cate, fresh bloom upon it that was delightful. It was only once,
I think, that she indulged in an unmeaning cadenza or "em-
bellishment" on Mozart's perfect melody; and that probably was the
fault of some adviser. She seldom deviates from good taste and
artistic truth where she is allowed to go alone; her instinct seems
unerring. In recitative, in the easy, conversational Italian par-
lando, she is singularly fine for sue!} a child.

Her acting of the part was full of life and nature, amusingly
original, the by-play incessant, and helping out the significance of
every scene in which she was on the stage. For instance, the won-
der and delight with which she (and her Masetto with her) gazes
round on the splendors of Don Juan's ball-room, and the timidity
with which she sinks into the luxury of one of those incredible
chairs ! Best of all, her exquisite coquetry in "Batti, batti," with her
offended simpleton of a bridegroom. Happy for her hero to be
so exquisitely mated ! Happy for the public, too.



APPENDIX H

FIRST APPEARANCE AS EOSINA AT COVENT GARDEN

(Letter from "An American in London 77 addressed to
Dwight's Boston Journal of Musio, October, 1861)

THE Eosina was Adelina Patti, whose acting of the part was
girl-like, graceful, pretty a Eosina in the bud, as it were
bright, natural and well conceived, but not fully charged with all
the espiegleries which a riper actress finds play for in the character.
Musically she achieved a new success in it, although liable to some
deductions. Her voice requires transposition of much of the music
which is suited to a low mezzo-soprano. But the more serious fault
was that she took great liberties with the text, embellishing what is
originally as full of embellishment as it well can be. Even if the
most finished artists, like Sontag, Alboni, Bosio, may be allowed to
riot sometimes in a music so suggestive of the mood, it was hardly
good taste for so young a singer to begin with variations on Rossini.
Herein Patti had been unwisely advised; left to her own instincts,
she seems seldom to err against good taste and fitness. This part,
of course, afforded fine play for those bright points of vocalization,
those staccato sparkles in the upper octave, etc., which she com-
mands in such perfection and with which the mass of an audi-
ence is sure to be delighted.

Yet, on the whole, with all its errors and shortcomings, how many
more fascinating Eosinas can we find? Measured by the maturest
standard, it lacked much ; for such a girl it was wonderful. In some
quarters she has been visited by a too severe and sweeping criticism;
it can do her no harm if it saves her from her own commonplaces
that is to say, from too frequent trying over of her old and easy
triumphs, and provokes her to be earnestly true to herself, still
studying what intrinsically is fit in every case, and still a learner.



412 THE REIGN OF PATTI

Nothing is more fatal to the real progress of an artist than to keep
pressing certain springs (be they ever so ingenious and peculiarly
her own) which she has found are sure to "bring the house down."
But Patti has it in her to be much more than a mere effect singer, a
mere vocal virtuoso. She already sings with character and feeling j
she will do more and more so if she is not injured by success.



APPENDIX H O)

THE ORNAMENTATION OF ROSSINI

(From the Musical World, May 17, 1863)

E prominent features of the cast [of "II Barbiere"] were the
A Almaviva and Eosina of Signer Mario and Mile. Adelina Patti
the most experienced tenor and the most unpractised soprano;
the oldest and youngest, indeed, in their respective departments, on
the Italian boards. They were thoroughly well matched. If, while
rivalling her accomplished partner in the grace, brilliancy, and life-
like naturalness of her acting, for we can remember no more fin-
ished delineation of the sprightly ward than hers, Mile. Patti would
also strive to follow his example in adhering a little more closely
to the musical text, her Eosina would be absolute perfection. But it
is vain to hope for this. Mile. Patti may cite the most illustrious
of her predecessors, from Malibran and Persiani to the much re-
gretted Angelina Bosio, as warrants for the liberties in which she
herself indulges. "Una voce poeo fa" and "Dunque io son" seem
destined to be perpetually used as themes for the exhibition of the
singer's skill in the art of embroidery.

True, the part of Rosina was originally intended for a contralto,
and this in a great measure exonerates sopranos like Bosio and
Mile. Patti, who can hardly be expected to sacrifice their chance of
applause in favour of what would at the best be a correct and in-
effective reading. The secret, nevertheless, is how to reconcile these
elaborately contrived fioriture, which are the rhetoric of florid song,
with the real character of the music thus embellished the flowing
melody of Rossini with all its glittering display of ornament. Once
hit upon that secret and objection would be done.



413



APPENDIX I

CHARLES DICKENS ON ADELINA PATTI
(From AH the Tear Round, December, 1861)

AND now has come the youngest Amina of all, and at once, with-
out a single note of prelude or preliminary trumpet, has stirred
up the tired town to an enthusiasm recalling the days when Mali-
hran tottered across the stage in haste and frantic grief, and when
Lind breathed out her whole soul of sadness over the flowers as, leaf
by leaf, they mournfully dropped on the stage. Born in Madrid,
Italian by parentage, trained exclusively in America, Mile. Adelina
Patti, on her first evening's appearance at our Italian Opera nay,
in her first song possessed herself of her audience with a sudden
victory which has scarcely a parallel. Old and young are now
treating as conspiracy and treason any looking back to past Aminas
any comparison. This new singer, in her early girlhood, is (for
them) already a perfect artist one who is to set Europe on fire
during the many years to which it may be hoped her career will
extend.

ISTor is their delight altogether baseless. Mile. Patti's voice has
been carefully and completely trained. Those who fail to find
it as fresh in tone as a voice aged nineteen should be, must be
struck by its compass, by the certainty of its delivery, by some
quality in it (not to be reasoned out or defined) which has more
of the artist than the automaton. She has a rare amount of bril-
liancy and flexibility. She has some "notions" (as the Americans
have it) of ornament and fancy which are her own, if they be not
unimpeachable, say the dry-as-dusts, in point of taste.

If not beautiful, she is pleasing to see ; if not a Pasta, a Malibran,
or a Lind in action, she is possessed with her story. . . .

For the moment the newest Amina has the ear of London. In the
future Mile. Patti may become worthy of having her name written

414



THE EBIGN OF PATTI 415

in the golden book of great singers. Meanwhile, what a tale is here
told, not merely of her great and welcome promise, not merely of
her possessing that talent for success charm which is born into
few persons and which cannot be bought or taught, but of the lasting
truth and attraction of the music to which Bellini set the story of
the innocent girl who walked across the mill-wheel in her sleep !



APPENDIX J

FIRST VISIT TO DUBLIN
(Prom the Irish Times, December, 1861)

THE series of operas which Mile. Patti inaugurated came to a
close with "Martha" on Saturday evening. From the begin-
ning the young prima donna has had a succession of triumphs.
Nothing could be more brilliant than the talents she displayed, and
the exhibition of the rich gifts bestowed on her by nature at so early
a period. No great lyric artist, to our knowledge, has manifested
so large a share of histrionic and vocal ability in mere girlhood.
Only eighteen years old, yet singing with the highest culture, the
most dazzling brilliancy and finish in every character, and acting
with the tact and experience of one who had trod the boards for
years; and possessing the fresh charm of girlhood, the grace of
beauty, and the buoyancy of youth. Anyone so fitted to enrapture
the young, please the mature, and gratify the experienced in art,
we have never witnessed on the stage.

She sings the music of Kossini, Mezart, Yerdi, Donizetti, and Flo-
tow with equal truthfulness, and frequently adorns their writings
with fioriture appropriate and dazzling, executed with an ease which
astonishes. If she has a fault in her vocalism, it is redundancy of
ornament, and too frequent a recurrence of birdlike staccati pas-
sages.

The part of Lady Henrietta, in "Martha," is particularly suited to
Mile. Patti. Her acting is tempered by good taste, and the tact she
displays in the by-play is worthy of all observation. Then her sing-
ing is distinguished by a truthful adherence to the text, enriched
by ornamentation in keeping with the various themes, and softened
by an expression pure and natural. To speak of some of her flights
of song- is now superfluous, as all who have heard them must have

416



THE REIGN OF PATTI 417

been equally delighted and amazed. This latter unique portion of
vocal art she exhibited in "The Spinning Wheel" quartet. In the
Italian version of the "Last Rose of Summer" she evinced a purity
of style never excelled by any of her predecessors, while she put
them all in the shade by her rendering, to an encore, of Moore's
words to the same melody. She then gave "Home, sweet home,"
and to another re-deniand, " 'Twas within a mile of Edinboro' town."
The Scotch tune she sings with unspeakable archness, and originality
of tone and manner which cannot fdil to charm.

At the termination she was greeted with acclamations, and left the
stage laden with bouquets. As she emerged from the stage-door to
her carriage, she was met by a cavalcade of the students of Trinity
College, almost all honour men, who took the horses from the ve-
hicle and drew her to the hotel, amidst deafening cheers. And thus
ended the climax to one of the most triumphant successes within
our memories.



APPENDIX K

FIRST VISIT TO BRUSSELS

(From a Brussels paper, February, 1862. Translated from

the French)

I3ST the two performances of "La Sonnambula" Mile. Adelina Patti
surpassed all the expectations which, with good reason, had been
founded on her extraordinary merit and recent reputation. Mile.
Patti is a great singer. She belongs to no one school more than
another; her singing., full of sympathy and feeling, leaves the old
beaten paths far behind. Her style is peculiar to herself; it is im-
possible to compare it, with justice, to anything ever heard before;
she resembles no one, she imitates no one; she is Mile. Patti! Her
certainty of execution, the delicacy and purity apparent in all she
does, and, above all, the irreproachable correctness of the whole
register of her voice, which is of incredible compass, render her an
exception among the artistic celebrities of the day.

Her prodigious talent astonishes, surprises, captivates; you ap-
plaud in spite of yourself, carried away by an irresistible feeling
of admiration. If to the preceding qualities, which border on the
marvellous, we add the most graceful appearance that ever set ofE
a young girl ; beautiful and brilliant black eyes, full of slyness when
they are not full of tenderness or grief; and infantine grace, over-
flowing with charm and well-bred ease, and a genuine histrionic
talent, delicate, witty, striking, and dramatic, you will have a toler-
ably complete idea of this fairy of eighteen whose name is Adelina
Patti. Hier success, or, as we prefer saying, in order to be nearer
the truth, her triumph, was immense.



418



APPENDIX L

KENTREE AT COVERT GARDEN, SECOND SEASON
(From the Musical World, May 10, 1862)

NO long-established favourite of the public was ever re-welcomed
with greater enthusiasm than Mile. Adelina Patti on Monday
evening, when she made her first appearance for the present season
in the opera of the "Sonnambula." It was in the character of
Amina that her earliest laurels were won, and few can have forgot-
ten the extraordinary sensation produced on the occasion of her
debut. Unheralded by preliminary flourish, she took the audience
by storm; and a name that was previously unknown to this coun-
try became in a very brief period familiar as a household word.

The brilliant reception of Monday night gives fair reason to be-
lieve that the interest in Mile. Patti will be maintained this season
at its height. What was written on the occasion of her first per-
formances might be repeated almost word for word, and apply just
as well. We can detect, indeed, but little difference. Her voice
seems to have gained in power, and her singing in spontaneity. But
the peculiarities of her vocalisation its technical defects no less
than its indefinable charm, its occasional derelictions from severe
purity of style no less than its warmth of expression and engaging
tenderness, those beauties and those faults, in short, which make up
a sum total as irresistibly captivating as it is unhackneyed remain
much as they were before.

As an actress, Mile. Patti has made a decided advance. We can
recall nothing more graceful, nothing more impassioned, than the
scene of the bedchamber, where the distracted Amina strives in
vain to persuade Elvino of her innocence. Nor do we remember to
have seen an audience more thoroughly moved to sympathy. The
fall of the curtain was a complete triumph for Mile. Patti, who was
recalled before the lamps, to be literally overwhelmed with applause.

419



APPENDIX M

FIRST APPEARANCE AS DINORAH
(From the Musical World, August 9, 1862)

THE Dinordh of Mile. Patti is from "first to last an entirely new
creation, and, moreover, in the fullest degree as captivating
as new. It is not merely in all respects, whether regarded in a
dramatic or in a vocal sense, the best Dinordh we remember, but,
viewed as a whole, the only Dinordh entirely realising the poetical
conception which laid so strong a hold upon the imagination of
Meyerbeer as to inspire "Le Pardon de Ploermel," if not as the
most brilliant certainly as the most ethereal of his masterpieces.
Originality has been universally recognised as an attribute of each
successive assumption of Mile. Patti. Whatever may be her short-
comings, she invariably thinks for herself, invariably presents the
character she is assuming under a fresh and unhackneyed aspect
the mark of her own piquant individuality being everywhere appar-
ent. This, combined with youth, a prepossessing appearance, and
a natural grace that enables her to tread the stage as though she
had been "born to it," confers upon her and all her endeavours a
certain indefinable charm.

The attraction thus created, and which gives to her Zerlina, her
Eosina, and one or two other impersonations, the peculiarities so
agreeably distinguishing them, is, perhaps, nowhere more vivid
perhaps nowhere so vivid as in her Dinordh, the most elaborately
studied, the most carefully wrought out, and, at the same time, so
successfully are the mechanical means kept out of sight, "the most
apparently spontaneous of her performances.



420



APPENDIX N
FIRST VISIT TO VIENNA

(Letter from Dr. Julius Wagner, of Vienna, to the Musical
World, dated March 17, 1863)

THE great reputation which little Adelina Patti has achieved
in two quarters of the globe is not unmerited. Such was the
general opinion after Vienna had heard her. Now, people in Vienna
are not prejudiced in anyone's favour; they must be convinced, de-
lighted, charmed, before going into such raptures as they indulged
in with Adelina Patti. Adelina Patti, however, has in her service
a herald who awakens a favourable feeling toward her; this is her
beauty. Yet no ; beauty is not, the proper expression. Mile. Patti
is, above all, an original and peculiar being; she is to so great a
degree herself alone, and possesses so little in common with any
member of the grand army of fair mediocre singers of the so-
called celebrated cantatrice and travelling virtuosas that she cannot
be described in general terms. Mile. Patti appeared, and a storm
of applause burst forth; applause in which so many, who were
thoroughly roused by the exterior of the little, dainty, graceful girl,
took part.

It is the charm of the girl, nay, of the child, which produces so
refreshing an effect when she appears. It is spring; morning;
dew; the first ray of the sun; the perfume of the rose that has
blown during the night; which causes the faces of all the audience
to brighten up. The head of a child upon the symmetrically formed
and charming body of a young 1 girl, such is Adelina Patti. A deli-
cately chiselled head, with fine mobile features, and the guileless eyes
of a doe white marble turned into flesh, surrounded by a dark
frame of hair, and daintily intersected by black brows, eyes, and
lashes: such is Adelina Patti. A mignon head upon a delicate but
beautifully robust and healthy body. A head of fourteen upon a

421



422 THE REIGN OF PATTI

bust of eighteen. Small, dainty, and delicate is the sphere over
which the individuality of Adelina Patti exerts its sway. Her move-
ments, her smile, her joy, her seriousness, her grief, her suffering,
are all set in a small ring, hut so naturally, so harmoniously, so
completely, so onefully, as to produce a pure, full impression.

There is nothing striking and grand; no lightning, no thunder-
claps, no demoniacal passion, and no ecstatic cry of joy, belonging
to Adelina Patti; it is a maiden in her spring; spring in art, which
we see in Adelina Patti: it is, moreover, the spring of the South,
which bids even the violets hurst forth in their maturity. The form
of Mile. Patti bears the colour and features of the southern or
Oriental spring. The way she treads the uncertain boards of the
theatre produces the impression of a somnambulist boldly advancing,
secure and steady, toward her goal, without a consciousness of the
dangers that menace her. She has not merely the charm, but also
the courage and pleasing audacity, of a child.

Thus does she comport herself; thus does she act; thus does she
sing. Fresh as is her demeanour, her voice is equally so. The latter
sounds like a bell, just bright out of the mould. The hearer cannot
determine the question is her voice great 1 ? is it powerful? it is so
entrancingly fresh. The hearer cannot ask himself, is Mile. Patti
a great singer? for she overcomes the greatest difficulties with child-
like facility. The hearer cannot ask himself, is Mile. Patti well
trained? for he believes that what she can do now she could always
do.

She sings with taste and grace; she allows the pearls of her voice
to flow on their course; she wails like a nightingale; she warbles
like a lark; she twitters the highest and sharpest tones, swelling
upwards from the fundamental notes of the lower register like
but similes must here cease; what she effects can be effected only
by a bird turned into a human being. Indeed, Mile. Patti pro-
duces the impression of having a bird nestling in her breast. She
sings like a bird and like nothing else; pleasing repose in her body,
tune and warbling in her throat. We have heard singers possessed
of more boldness and virtuosity than Mile. Patti, but this singing
child is a charming individuality, with which no other is to be com-
pared. This is her value; this is her especial charm.



APPENDIX O
ADELINA PATTI AS DINOEAH

(From "Die Moderns Oper," by Eduard Hansliek. Trans-
lated from the German.)

I CANNOT conclude these observations upon Meyerbeer's Dinorah
without calling to mind the extraordinary performance of Ade-
lina Patti in the title-role one of the most remarkable leaves in the
Sibylline book of the variations between creative and executive
musical art. In point of fact, I thank Patti for a most peculiar
and vivid impression of an opera which until then was unsympa-
thetic to me. Neither the marvellous technique nor the wealth of
elegant spirituel detail in this score of Meyerbeer's reconciles one to
the morbidly refined music nor to the nonsensical, uninteresting ac-
tion. Even to-day I cannot depart from this view, for naturally
the charm of a, genial interpretation goes as little to the composer's
credit as the blame for an unintellectual one.

Call it Meyerbeer's misfortune or his fault, as you will, that he
needed an exceptional personality for the success of Dinorah it
remains none the less a combination of luck and merit brought about
through the personality of Adelina Patti. One could swear that
the part, note for note, was written for her. ... In its poetic aspect,
even, Dinorah bespeaks Patti's individuality. There is something
poetical in the figure of the young shepherdess, an elemental charm,
which comes to light when a kindred nature awakens it. Such ele-
mental charm stirs in the bright, fresh voice of Patti, in her man-
ner of singing and acting, in her whole demeanour. She instinctively
reveals whatever natural poetry or genuine feeling may slumber in
Dinordhy and thus renders sympathetic a character which others, by
their coquettish and "blase conception generally make just the oppo-
site. Even more than as poet has the composer here worked before-
hand for Patti, As though he had in mind during the whole time



424 THE REIGN OF PATTI

the loveliest tones, the peculiar timbres and modulations that thi*
singer possesses thus and not otherwise did he compose his "Di-
norah."

On her first entry Patti's movements are all replete with un-
affected grace and naturalness. She depicts Dinordh's madness
with a touch of dreamy distraction which bursts as readily into
merriment as into sadness. For bizarre or profound ideas, for
carefully, studied nuances, one must seek as little in this as in any
other of her roles. She achieves the right thing, not through re-
flection, but through her wonderful instinct. What could be
smoother, more delightful, than her sweetness and the impeccable
intonation of her expressive swelling tones in, for instance, the
"Slumber Song"!

That it should be so hard to describe music, so impossible to por-
tray absolute beauty of sound! Only he who has no notion of the
power and nobility of this sensuous beauty in music can ask how one
can contrive to listen with pleasure to insignificant and undramatic
roles when Patti sings them! Note the difference between a com-
monplace phrase played by an ordinary fiddler and rendered by a
Joachim or a Wilhelmj upon his Stradivarius. Yet an exceptionally
beautiful voice is much lovelier, much more individual, than the
costliest Stradivarius; it exists only once in the v/orld.

When she goes into Corentlno's hut, Patti concludes her imitation
of the clarinet figure with a cadenza (written for her by Meyerbeer)
that rises to the E in alt and thence seems to descend in a thousand
glittering sparks. In the succeeding duet Patti executes her bril-
liant "bravura passages with the highest art and the most astounding
virtuosity. Decidedly they do not sound in the least like a concert
piece, but rather the natural improvised accompaniment to the jokes
which Dinorah, with much dancing and teasing, plays upon the poor
bagpiper. The first act ends with the delicious "Bell Trio"; and he
alone knows it properly who has heard Patti sing it.

The "Shadow Song" of the second act is the show-piece of every
famous coloratur soprano, but I do not believe that, quite apart from
Patti's graceful acting and natural sweetness of expression, there
is another who can sing the first two bars as she does; nothing
slurred or blurred, but, together with the most beautiful legato,



THE REIGN OF PATTI 425

very semiquaver ("eighth note") as though chiselled out of marble,
. . . Then the legend of the buried treasure, with its three notes,
E, F, G, in the major key only three notes, but the loveliest that
haunt our memory, for here Patti's vocal art works with the magic
of a natural spell. Again, the closing trio, which she elevates both
musically and dramatically to the highest plane. And, finally, the
duet with Ho el in the last act, wherein she depicts with such ex-
quisite feeling DinoraWs return to consciousness and memory, and,
after the actual climax of her role, can still adorn so wonder-
fully. . . .

Beyond doubt, nature only when in rarest holiday mood brings
forth such a musical phenomenon as this little Italian girl. Adelina
Patti must be designated the greatest of living singers; it would
almost appear as though she will remain the last great singer who,
after being reared in the severe school of Rossinian virtuosity and
Bellinian belcanto^ and there equipped for the highest achievements
of Italian vocal art, yet ultimately turned to the performance of
modern dramatic tasks.



APPENDIX P

FIRST APPEARANCE AS LEONORA
(From the Morning Post, May 29, 1863)

MLLE. ADELINA PATTI has fairly astonished even the most
devout believers in her genius by a really magnificent per-
formance of Leonora in "II Trovatore." We could not have sup-
posed that the charming, piquant little representative of the simple
peasant girl Amina, the lively, tormenting bride of Don Pasquale,
the sly and humorous ward of Don Bartolo, or the naive Zerlina
could have shone so brilliantly as she did last night in high lyric
tragedy. But who can measure the capacity of youthful genius'?
Who can reason with mathematical exactness from what is to what
may be when a new spiritual manifestation, glowing* and" fresh in
the springtide of feeling, appears before us? What will come next,
and next? as the poetical Mr. Cobden would say. A new chord is
struck, a thousand hitherto unawakened emotions are set in sympa-
thetic vibration, and all that is left for the reasoning observer is
the statement that he is astonished. Prosaic admission 1 But so it
must be until critics become prophets.

That Mile. Patti would sing the cavatina, "Tacea la notte" with
wondrous brilliancy and effect was, of course, generally expected.
We, among others, felt quite sure that this piece of florid executancy
would be a triumph in its way ; but it was in the subsequent portions
of the opera, where grand tragic power and intensity of feeling are
required, that Mile. Patti completely surprised us. Her scenes with
Count di Luna and Manrico y for instance, in the last act were given
with the inspiration and abandon of true genius. The little girl
"broke out like a fire," kindling sympathetic warmth in the very
hearts' of the audience. To say that she was well supported by
Signor Mario would be a very cold and inadequate expression of
the deep impression which that transcendent artist has left upon
pur mind by Ms performance of Manrico last night.



APPENDIX Q

CARLOTTA PATTI

(From the Musical World, April 18, 1863)

/~1ARLOTTA PATTI came into the world under an Italian sky,
\^S that sky whose influence seems so potent to implant at once
the deepest passion for art and to mould the faculties expressly for
its highest achievements. In 1840 her mother, Mme. Patti, was ful-
filling an engagement as prima donna at the Pergola Theatre in
Florence, and in that year, and in this selfsame city, gave birth
to the infant whose career now occupies our attention. . . . The
musical aptitude which so remarkably characterised the members of
the Patti family early manifested itself in Carlotta; but her incli-
nation was in the first instance toward instrumental music rather
than vocal, and, studying under the direction and tuition of the
celebrated Henri Herz, she attained a high degree of proficiency
as a pianiste.

So thoroughly was art the very animating breath of this child
of Italy that, simultaneously with her rapid progress in musical
studies, she evinced a marked faculty for the sister art of painting,
which she cultivated with signal success. When her sister Clotilda
(who had married Signor Scola), having fallen into ill health, was
ordered to sojourn in South America, Carlotta left New York with
her, to tend and watch over her during her illness. 'Not all the
assiduous care of a devoted and affectionate sister could preserve
Mme. Seola from her doom. She lingered a few years, and died,
nursed and solaced to the last by the tender attention of the faithful
Carlotta. When the last scene was over, the gentle-hearted sister
returned with saddened spirit to New York, where she found her
youngest sister Adelina just commencing the vocal studies of which
we have witnessed the brilliant fruits. To these she associated her-
self with ardour and energy, and with such fiery mettle did she enter

427



428 THE REIGN OF PATTI

upon the course that her curriculum was swept through in the brief
space of one year, at the end of which she was pronounced one of
the most accomplished vocalists in America.

Mile. Carlotta Patti's first appearance as a public singer was in
New York, in January, 1861. Her success was complete and de-
cisive, and the ever-watchful and sagacious entrepreneur of trans-
atlantic renown, Mr. Ulmann, at once engaged the triumphant young
debutante for the grand concerts at the Academy of Music in that
city. From that time her reputation became established, and has
maintained itself with regular and steady accession to its rank and
degree till it has reached its present commanding eminence. One
after the other, the principal cities of the United States hailed the
advent of the newly found treasure with eager expectation, mingled,
of course, with the usual amount of scepticism when a new reputa-
tion has to be tested, and one by one each ratified the verdict of
New York, and crowned the brow of the young artist with fresh
laurels.

Upon the outbreak of the struggle between the Northern and
Southern States, Mile. Carlotta Patti was driven, as it were, into a
new field of victory, into which, but for the fortune of war, she
might never have ventured, and the records of operatic art would
have lost one of its brightest names. The opera house is about the
exact opposite of a Temple of Janus, and when war is raging its
doors have an almost irresistible tendency to remain closed instead of
open. Such, in truth, was the experience of the manager of the
New York opera, to whom the war proposed this puzzling alterna-
tive: either find a singer who shall eclipse all that we have any
memory of, or give up the game as lost in the American vernacu-
lar, "cave in."

With singular shrewdness the management bethought itself of the
only solution to the difficulty, which was to prevail on Mile. Carlotta
Patti, by a strong appeal to her compassion, to cast away her long-
cherished reluctance to appear upon the stage. 1 With equal cour-

i On account of her lameness, which, as will be seen, this writer at-
tributes in the first instance to an accident, not to a congenital cause.
The article is quoted here, however, as a curious and characteristic
example of American "press-agent" work in the sixties. No one on the
staff of the old Musical World could possibly have written it. EL K.



THE EBIGN OF PATTI 429

age and kindness of heart, which do her infinite credit, Mile. Car-
lotta Patti yielded to their pressing solicitations and consented to
sacrifice her own feelings feelings springing from a source of such
delicate sensibility as must have cost no small effort to counteract
for the benefit of her early patrons. . . . The cause of this un-
willingness to appear on the stage must be stated ere the struggle
to overcome it can be fully appreciated. When a child Carlotta
met with an accident by which the muscles of one ankle were so
much injured as never to have completely recovered their perfect
action, and the effects of this accident are still to a certain extent
noticeable in her gait. . . .

The engagement of Mile. C. Patti, during which she appeared in
the same round of characters as those in which her sister Adelina
had won distinction (in "Lucia," "La Sonnambula," "Puritani," and
"Martha")? once more attracted the public to the Academy of Music,
and the fortunes of that establishment were restored to a flourish-
ing condition. It need hardly be said that whatever trace the phys-
ical defect to which we have alluded may have left, it was only in
the susceptible imagination of the artist that they could operate
as a drawback to her appearance on the stage j for her presence
is, on the contrary, remarkably elegant and pleasing, and even had
the ease been otherwise, her brilliant vocalisation would have cov-
ered every disadvantage with a mantle of dazzling glory.



APPENDIX E

THE PATTI FAMILY

(Extract from a letter written by Louis Moreau Gottschalk,
June 15, 1863, to L'Art Musical)

1 PLAYED this evening before a tolerably numerous audience,
who listened to me with marked kindness and a degree of atten-
tion which I do not always meet from the audiences of small towns.
My piece, "L'Union," was greatly applauded, being written for the
present state of affairs.

Madame Strakosch also (sister of Adelina Patti and wife of
Maurice Strakosch) was greatly applauded. She possesses a very
agreeable contralto, a sympathetic appearance, and a popular name,
three conditions of success, enhanced in her case by the most dis-
tinguished manners and by a course of life in private against which
calumny has never been able to say a word.

This Patti family is truly a dynasty of distinguished singers.
The father, Salvatore Patti, was still, some twenty years ago, an
excellent tenor di forza. His wife (the mother of Adelina) was a
fiery lyrical tragic actress, whose name of Barili (for her first hus-
band was Signor Barili) is still celebrated in Portugal, in Spain,
and at Naples, where she achieved some great triumphs. . . . Her
eldest daughter, Clotilde Baiili (who died four or five years ago),
was eminently successful at New York, and in all Spanish America,
especially at Lima and San Francisco. Her sons, Ettore Barili,
a distinguished baritone; Antonio, basso profondo; and Nicolo
Barili, basse chantante, bravely support the family name.

The children of the second (Patti) marriage are: Amalia Patti,
married to Maurice Strakoseh, a distinguished pianist, whose com-
positions deserve to be better known ; Carlo tta, whose extraordinary
voice and marvellous flexibility have fanatieised the United States,

430



THE KEIGN OF PATTI 431

and been a second edition of the enthusiasm excited there by Ade-
lina. After Carlotta eome Carlo and Adelina. As for the latter,
all Europe already knows her. With regard to Carlo, he is a hand-
some fellow, with something- of the Bohemian about him, whom a
spirit of adventure took to California and Mexico (where he played
the violin with remarkable ability) ; to New York, where he sang,
married, and got divorced (he was seventeen years of age) ; to
Memphis, where, after being the hero of certain love affairs, he
married again, it is said, enlisted in the Southern army, got ap-
pointed conductor of one of the bands, was Mlled and resuscitated
in several omcial bulletins, and is at present enjoying the health the
Pattis usually enjoy, for, among other enviable privileges, they have
the privilege of never being ill. What a family! Do you know
many others in art whose quarterings of nobility are better than
those I have just enumerated?

L. M. GOTTSCHALK.



APPENDIX S

ADELINA PATTTS FIRST APPEARANCE AS MAR&UEEITE
(From the Daily Telegraph, June 8, 1864)

MLLE. PATTI appeared last night for the first time in Eng-
land in M. Gounod's "Faust," and achieved a most extraor-
dinary success. She not only surpassed every other representative
of the character, but, what Is still more wonderful, she surpassed
herself. Never, probably, has so marvellous a display of genius been
witnessed on the lyric stage as the performance of this gifted lady
in the celebrated Garden Scene. Her singing, from the first note
to the last, left absolutely nothing to be wished for, while her acting
was so crowded with inspiration that it seems as impossible a task
to describe it in cold and insufficient words as it would be to fix the
changing colors of a rainbow. Now, at ah 1 events, any such at-
tempt would be hopeless. . . .

Certain that Mile. Patti would sing the music of M. Gounod as
she sings that of every other composer, with irreproachable skill,
refinement, and expression, we yet felt some doubt if she could so
subdue her Southern vivacity as to qualify her for the due pre-
sentment of the tender, dreaming girl whom Goethe's genius has
established as the ideal type of Northern sentiment. That doubt
she last night soon dispelled. The vision with which the arch-fiend
tempts Faust to sell his soul showed the young Italian lady trans-
formed into a veritable Gretchen. The normal expression of Mile.
Patti's features was modified by flaxen hair, the brilliant blackness
of her eyes was subdued by blond brows. Her first spoken words
betokened as complete transformation of feeling. Nothing could
be more artistic and natural than the demeanour of the new Mar-
gherita when first accosted by Faust; after one rapid glance she

432



THE REIGN OF PATTI 433

turns aside, and, with exquisite simplicity, lets fall the melodious
phrase wedded forever by Gounod to the oft-quoted lines :

Bin weder Fraulein weder schon

as she resumes her homeward way.

But the test of a MargJierita's capabilities is, of course, in the
third act, and in this Mile. Patti is beyond rivalry. That the Jewel
Song was perfectly executed, the concluding shake brilliantly articu-
lated, and the air encored, it is almost needless to say; but we may
observe that the increase of power in Mile. Patti's lower tones en-
ables her to give unusual effect to the conclusion of the duet that
the short episode descriptive of the death of Gretchen's little sister
was rendered with heartfelt pathos and, in fine, that every phrase
of the loveliest love-music ever penned received from the young
lady's exquisite taste and deep feeling new significance and fresh
beauty.

But, apart from all purely musical considerations, the mere act-
ing of Mile. Patti in this scene would suffice to rivet the attention
even of one who was deaf to the "concord of sweet sounds." . . .
She seemed as though possessed by some irresistible spell, against
which it was vain to struggle, and thus an atmosphere of innocence
pervaded the passionate rapture of the scene and seemed almost to
justify the final apotheosis of G-retchen's repentant spirit. We must
take some speedy opportunity of noticing in detail this remarkable
impersonation. For the present it must suffice to say that Mile.
Patti's Margherita is the crowning glory of her brilliant career.



APPENDIX T

PATTI AND MAPLE SON

(From the "Mapleson Memoirs/' 1 Vol. IL, pp. 23-25)

OiST the second night of our engagement we performed "La
Traviata." That afternoon, about two o'clock, Patti's agent
called upon me to receive the $5,000 for her services that evening.
I was at low water just then, and inquiring at the booking-office,
found that I was 200 [$1,000] short. All I could offer Signor
Franchi was the trifle of 800 [$4,000] as a payment on account.

The agent declined the money and formally announced to me
that my contract with Mme. Patti was at an end. I accepted the
inevitable, consoling myself with the reflection that, besides other
good artists in my company, I had now 800 to go on with.

Two hours afterwards Signor Franehi reappeared.

"I cannot understand," he said, "how it is you get on so well
with prime donne, and especially with Mme. Patti. You are a
marvellous man, and a fortunate one too, I may add. Mme. Patti
does not wish to break her engagement with you, as she certainly
would have done with anyone else under the circumstances. Give
me the 800 and she will make every preparation for going on the
stage. She empowers me to tell you that she will be at the theatre
in good time for the beginning of the opera, and she will be ready
dressed in the costume of Violetta, with the exception only of the
shoes. You can let her have the balance when the doors open and
the money comes in from the outside public- and directly she re-
ceives it she will put her shoes on and at the proper moment make
her appearance on the stage." I thereupon handed him the 800

i London: Remington and Co., 1888. This excerpt is included in the
Appendix as a curiosity. The "shoe story," as told in Maplason's Mem-
oirs, is more grossly exaggerated than it used to be when he told it
himself; and he always forgot to point out the real cause of the inci-
dent, namely, his own unwillingness to abide by his contract and pay
Mme. Patti her fees in advance.

434



THE REIGN OF PATTI 435

I had already in hand as the result of subscriptions in advance.
"I congratulate you on your good luck," said Signor Franehi, as
he departed with the money in his pocket.

After the opening of the doors I had another visit from Signor
Franehi. By this time an extra sum of 160 had come in. I handed
it to my benevolent friend, and begged him to- carry it without delay
to the obliging prima donna, who, having received 960, might, I
thought, be induced to complete her toilette pending the arrival of
the 40 balance. Nor was I altogether wrong in my hopeful an-
ticipations. With a beaming face Signer Franehi came back and
communicated to me the joyful intelligence that Mme. Patti had
got one shoe on. "Send her the 40," he added, "and she will put
on the other."

Ultimately the other shoe was got on, but not, of course, until
the last 40 had been paid. Then Mme. Patti, her face radiant
with benignant smiles, went on the stage, and the opera, already
begun, was continued brilliantly until the end. . . .

Soon afterwards the most money-making of prime donne was,
without being aware of it at the time, seized for debt. It happened
in this manner. From Boston we had travelled to Montreal, where,
by the way, through the mistake of an agent, gallery seats were
charged at the rate of five dollars instead of one. On reaching the
Montreal railway station, we were met by a demand on the part of
the railway company for three hundred dollars. The train had
been already paid for, but this was a special charge for sending
the Patti travelling car along the line. I, of course, resisted the
claim, and the more energetically inasmuch as I had not three hun-
dred dollars in hand. I could only get the money by going up to
the theatre and taking it from the receipts.

Meanwhile the sheriffs were upon me, and the Patti travelling
ear, with Adelina asleep inside, was attached, seized, and ultimately
shunted into a stable, of which the iron gates were firmly closed.

There was no room for argument or delay. All I had to do was
to get the money, and, hurrying to the theatre, I at once procured
it. Unconscious of her imprisoned condition, Mme. Patti was still
asleep when I took the necessary steps for rescuing from bondage
the car which held her.



APPENDIX TJ
ADELINA PATTI AND HER AET

(An Appreciation. By H. E. Krehbiel, from "Chapters of
Opera/' pp. 125-127)

AVAST amount of reminiscences would have been justified by
such a celebration, 1 for it would have thrown a bright side-
light on the marvellous career of Mme. Patti, a career without
parallel in the history of the last half -century. Within three years
after she made her first essay, "our little Patti/' as she was then
fondly spoken of, had achieved the queenship of the lyric stage j
and now, twenty-two years later, her title had not suffered the slight-
est impairment. Within the time singers who had won the world's
admiration had been born, educated, and lifted to the niches pre-
pared for them by popular appreciation, but all far below the
place where Patti sat enthroned. Stars of great brilliancy had
flashed across the firmament and gone out in darkness, but the re-
fulgence of Patti's art remained undimmed, having only grown
mellower and deeper and richer with time. Truth is, Mme. Patti
was then, and is still, twenty-five years later, a musical miracle;
and the fact that she was in New York to sing in the very spot in
which she began her career twenty-five years before should have
been celebrated as one of the proudest incidents in the city's musical
annals.

For the generation of opera-goers who grew up in the period
which ought to be referred to for all time in the annals of music
as the Eeign of Patti, she set a standard by which all aspirants for
public favour were judged except those whose activities were in a
widely divergent field. Not only did she show them what t,he old

* The twenty-fifth anniversary of Mme. Patti's dbut in opera in New
York.

436



THE REIGN OF PATTI 437

art of singing was, "but she demonstrated the possibility of its re-
vival. And she did this while admiring enthusiastically the best
results of tne dramatic spirit which pervades musical composition
to-day. Her talent was so many-sided and so astonishing, no matter
from which side it was viewed, that rhapsody seems to be the only
language left one who attempts analysis or description of it.

Her voice, of unequalled beauty, was no more a gift of nature than
the ability to assimilate without effort the things which cost ordi-
nary mortals years of labour and vexation of soul. It was perpet-
ually amazing how her singing made the best efforts of the best
of her contemporaries pale, especially those who depended on vocal
agility for their triumphs. Each performance of hers made it
plainer than it had been before that her genius penetrated the mere
outward glitter of the music and looked upon the ornament as so
much means to the attainment of an end; that end, a beautiful in-
terpretation of the composer's thought.

No artist of her time was so perfect an exponent as she of the
quality of repose. So far as appearances went, it was as easy for
her to burden the air with trills and roulades as it was to talk.
She sang as the lark sings; the outpouring of an ecstasy of tones
of almost infinite number and beauty seemed in her to be a nat-
ural means of expression. Her ideas of art were the highest, and
it was a singular testimony of her earnestness that, while educated
in the old Italian school of vocalisation, and holding her most ex-
alted supremacy as a singer of Rossini's music, her warmest love,
by her own confession, was given, not to its glittering confections,
but to the serious efforts of the most dramatic writers. This must
be remembered in the list of her astonishing merits now, when her
voice can no longer call up more than "the tender grace of a day
that is dead." Mine was the proud privilege *and great happiness
of having heard her often in her prime.



APPENDIX -V

PATTI AS CABMEN

(From the Times, July 16, 1885)

MME. PATTI has evidently studied her character in all its bear-
ings and has formed a distinct idea of it which, although we
believe it to be erroneous, is at least consistent. Carmen as here
presented appears to us to be little more than a heartless flirt, de-
lighted to inspire feelings in others which she does not mean to
reciprocate, or could not if she would. The real Carmen of Prosper
MerimeYs novel, as well as of Bizet's score, we take to be an em-
bodiment of what Goethe calls the "daemonic" in nature a girl
rather placid and enigmatic than lively or demonstrative (as Mine.
Patti was) in her ordinary demeanour, but carried away by irresist-
ible force when once her passion takes a tangible form. When she
loves the soldier, nothing will serve her but to ruin him for the sake
of her caprice. He has to forsake his dying mother and incur the
punishment of a deserter because so it pleases her. When she leaves
the dragoon for the superior charms of the bull-fighter, she is equally
willing to sacrifice her own life to her passion. Fate, through
means of a pack of cards, gives the superstitious girl a warning;
she fully credits the omen, but she defies it.

Of all this there was little in Mme. Patti's acting, or at least we
could not discover it. Her by-play was a great deal too elaborate,
too lively, without showing much reference to the essential features
of the character. She did some extremely pretty and graceful things
for instance, a regular little pas de deux, danced in conjunction
with Mme. Cavalazzi. But all this any Spanish or gipsy girl might
have done. Unfortunately, she did not reserve her force for' tne

i This article was written by Dr. Franz Hueffer, then newly appointed
musical critic of the Times in succession to James H. Davison, who
died in March, }885.

438



THE REIGN OF PATTI 439

salient points belonging to Carmen as a distinct individuality : when
the aforesaid "demonic" influences ' came into play, her resources
were exhausted. Thus her wooing of Jose for the advances all
come from her side was wanting in tenderness. She seemed to be
amused rather than fascinated by her weak-minded lover.

Again, her bursts of anger lacked the dignity of intense passion.
There was nothing of the volcanic fierceness of Southern nature.
Her disappointment was that of a spoilt child. From this general
charge of weakness the death scene must be pronounced exempt.
Here Mme. Patti rose to the height of the situation, indicating with
psychological truth and great force of dramatic execution the phys-
ical dread which overcomes Carmen's defiance to fate when she sees
the raised knife of the infuriated Jose. It might be well said,
"Nothing in her life became her like the leaving of it.". On the
other hand, the fortune-telling scene, one of the most powerful
situations in the opera, fell completely flat.

For this the artist was not altogether responsible. The music
of this scene lies in the middle register of the voice, in which Mme.
Patti can produce little effect. And here we touch upon one of the
chief difficulties of her task. The part is written for a mezzo-
soprano; it is too low for her. She has to transpose the airs and
introduce occasional changes in the text, going up to a higher
octave where the lower is intended. Moreover, the brilliancy of
Mme. Patti's vocalisation finds no scope in this music. Bizet em-
ploys the voice as a means of dramatic expression; the meaningless
fireworks of the Italian school he despises. Notwithstanding all
this, Mme. Patti's vocal rendering was one of high excellence and
well worthy of her reputation. Her first song, with its delicate
dramatic passages, was a work of perfect vocalisation and intelli-
gent phrasing, and the national air with which Carmen lures the
poor soldier to ruin was given with irresistible charm. Taken all
in all, her effort deserves all the praise which is due to conscien-
tious study and serious endeavour.



APPENDIX W

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AT COVENT GARDEN:
CELEBRATION: JULY 25, 1885

(From the "Mapleson Memoirs/' Vol. II., pp. 156-160)

I ENDED my season about the third week of July, when Mme.
Patti appeared as Leonora in "II Trovatore," renewing the suc-
cess which always attends her in that familiar impersonation.

On this night, the final one of the season, Mme. Patti concluded
her twenty-fifth consecutive annual engagement at Covent Garden.
Numbers of her admirers formed themselves into a committee for the
purpose of celebrating the event by presenting her with a suitable
memorial. At the termination of the opera the curtain rose, and
disclosed Mme. Adelina Patti ready to sing the national anthem,
supported by the band of the Grenadier Guards, in addition to the
band and orchestra of the Royal Italian Opera. This was the mo-
ment chosen for the presentation of a superb diamond bracelet,
subscribed for by admirers of the heroine of the occasion. Its
presentation was preceded by my delivery of the following address
from the Committee of the Patti Testimonial Fund :

"Madame Adelina Patti : You complete this evening your twenty-
fifth annual engagement at the theatre which had the honour of in-
troducing you, when you were still a child, to the public of England,
and indirectly, therefore, to that of Europe and the whole civilised
world. There has been no example in the history of the lyric drama
of such long-continued, never interrupted, always triumphant success
on the boards of the same theatre; and a number of your most
earnest admirers have decided not to let the occasion pass without
offering you their heartfelt congratulations.

"Many of them have watched with the deepest interest an artistic
career which, beginning in the spring of 1861, became year after

440



THE REIGN OF PATTI 441

year more brilliant, until during the season which terminates to-
night the last possible point of perfection seems to have been
reached. You have been connected with the Royal Italian Opera
uninterruptedly throughout your long and brilliant career. During
the winter months you have visited and have been received with
enthusiasm at Paris, St. Petersburg, Berlin, Vienna, Madrid, and
all the principal cities of Italy and the United States. But you
have allowed nothing to prevent you from returning every summer
to the scene of your earliest triumphs; and now that you have com-
pleted your twenty-fifth season in London, your friends feel that the
interesting occasion must not be suffered to pass without due com-
memoration. We beg you, therefore, to accept from us, in the spirit
in which it is offered, the token of esteem and admiration which we
have now the honour of presenting to you."

The National Anthem, which followed, was received with loyal
cheers, and the season terminated brilliantly. After the perform-
ance an extraordinary scene took place outside the theatre. A band
and a number of torch-bearers had assembled at the northern en-
trance in Hart Street, awaiting Mme. Patti's departure. When she
stepped into her carriage it was headed by the bearers of the lighted
torches; and as the carriage left, the band struck up. An enormous
crowd very soon gathered, and it gradually increased in numbers
as the procession moved on. The carriage was surrounded by
police, and the procession, headed by the band, consisted of about
a dozen carriages and cabs, the rear being brought up by a vehicle
on which several men were standing and holding limelights, which
threw their coloured glare upon the growing crowd and made the
whole as visible as in the daytime. The procession, which left Hart
Street just before midnight, reached the Midland Hotel in about
half an hour, almost the whole distance having been traversed at a
walking pace. When Mme. Patti reached the hotel she was sere-
naded by the band for a time, and more fireworks were let off. The
great crowd which had assembled remained in Euston Road outside
the gates, which were closed immediately after the carriages had
passed through.



APPENDIX X

SECRET OF THE LONGEVITY OF PATTI'S VOICE
(From "Success in Music, ' : by Henry T. Finek, pp. 65-66) x

THUS, for nearly a decade more than half a century, has Ade-
lina Patti been able to arouse the enthusiasm of the public
and the cities. What is the secret of this longevity of her voice?

It lies in this, that she never abused it and always took good care
of her health, resisting the temptations to self-indulgence which her
great wealth abundantly afforded her. She carefully avoided over-
exertion and excess of any kind. In her own words, "Never in my
whole career have I sung oftener than three times a week, and to
this precaution I attribute my many years of success." . . .

Throughout her career Patti kept up her exercises, but of course
they were easy compared to those which less fortunately endowed
artists have to submit to. "Her vocal organs," wrote Hansliek in
1879, "which she has managed with such consummate skill since her
childhood, and with the instinctive certainty with which the rest of
us perform an ordinary action, hardly need any more practice.
Patti exercises solfeggios daily for half an hour, mostly mezza voce;
the roles themselves she does not go over. Never does she practise
facial expression or gestures before a mirror, because, as she thinks,
that only yields grimaces (singeries)"

The same Viennese critic, who knew her well and had many talks
with her, speaks of some of the remarkable things she was able to
do. Her memory was amazing. She learned a new role thor-
oughly by softly singing it two or three times, and what she had
once learned and sung in public she never forgot; so that it was
not necessary for her to take the scores in her trunk when she was
on tour. Equally remarkable was her sense of pitch. Hansliek
was present once when she sang the Jewel aria from "Faust," which

i London: John Murray, 1910.

442



THE REIGN OP PATTI 443

was followed by noisy demonstrations of enthusiasm lasting many
minutes. Suddenly Patti, without signalling the orchestra, took up
the trill on B, the orchestra joined her in the next bar, and there
was not the least difference in the pitch.

Hanslick's assertion that she always sang with pure intonation
is not strictly true, for I have heard her sing off the pitch more
than once; but that simply showed she is human. The dozens of
performances by her I heard in the Academy of Music, New York,
convinced me that she was above most singers of her class a model,
especially to her Italian countrywomen in so far as she avoided
all clap-trap display not prescribed in her part, such as abnormally
sustained high tones, interminable trills, arbitrary tempo, and ex-
plosive final notes.

Her evident relish of her own work and of stage life in general
has been one of the secrets of her success. To be sure, she enjoyed
the great advantage of being entirely free from nervousness. Even
when, as a child of seven, she first appeared as a concert singer,
or at sixteen on the operatic stage, she was, by her own testimony,
absolutely ignorant of what stage-fright means.

Such are the good points of Patti and the advantages she enjoyed.
Unlike Jenny Lind, moreover, she had great personal beauty, and
beauty is a joy forever, on the stage as well as off.



APPENDIX Y

PATTI AND HER WELSH CHARITY CONCERTS
(From the Cambrian, Swansea, August 15, 1884)

TIME was when Patti was only a name in the provinces, and
especially in the Principality of Wales. True, that name was
a great one the greatest name among living exponents of song, but
still a name, a reputation only, not an experience, not a person. It
was said that gifts so great and genius so distinguished as those of
Adelina Patti were not for the enjoyment of provincials, but were
reserved for the metropolitan cities of the world, where alone she
could meet with a fit auditory and a fair reward. At any rate, it
was confidently averred that the great prima donna had never sung
in a provincial city, however great, and that she would not conde-
scend to do so.

When the Queen of Song, however, bought for herself a home
nest among the Welsh mountains, and when at length she came to
take up her brief holiday residence at Craig-y-Nos Castle, there
was a whisper of hope that her voice might be heard in the land
of her adoption the home of minstrelsy, for, as the old motto says,
"Mor o gan yw Cymry gyd." With fear and trembling lest they
should be asking too much, the late Silas Evans and his then co-
adjutors in the Swansea Choral Society wrote to ask whether there
was the slightest chance of the diva paying Swansea a visit of song;
but the answer, as might have been expected, was not a reassuring
one. Engagements were many, days of rest few, and then aye,
and then, could Swansea afford to pay the price, even the most
moderate price, which Mme. Patti's services for one concert were
valued at in the musical world? Not No! And so the matter
ended.

The newspapers contained glowing accounts of the alterations at
Craig-y-Nos Castle, the furniture, the gardens, the conservatories,

444



THE REIGN OF PATTI 445

etc., and now and again there was a whisper of "grand doings at
the castle"; and ever and anon a tourist in that wild valley would
relate how he had wandered about the enchanted abode and heard
cy stealth the Nightingale sing "Home, sweet home" so that it went
to Lis heart ; but still Mme. Patti was but a name. Later on it was
whispered that the romantic chatelaine paid incognita visits to
Swansea. The knowing ones said they had seen her in the street,
leaning on the arm of Signer Nicolini; and that she was, as she
was reported to be, beautiful to look upon, "comely to a wish."
Then tiae people heard of joyous proceedings in the Swansea Valley.
Mm:;. Patti was welcomed to her mountain home with an address,
jp-th fireworks, and with song. But all this was far away from the
great bulk of the people, to whom Mme. Patti was still a name, a
winsome mystery, a fascinating romance, spoken of as a being apart,
and almost unapproachable; the admired of millions, the friend of
genius, the associate of emperors and kings and princes.

But at length that spell was broken in local life, and the name
was exchanged for the personality, the reputation for the experi-
ence. Mme. Patti came down from her pedestal to befriend the poor
and destitute, and, in descending from the standpoint of fame to
mix with the people amongst whom she dwelt, she ascended another
throne the throne of the affections of a grateful people, whose
plaudits and memory, whose esteem and love, she will ever inherit.

Hearing that the Swansea General Hospital was in debt, she most
magnanimously came forward to its help, and gave a concert which
realised no less than 830 10s. Her reception was a royal one in
the best sense. The hearts of all the populace went out to meet
her, as their voices were raised to acclaim her Queen of Song and
Princess of Beneficence. To alter the words of the all-vanquishing
Caesar: She came, she sang, she conquered!



APPENDIX Z

PATTFS THEATRE AT CRAIG-Y-NOS CASTLE
(From the Sunday Times, August 15, 1891)

HERE in her lovely Welsh home Mme. Patti has just brought
to fruition one of the most charming ideas that ever occurred
to a great artist In the old days, when art flourished chiefly by
aid of private means, it was not a rare thing for sovereigns, princes,
archbishops, and nobles to build themselves a theatre in their pal-
aces. But until the present moment no such luxury had ever, so
far as I am aware, formed an adjunct to the residence of a singer
even of a queen among singers. The reasons which have actuated
Mme. Patti in the execution of this purpose are simple enough.
She loves her home and she loves her art. The more she enjoys the
former the less she can practise the latter. If she remains six or
eight months out of the twelve at Craig-y-Nos, amid delightful
scenery and the most perfect comfort that modern science can devise
or money purchase, she must perforce be absent during that time
from the stage which it is to her a happiness to tread. Hence the
idea unite the two pleasures and make them one by erecting a
theatre within the very w'alls of Craig-y-Nos Castle !

The genie of the story, who raised a palace in the desert, was not
more powerful than is our diva of the lyric stage. He was a little
quicker in carrying out his 'operations, that was all. Two years ago
Mme. Patti said, "I will have my theatre/' and within twelve months
it was built. The work of decorating and fitting up the interior
has only, however, been finished lately; for, although on a small
scale, it is very elaborately constructed, and neither in the audi-
torium nor on the stage has aught been omitted that could please
the eye or tend to secure mechanical completeness. In plan, indeed,
it is a Bayreuth Theatre en miniature: no side boxes or seats, a

446



THE REIGN OF PATTI 447

single gallery at the back, stalls sloping down to an orchestra low-
ered so that the musicians are almost out of sight, and a clever
system of stage lighting by electricity. The pure Renaissance of
the architecture is set off to advantage by a singularly delicate
scheme of color pale blue, cream, and gold to which the deep
sapphire of the plush curtains supplies a most effective contrast.
The walls and proscenium are handsomely decorated, and between
graceful columns are inscribed in panels the names of all the great
composers. The scenery is painted by some of our best theatrical
artists, while the act-drop, representing S emir amide driving her war
chariot, drawn by two fiery steeds, is a very daring and spirited
achievement, the value of which is enhanced by the admirable like-
ness that the queen of the picture bears to the Queen of Song.

Altogether, then, the little theatre at Craig-y-Nos is quite a gem
of its kind ; and let me add that, to be in keeping with everything
else here, it could not very well have been less. Ever since they
took up their residence in this out-of-the-way paradise, M. and Mme.
Nicolini have been augmenting its beauties and increasing its stock
of treasures. The theatre is only part of a new wing which, besides
adding immensely to the imposing exterior proportions of the castle,
yields an amount of space within which the hospitable tendencies
of the host and hostess rendered absolutely essential. In one of the
noble suite of apartments thus created is placed the famous orches-
trion of Backer and Kroll, of Geneva and Freibourg, which is the
largest in the world and probably the only one worked by electricity.
It is a magnificent instrument, and remarkable as much for its mel-
lowness of tone as for the accuracy with which it reproduces the most
subtle orchestral effects. Wagner it brings in a truly wonderful
way, the "Tannhiiuser" overture and the Trauermarseh from "Sieg-
fried" being by no means beyond the capacity of this extraordinary
piece of mechanism. Nor does anyone listen to these things with
greater delight than Mme. Patti herself, for she adores Wagner's
music and only wishes she could sing it without the danger of a
strain that might be harmful to her voice.



APPENDIX AA

PATTPS RETURN TO COVENT GARDEN (1895)
(From the Sunday Times, June 16, 1895)

IT was a great night. I have assisted at a good many Covent
Garden functions in my time State nights, the Patti nights
of old, first nights, farewell nights, and nearly all the rest of the
special nights that there have been there since the seventies began ;
but never yet have I witnessed within those classic walls an event
so profoundly interesting, so absolutely unique in its nature, as the
return of Mme. Patti in Verdi's "Traviata" on Tuesday last. It was
not so much the outward aspect of the scene that was remarkable,
though that was sufficiently brilliant to call forth the descriptive
powers of a Sala or a Bennett. It was rather the fact that London
was welcoming back to her proper sphere a singer who had held
undisputed sway among the giants of her art for a period of thirty-
four years, and who, after an absence of a decade, was capable of
resuming her place upon the Covent Garden boards, peerless and
unapproachable as on the day she last appeared there.

Such a thing, it is needless to say, is utterly without precedent in
the history of the operatic stage. Famous singers have come and
gone, and come back again, before now, but hardly a ease can be
cited in which it would not have been better for their reputation
had the return "after many days" been avoided. Concerning Mme.
Patti, it assuredly never will be said that she profits by a bygone
renown. It was choice, not necessity, that induced her to return
to a stage to which she had not yet bidden adieu, and the reason
why she did not shirk the ordeal was because she knew her powers
to be still undimmed in lustre, and therefore still worthy of her
name. She is too sensible nay, too sensitive to run any risks in
this matter.

Nevertheless, the representative audience of Tuesday contained

448



THE REIGN OF PATTI 449

enough of the new generation (which "knew not PattP) for it to
be discriminating, and even critical. There was no indulging in
wild enthusiasm as an affair of duty. I fancied I recognised the
accents of the meille garde as it uttered its shout of welcome when
the marvellous little lady the most fascinating Violetta that ever
trod the boards tripped forward with all the youthful grace and
lightness of yore, resplendent with jewels, and attired to perfection
in the loveliest of pink satin gowns. How could she be other than
nervous at such a moment? It was wonderful how she controlled
her emotion and sang her "Ah, f ors' e lui," with such steadiness and
vervej and with the ever-incomparable beauty of tone and charm
of style. But the reserve and self-control exercised throughout that
first act only afforded one more proof of greatness in the great
artist. The old admirers might still be to the fore with the plaudits
and the recalls; there was plenty of time to complete the victory
of the new legion.

In the second act Mme. Patti, quite herself once more, acted as I
have never before seen her act. Such spontaneity, such impulse,
such intense feeling, she had never thrown either into the scene
with the father or the farewell to Alfredo. The superb tones, too,
rang true, and touched the heart as no others can. When the cur-
tain fell this time there was a distinct crescendo; but the climax
of the night's demonstrations only came at the end of the third act,
after the most powerful and graphic realisation of the ball-room
episode that the unhappy Violetta has as yet figured in. Then it
was that the whole house rose at the diva, called her forward again
and again, and, from the front row of the stalls to the hindmost
ranks in the gallery and slips, substantially acknowledged that there
was only one Patti in the world. That splendid ovation was prob-
ably the ' grandest triumph that she has ever won in the whole
course of her career.



APPENDIX BB

HONOURS TO MADAME PATTI AT BRECON"
(Joseph Bennett in the Daily Telegraph, May 25, 1897)

THE Queen of Song, as she is called here with convincing
iteration, paid her first visit to Brecon in 1889, when the Fa-
tional Eisteddfod held its meeting under the shadow of what re-
mains of the old eastle. That was a memorable event in Eisteddf odic
annals, since it marked a record attendance, no fewer than 12 ; 814
persons passing the turnstile during the Patti day. On that occa-
sion the great artist sang three songs to the enthusiastic crowd, who
worshipped her with true Welsh fervour. Mabon was the Eistedd-
fod conductor, and led the chorus in "Land of my Fathers."

Said the Lady of Craig-y-Nos, "You have a splendid voice, sir";
and the hon. member, not to be outdone, answered, "So have you,
madame."

In view of still another celebration, the "Conscript Fathers" of
Brecon took a step without precedent in the annals of the town.
They have never scattered honours lavishly. I am assured, indeed,
that the freedom of the borough has been granted to outsiders only
five times. It was this rare dignity that the Mayor and Corpora-
tion offered to Mme. Patti-Nieolini, and that the Queen of Song to-
day came hither to receive, with all due pomp and ceremony. When
Brecon had made its offer to the Lady of the Castle, and she had
graciously accepted, the authorities here very properly resolved not
to do things by halves. The burgess-elect they determined should
be received with almost royal honours, met at the railway station by
the dignitaries of the borough and county, and escorted to the Eis-
teddfod hall in solemn procession. . . .

So did official Brecon proceed to meet its guest, presently re-
turning through the sunlit streets with Mme. Patti occupying the

450



THE REIGN OF PATTI 451

place of Honour in the Mayor's carriage. The ceremony at the sta-
tion was brief and simple. On the party from Craig-y-Nos alight-
ing, the "Queen" was conducted by the Mayor to his carriage, the
Mayoress having first presented her with a superb bouquet. Mnae.
Patti's companions, among whom were the Baroness von Zedlitz and
Mr. Augustus Spalding, were next escorted to the carriages in
waiting, and when all was ready the procession set out, passing
under triumphal arches and through lanes of admiring and applaud-
ing people.

An incident on the way should be mentioned. Brecon, like Lon-
don, once possessed a gateway, which has disappeared; but the site
is known, and there the townsfolk built a, castellated arch, that the
town's guest might enter with the more ceremony. On the Mayor's
carriage arriving at this structure, which was supposed to be closed,
the Deputy-Mayor (Mr. Lewis Williams) uplifted his voice and
said : "Admit Mme. Patti-Nieolini into the confines of the borough
of Brecon." There was none to say him "nay," and the procession
passed triumphantly on to the hall with blare of bugle and beat of
drum. As Mme. Patti entered, leaning on the arm of the Mayor,
enthusiastic cheers were raised, and continued till she had taken her
place in a large chair of carved oak, the Mayor on her left and
the Mayoress on her right. . . .

Now began the ceremony of making a new burgess. In the first
place, the Mayor, after a few introductory words, in which he
feelingly referred to the absence of Mr. Nicolini through illness,
called upon the town clerk to read the resolution conferring the
freedom of the borough on Mme. Patti. This done, the new burgess
advanced to the table, took the oath, which bound her, among other
things, to obey the Mayor of Brecon for the time being, and signed
the freemen's roll with, as someone said, "a steady hand and a
sweet smile."

It was now the business of the Mayor to ask Mme. Patti's accept-
ance of a costly casket, containing the certificate of her freedom.
This is a very beautiful example of its kind, surmounted by the
goat of Wales, and enriched in various ways, notably by a repre-
sentation in relief of Craig-y-Nos Castle. Expectation among the
great audience was keen when the Eisteddfod conductor (Mr. Rhys



452 THE EBIGN OF PATTI

Davies, J.P.) announced that Mme. Patti would return thanks.
"With a song!" exclaimed a voice at the far end of the hall; and
the interruption called forth hearty cheering. But the diva, only
just recovering from illness, could not sing, and her thanks were
given by proxy, Mr. Spalding being put up for that purpose.
Lord Tredegar followed, with words of congratulation to the young-
est burgess, and so the municipal ceremony came to an end.

But Mme. Patti was not yet to be liberated. She had offered a
gold-mounted baton to the conductor of the male voice choir which
came out first in a previous competition. That choir now sang the
principal test piece in admirable style, which done, the conductor
advanced to the front, bent his knee, and received from the donor's
hand his glittering prize. . . . The name of the successful competi-
tor for the bardic chair having been proclaimed, that gentleman was
led forward to be installed in due form. A sword in a dilapidated
leather ease, an historic weapon, I understand, was held above his
head by Mme. Patti, the Mayor and Mayoress, and Lord Tredegar,
while the conductor recited some formula in Welsh and the audi-
ence gave stentorian responses. With this came to an end Mme.
Patti's labours, and she retired, the street procession reforming to
escort her to the station with no abatement of pomp and circum-
stance. Thus closed a very remarkable demonstration in honour of
a great artist, most excellent neighbour.

I cannot finish this message more appropriately than by quoting
a sonnet on Mme. Patti which won the prize to-day. It is by Mr.
J. Hutchinson, of the Middle Temple Library, and runs thus :

Great Queen of Song, accept this votive wreath.

Culled from Parnassus, where the Muses oft

Have stopped to catch, borne upward through the soft,

IStill ambient air, thy voice, holding their breath.

In deep, entranced silence still as death

Euterpe dropping from her lips her flute,

And e'en Apollo envious standing mute,

Whilst thou, inspired as one that ministreth

Before his altar, told'st the sweet, sad tale

Of human love tale old but ever new

In varied forms, in gentle Lucia's sighs,

In A'orma's rage, in Gretchen's dying wail,

Amina's moan in tones that sweeter grew

The longer heard, and, heard, are memories.



APPENDIX CO

FOETY YEAES BEFOEE THE LONDON PUBLIC
(From the Sunday Times, November 24, 1901)

FOE exactly forty years the famous prima donna has held un-
disputed sway in the hearts of the English people as the great-
est of living singers; and that the sovereignty still endures there
is ample proof in such a gathering as that which assembled in the
Albert Hall last Thursday evening. Eeally, to bestow fresh honours
upon Patti, upon whom they have been heaped by nearly every
European "crowned head" of her time, would, after all, be akin to
"painting the lily." Vox populi, vox Dei; and if the old adage
be true, then no nobler distinction could fall to an artist than the
tribute of an assemblage of ten thousand persons drawn together
by the sole magic of her name and for the sole delight of listening
to her still incomparable singing. The scene may be familiar
enough, but each year that it is reenacted it becomes more remark-
able, more noteworthy ; and in the present instance it was peculiarly
so because the crowd was by far the largest and most brilliant that
had attended a Patti concert in the evening for several seasons.

A dissertation upon "The Born Singer Made Perfect by the High-
est Order of Vocal Art" is never out of place just after Adelina
Patti has tripped upon the stage or the concert platform. But, at
this pioment, enough that we find embodied in Mme. Patti a forcible
illustration of the Darwinian theory relating to the "survival of the
fittest." So far there survives in her all that is best in the teach-
ing of the great Italian school. The trouble is that one does not
see indications of a possible perpetuation of that survival. One
can only rejoice so long as Mme. Patti remains an active exponent
of her art an unanswerable argument in favour of her remaining
before the public for as many seasons to come as it may please her
to do so.

453



454 THE REIGN OF PATTI

It is indeed marvellous how little the golden voice loses of its
pristine freshness, vigour, and charm. The "Jewel Song," the "Batti,
batti," the "Bacio" of the other night were no mere echoes of the
past, but very actual and very beautiful replicas of the original.
The tender pathos of the "Home, sweet home," the infinite grace
and humour of the "Comin' thro' the rye," were part of a mystery
to which Patti alone holds the clue. And then, what a delight to
once more hear her in Wagner's "Traume," which, when she sings
it, has a fascination that it never has on the lips of any other artist.
Tone, phrasing, color, diction, and German accent are alike fault-
less. The choice of Tosti's piquant "Serenata" as an encore after
"Traume" was perhaps less due to its Wagnerian character than
the fact that Mile. Clara Eisslen could furnish a harp accompaniment
for one as well as the other. With these exceptions, Mme. Patti's
accompaniments were played by Mr. Wilhelm Ganz, Mr. Sewell tak-
ing charge of the 'remainder.

Madame Clara Butt, in capital voice, gave a broad, dramatic ren-
dering of "Divinites du Styx." Mr. William Green and Mr. Ken-
nerley Rumford in turn earned genuine successes; as did Miss El-
dina Bligh with her violin solos and Herr Wilhelm Backhaus in
pianoforte pieces by Grieg and Liszt. In short, there was ample
material for enjoyment from beginning to end of the concert.



APPENDIX DD

ADELINA PATTI: A FAREWELL APPRECIATION
(Joseph Bennett, in the Daily Telegraph, December 1, 1906)

THIRTY-POUR years ago I wrote a column article for this
journal, headed [with the same name] as is that just now be-
ginning". The time was July, 1872, and the immediate provocation
to utterance the great singer's first appearance as Valentino, in "Les
Huguenots/' She was then in the full bloom of her powers.
Eleven years had passed since she stepped upon the stage as a
novice if ever she had a novitiate or, at any rate, as a young and
inexperienced debutante, charged to assert herself on the most diffi-
cult stage in the world, and before an audience not apt to receive
newcomers with open arms. The child for in years she was noth-
ing more came as a stranger amongst us, but on that point let me
be egotistical enough to quote from my old article :

"She came, as amateurs of opera well remember, unheralded by
trumpet-blowing, and unsupported by organised enthusiasm (an
article at that time largely manufactured). In plain terms, she
took her chance with the public, resting solely upon personal merits
for a favourable issue. The result is matter of history, and in it
genuine talent may discover ample reason for hope and confidence.
We do not overlook the gifts of person and manner which were
adventitious but important aids to Mme. Patti's triumph, and still
form an element in her unmatched perfection; but, these things
apaxt, it is encouraging to see how genius can make its way to the
front and there command approval."

The words above cited were written with all the circumstances of
the artist's early career well in mind, and the long years that have
since come and gone do not affect their propriety. But time has
piled up other evidence to the same effect piled it up as the an-

455



456 THE EEIGN OF PATTI

cient Egyptians built the Pyramids, ever tending to an apex and a
consummation, which has now been reached; for to-day Adelina
Patti retires from the exercise of her profession, and, in the Albert
Hall, bids her admirers a long farewell, after forty-five years of
service. Any review of a career so extended and so famous must
needs be of interest, but within the limits of a newspaper column
only the more salient points can be touched. To those I invite the
reader's attention.

Calling to mind that "little Lina," as Maurice Strakoseh used to
style his sister-in-law and pupil, came to London without heralds,
nobody is surprised to hear that the two operatic managers who
then "flourished" in the metropolis looked somewhat askance at the
new candidate for their good graces. She was almost unknown;
she was so young, so petite, in comparison with the voluminous and
commanding prime donne of the day; and so untried upon a great
stage that the wonder is the aspirant was not sent away empty of
all save barren promises. An impresario is, perhaps, not the wisest
of men, even in his own vocation.

I recall the incident of Gounod's "Faust"; how Frederic Gye
and Augustus Harris pere travelled to Paris, heard the novelty,, and
came back saying that there were only two "numbers" of special
value in it a soldiers' chorus and one for old men. "Faust" was
declined. The chief of the rival house, a man of esprit, probably
thought that any decision reached by his opponent must, on that
very account, be wrong, and presently took up the running, with
what result everybody knows. In the case of Adelina Patti, it was
Mr. Gye's turn to be in luck, and to bag a veritable mascotte, whose
influence caused showers of golden blessings to rain upon Covent
Garden.

The debut (May 14, 1861) was a surprise for London. Like a bolt
out of the blue for unexpectedness came this girlish Amina, and war-
bled Bellini's ornate strains, "as effortless as woodland nooks send
violets up and paint them blue." . The victory was complete. Critics
were unanimous, but this was a case in which the public needed
neither prompting nor guidance. They placed the small stranger's
feet upon their own necks, and gloried in<-bemg br="" her="" still="" subjects.="">there were some who said : "Another light soprano, that is all. A



THE REIGN OF PATTI 457

very good one, no doubt, and the musically frivolous will rejoice
in her; but we await a higher good." These did not know "little
Lina," nor what, as an apparition, she signified.

For some time she played the light soprano roles, London be-
coming familiar with her Violetta, Lucia, Zerlina, Eosina, and not a
few more. But all this time she was dreaming of conquest on an-
other plane. Growing experience of art in relation to life gave
her, in common with every such aspirant, a more serious outlook,
and the outlook stimulated ambition. She would appear as a dra-
matic soprano, and one night in the later sixties I forget the exact
date she walked the stage in the garb of Verdi's Leonora, amid
the dark shadows of tragedy. The effort was not then repeated,
and there were some who proclaimed a defeat. Vaulting ambition,
in their view, had o'erleaped itself. I cannot deny the record that
the artist, for some reason or other, drew back from the part. A
reasonable assumption is that she failed to satisfy herself, and re-
coiled the better to leap forward later.

The leap was made in 1872, and resulted in a triumph the mem-
ory of which remains with me, clear and moving, to this day. So
encouraged, Mme. Patti lost no time in making another inroad upon
the domain of dramatic soprani, and, also in 1872, appeared as
Valentino, in "Les Huguenots/' the occasion being her own "benefit."
It was a moving performance*, and seems to have moved me, for
I wrote, apropos to its immediate effect: "Five times was Mme.
Patti summoned before the curtain amid roars of applause, having
to pick her way through the flowers with which the stage was cov-
ered, and then to load herself with the pretty tributes till she looked
like nothing so much as an animated bouquet."

Becoming bolder with success, the public's favourite essayed (July,
1885) to play Carmen a character part demanding a temperament
which was not hers, and one, moreover, which demanded an actress
rather than a singer. It is likely that the artist had some doubts
as to the result of this venture, but it was necessary for her to
take it up in order to share in the applause which the public were
eager to bestow upon every representative of a character in part
repellent, yet altogether fascinating. In her embodiment of the
heroine, Mme. Patti, with singular good judgment, elected to rely



458 THE EEIGN OP PATTI

more upon the fatalism in the gipsy's nature than upon more
demonstrative traits. I remember being struck with the intensity
of the impression she made in the card scene and in the final situa-
tion. So far, good 5 but Mine. Patti's Carmen, with all its merits,
failed to hold the public securely, and the artist did not persevere.

In the foregoing remarks I have touched the main points of Mme.
Patti's career those, namely, which indicate development and prog-
ress as an operatic artist. By such she is and will be judged, and
her place in the hierarchy of the lyric stage determined. She has
no cause to fear the judgment of the future, not even when the in-
fluences of proximity have, through flux of time, entirely ceased to
act.

A long time has passed since Mme. Patti took part in musical
festivals, or in concerts other than those which bear her own name.
But she is remembered as "a bright particular star" on the plat-
form as well as on the stage. I recall the part she took in Costa's
"Naaman," and the delightful simplicity with which she sang the
music of the little Hebrew maid who dwelt in the house of the
Syrian leper and played so great a part in bringing about his cure.
Mme. Patti has appeared also at the Handel festivals, singing
brilliantly such airs as "From mighty kings/ 7 and executing the
Handelian "divisions" as though to the manner born. But all this
class of work belongs to a somewhat distant past, and there is no
need to tell how more recent time has been spent, beyond mention
of the fact that the artist's occasional tours with a few of her fa-
vourite songs have served to make her person known to a generation
unborn when she was in her prime, and to convey some idea of the
vocal charm which made her path through life a ma triumphalis.

Of Mme. Patti's social success this is not the place to speak, and
the task may well be left to her biographer, who will have to de-
scribe, as best he may, her career at the glittering Court of the
Third [ ?] Empire, as the chatelaine of a Welsh castle, and as Lady
Bountiful of half a county. Varied scenes, a crowded life and
much experience of f men and cities" are further material for fu-
ture record, none of which do those desire to lose who know that
this unique artist stands, in many respects, apart from all her kind.
Who does not wish her well through the time that lies before her,



THE REIGN OF PATTI 459

and desire that, as slie has given exquisite pleasure to thousands by
the exercise of her wonderful gift, so she may herself find equal
delight in the passage of her maturer years, when the old music
has taken a subtler form and offers a deeper meaning 1 ? With some
such hope as this, I feel sure that Adelina Patti's audience to-day
will watch her depart from among them.



INDEX



Abbey, Henry E.: organizes con-
cert tour (America), 203; Met-
ropolitan Opera House competi-
tion, 206, 210; visits Craig-y-
Xos, 233; terms for first "fare-
well" tour, 238; at Metropolitan
Opera House, 240; first South
American tour (1888), 244-248;
second South. American tour
(1889), 254 et seq.; opera-re-
cital tour (1891-2), 310, 357

Abramoff, 240

Adams, Suzanne, 253

Adina ("Elisir d'Amore"), 42,
139, 169

Agnesi, 158

A'ida: 116; studies, with Verdi,
186; Covent Garden production
of, 187-189 in America, 205, 211

Albani, Emma, 158, 163, 183, 205,
235, 256, 327, 342, 375

Albert Hall concerts: 235; first
"Patti concerts," 236, 237, 241,
246, 260, 263, 314; first sings
Wagner at, 315, 316, 319, 320,
335, 336, 341, 342; reappearance
(1899) at, 349, 354, 361, 363,
364; public farewell (1906) at,
363-366; the final programme,
366, 373 3 374; Albani and Ganz
farewells at, 375



success (1886-7), 239-241; first
visit to South America (1888),
244-248 ; second South American,
tour (1889), 254; North and
South (1889-90), 254 et seq.;
(1891-2), 310; (1893-4), 311,
312; final farewell (1903), 356
et seq.

Amina ("La Somnambula") : 42,
50, 64; London debut as, at Co-
vent Garden, 70-76, 80, 86, 106;
Paris debut as, 112; in Vienna,
113, 136, 140; in Italy, 165, 169

Amsterdam, debut, 102

Ancona, 329, 330, 373

Anderson, 154

Annetta, ( "Crispino e la Comare" ) ,
169, 190

Anniversary celebrations: twenty-
fifth (New York), 212-214;
(London), 228, 252, 254

Anselmi, 373

Arditi, Luigi: 19, 20, 63, 95, 156,
205, 208, 228, 237, 240, 268, 278 ;
at Craig-y-Nos, 281, 282, 285,
286, 296, 300, 306, 311

Arditi, Madame, 257, 258 278

Arimondi, 330

Armstrong, William, "Pattl'e Ad-
vice to Singers," 262-266

ArtOt, Marguerite, 163, 164



Alboni, Marietta: 40, 57, 68, 95; Auber, 112, 113, 181, 190



duet with, at Rossini's funeral,
174, 181, 381

Alexander, Czar, 176

Alvarez, 350

American tours: (1881-2), 202,
203; (1882-3), 204, 205; (1883-
84), 206 et seq.; first "farewell 3 *
under Abbey projected, 238; its



Austin, Ambrose, 236, 238, 241, 254
Austria, Emperor Francis Joseph
of, 115, 147

Bagier, M., 102, 174
Baptismal Kegister, copy of, 8
Barili, Antonio, 5, 13
Barili-Patti, Cater ina : marriage



461



462



INDEX



of, to Salvatore Patti, 4, 5;
daughter's birth, 6-9, 19, 41, 42,
120, 121

Barili, Clotilda, 5, 13, 16

Barili, Ettore: 5, 13; first teaches
Adelina, 21, 22, 23, 30, 32; be-
gins teaching her rdles, 42, 143,
353

Barili, ISFicolo, 13 ;

Battenberg, Prince Henry of: visit
of, to Craig-y-Nos, 295, 298 -

Bauermeister, Mile., 330

Baumeister, Karoline ("Karo")?
127, 128, 165, 167, 246

Bayreuth Festival, 370, 371

Belletti, 158

Benedict, Sir Julius, 235

Bennett, Joseph: 72, 73, 81, 183,
192; on Patti's Carmen, 228,
260 ; article by, on farewell, 365 ;
a curious rule, 365, 366

Berger, Francesco, 326

Berlin: debut, 97-99, 270, 325

Berlioz, Hector, 112, 137

Bernhardt, Sarah, 123, 203

Bettini, 154, 155

Bevignani, Enrico: 156; at Craig-
y-Nos, 306 et seq,; new changes
for "Una Voce," 307, 308; at La
Scala, 313; Covent Garden fare-
well, 330, 331

Bizet: Patti's conception of his
Carmen, 225 et seq.

Blanc, 103, 104

Bonetti, 301, 337

Bonnard, 330

Bosio, 30, 55, 63, 179, 386

Boston: 214; "Lakme"" produced
in, 256; production of "Gabri-
ella," 311

Bottesini, 19

Boyer, Georges, 334

Brandt, Marianne, 183, 211

Brecon, freedom of, conferred, 341

Brignoli, 48, 143, 154, 161, 210,
212, 265

Brozel, Philip, 331



Brussels, debut, 99
Bubna, Augusta de ("Recollec-
tions"), 34-39
Bucharest, 265

Buenos Ayres : debut, 246, 247, 254
Bull, Ole, 27, 28, 34 et seq.
Butt, Clara, 245, 345
Byrne, Charles, 311

Calve, 227

Calzado, 102

Campana, Fabio, 190

Campanini, Italo, 205

Capponi, 154

Capoul, Victor, 155

Carmen: 193; debut announced,
221, 225; the impersonation,
226, 227; its effect, 228, 229; at
New York (Metropolitan), 240,
241, 379

Caruso, 364

Castelmary, 255, 331

Catalani, 68

Catering ("L'Etoile du Nord"),
168, 169

Caterina, La ("Diamants de la
Couronne"), 190

Caux, Marquis de: 130, 170; mar-
riage proposal of, 171; wedding
of, at Clapham, 172, 173, 179,
180, 181; at Covent Garden,
182; separation and divorce
from, 196, 198, 244, 269

Ceccarini, Dr., 142

Cederstrom, Baron Rolf, 346-348,
358, 371, 372, 376, 381

Chabrier: 232; "Espafia" and
"Gwendoline" at Craig-y-N"oa,
319

Charity concerts, Welsh: 272;
Swansea, 273, 303, 317; Cardiff
(1896), 336-339; "Land of My
Fathers" in Welsh, 388 ; Cardiff
(1905), 362; Patti's affection
and generosity, 375, 376
Chicago: Auditorium inaugurated,
257



INDEX



463



Chorley, Henry F.: 69, 81, 82, 83;
early opinions of, discussed, 84,
87, 88, 109, 136, 137; defends
higher fees, 146, 147, 149, 160

Ciampi, 108, 168, 183

Cincinnati, Operatic Festival at,
205

Clapham: home life at, 120, 124-
126; wedding at, 172, 175

Olive, Franklin, 337

Cohen, Jules, 155, 190, 191

Cole, Belle, 335

Consort, the Prince, 91, 93

Costa, Sir Michael: 79, 85, 95, 96;
Handel Festival, 157, 173, 193

Cotogni, 191

Covent Garden Opera House: de-
but, 70 et seq.; rentre"es, 106,
136, 149, 153, 165, 167; rdles at,
from 1861-1870, 168, 169; "Co-
alition." season, 177; "Ai'da"
produced, 185 et seq.; new rOles
created at, 190; the decadent
period of Italian opera, 217;
Mapleson's revival (1885) of
Italian Opera at, 218 et seq.;
his season opens, 223; "Carmen"
de"but, 226 et seq.; Patti's fare-
well performances projected, 321,
323, 324; the series (1895) be-
gins, 326 et seq.; and ends, 331;
complete list of Patti operas pre-
sented at, 332, 349, 350

Craig-y-Nos Castle: 196; position
and features of, 230; the or-
chestrion and its owner, 231;
dinner customs at, 232, 233; the
private theatre, 270; description
of theatre, 275; opening festivi-
ties, 277 et seq.; a journey to,
278, 279, 280; rehearsing, 281;
inaugural address and perform-
ance, 283 et seq.; a youthful
hostess, 288; her dancing, etc.,
289; an operatic matinee, 290;
Patti's disposition, and habits,
292; daily life at, 293, 294; an



unexpected arrival at, 294;
shooting with Mcolini, 295;
Prince Henry of Battenberg's
visit, 295, 298; wordless plays
introduced at, 296; staging
"Bluebeard" and "La Tosca,"
297, 298; Sardou in tableaux
vivants, 302; at Christmastide
(1892), 306; "Pagliacci" de-
clined, 306; the new "Una voce"
changes, 307; Patti's "Panet-
tone" impromptu, 309; her tal-
ent for improvization, 309; re-
turn (1893) to, 314; summer
of 1894, 317; Patti sings Gou-
nod's "Ave Masria" to Wrlhelmj's
obligate, 318; Christmastide
(1894), 321; discussing opera
plans, 322-324 ; mime-play,
"Mirka," 333; mime-play, "Le
Malheur d'un Peintre," 338;
Nicolini's last "Romeo," 338;
freedom of Brecon conferred,
341 ; mourning for Nicolini, 344;
marriage at, to Baron Rolf
Cederstrom, 347; foreign tours,
348; the end of the epilogue,
371 ; declining health and death,
376; temporary interment in
London, 376

Crossley, Ada, 374

Cruvelli, Sophie, 193

Crystal Palace, 157, 344

Csillag, 85

Cummings, W. H., 155, 158, 326

Cusms, Sir W, G., 154, 236

Damrosch, Dr. Leopold, 211, 213

Darcl
D'Arry, Vicomte, 171, 173

Davies, Ben, 374

Davies, Ffrangcon, 337

Davison, James, 32, 69, 80, 88, 100,

139, 144, 151, 153, 160, 161, 175,

193

DeAnna, 212
DeLucia, 328, 329



464:



INDEX



Decorations, list of, 377

Delibes, "Lakme" in America, 256

Del Puente, 205, 228

Delle Sedie, 95, 108

Desdemona (Rossini's "Otello"),

19-3
Piekens, Charles: Eulogy of Patti,

90
Dinorah ("Pardon de Ploermel") :

56; at Covent Garden (1862),

108 ; Hanslick's study of Patti's,

116, 117, 148, 169
Dolby, Sainton-, 158, 162
Dolores, at Nice, 340
Donizetti, 152
Dotti, 228
Drasdil, 155
Dresden, 325
Drury Lane Theatre, 237
Dublin, 97

Eames, Emma, 253

Edwards, Sutherland, 69, 125, 173,

189
Eissler, Marianne and Clara, 301,

314, 317, 318, 337
Elvira ( "Puritan!" ), 50, 169
Elvira ("Ernani"), 50, 193, 194
Engel, 228
Esmeralda, 190
Estella, 190

Fabbri, Guerrina, 255

Farinelli, 245

Faure 1 , 85, 108, 140, 149, 152, 155,

164, 168, 174, 177, 183, 250
Festivals :

Birmingham, 95-97

Handel, 157-161

Cincinnati, 204
Finck, Henry T., on "longevity of

Patti's voice/' 266, 267
Fischof, Jules, 128
Florence, 165, 314
Fohstroin, Alma, 223
Foli, 158, 236, 248, 270
Formes, Carl, 85



Franchi, 198, 202, 203, 204, 207,

210, 235
Frankfort, gala performance at,

147
French, Emperor and Empress of

the, 112, 171, 173, 181
Frezzolini, 177
Fry, Edward, 11
Fursch-Madi, 205



Galriellu, 311

Gailhard: 249; visit of, to Craig-
y-Nos, 249-251

Galassi, 205, 240, 312

Galli-Marie, 227

Ganz, Wilhelm, 197, 274, 301, 317,
321, 337 S 338, 345, 369, 375

Garcia, Manuel: 84, 183; on Pat-
ti's Rosina, 225

Gardoni, 95, 109, 155

Gassier, 95

Gelmina, 190

Gerster, Etelka, 207, 208

Qilda, 50, 55, 169

Giovanna d'Arco, 177

Giuglini, 57, 95, 113

Glanby, Rev. G., 197

Gottschalk, Louis M., 41, 42, 56

Gounod: 112 y 113; "Faust" in
London, 140; revival, 140; "Ave
Maria," 162; "Romeo," in Ital-
ian, 168; conducts "Romeo" (in
French) at Paris Op253; "Ave Maria" at Craig-y-
Nos, 318

Gramophone records, 364

Grau, Maurice, G7, 253, 254, 255,
310, 357, 358

Grau, Robert, 357, 358
< Graziani, 82, 140, 145, 154, 155,
161, 164, 193

Grisi, Giulia: 5, 57, 59, 65, 66;
farewells in "Don Giovanni," 85,
87, 108, 118, 138, 147, 173, 181,
193, 378

Guille, 310



INDEX



465



Gye, Ernest and Herbert, 204, 206,
215

Gye, Frederick: 57, 58, 59, 60; en-
gages Patti for Covent Garden,
60-62, 64; the ratified contract,
77, 78, 79, 82 ; the great "Don
Giovanni" cast, 85-87, 88, 92,
95, 105, 106, 109, 110, 113, 138;
engages Carlotta, 144, 145, 149,
152; gives first "Patti" concert,
161, 163, 165, 166, 167, 168, 176;
"coalition" season (1869), 177;
183, '186, 191; value of his ad-
vice, 192; death, 193, 199, 215,
217



Hague, The, debut, 102

Hamburg, first appearance in
"Faust*" 148

Hanslick, Dr. Eduard: 3, 4, 17, 29,
44; study of Dinorah, 116, 117,
268

Harris, Sir Augustus: 95, 172, 237,
241, 277; visits Craig-y-Nos
Castle, 301; interrupts a re-
hearsal, 302; a professional
opinion, 303, 322; plans Patti's
Covent Garden farewell, 322 et
seq*; their meeting, 324; the in-
augural night, 326 et seq. } 329

Harrison,- Percy: 254, 277, 278,
301, 314, 323, 335, 346, 349, 363;
benefit concert, 373; letter from,
374

Harrison's Subscription Concerts
(Birmingham), 254, 374

Hank, Minnie, 205, 227, 240

Her Majesty's Theatre, 241

Hersee, Henry, 69

Herz, Henri, 14, 142

Hollman, Joseph, 270

Hombnrg, d6but, 103

"Home, sweet home," 162, 237,
288, 315, 321, 326, 360, 367, 379

Hueffer, Dr. Franz, 32

Hulley, 298



Irving, Sir Henry, 278

Jahn, Otto, 86

Johnson, Thomas, 197, 278

Jones, Hirwen, 337, 339

Juliette: in Italian (Giulietta) at
Covent Garden, 169, 183-185,
190; first time in America, 207;
in French at Paris Opera, 248-
253; the new Juliette, 252; at
Craig-y-ISfos Castle, 290, 313,
323 } 338; last time at Covent
Garden, 349

Kingston, Wm. Beatty, 278, 283,
291

Krehbiel, H. B., 10, 211, 212, 213,
353

Kuhe, William: 64; story of Co-
vent Garden contract, 77, 78;
on concert delmt in England, 96,
189; cited on a "Faust" recital
and other events, 235, 258, 259,
263

Lago, 234

La7cm$, 256

Lassalle, 195

Lauw, Fraulein, 121, 127 et seq.,
171

Lawson, Sir Edward (Lord Burn-
ham), 278, 283, 291

Lehmann, Lilli, 23

Lely, Durward, 285, 288, 290, 301,
312, 317

Lemmens-Sherrington, 158, 168

Lenepveu, Charles, 190

Leoncavallo, "Pagliacci" on the
piano at Craig-y-Nos, 306, 307

L4on-Duval, 166

Leonora ("II Trovatore") : 50, 55;
first time in London, 137, 169;
on twenty-fifth anniversary, 229

Levilly, Charles, 210, 220, 234

Lewis, 'Sir George, 364

Lille, Comte de, 278

Lincoln, Henry, 69



466



INDEX



Lind, Jenny: 24, 30, 52, 56, 65,
84, 147, 273, 373, 378; mutual
admiration of, and Patti, 381

Linda ("di Chamouni" ) : 50, 152-
153$ at Covent Garden, 153, 169,
211

Lloyd, Edward, 158, 236, 248, 335,
345, 350

Loubet, President, 362

Lucca, Pauline: 66; visit to, in
Berlin, 98, 99, 140, 148; Mar-
guerite criticised, 149; com-
pared, 150-152, 154, 155, 161,
163, 164, 165, 187; Selikas com-
pared, 195, 196, 227

Lucia ("di Lammermoor") : debut
in New York, 47 et seq., 50; first
London season, 79, 81, 82, 153,
166, 169 ; second American tour,
205, 240, 265, 266; last sung in
New York, 311, 323

Luisa Miller, 194

Lumley, Benjamin, 56

Lussan, Z61ie de, 227



Maas, Joseph, 155

Macintyre, Margaret, 331

Madrid: birth at, 7; debut, 148;
season 1865, 153, 246

Malibran, 66, 68, 87, 147, 181, 225,
245

Manchester, Duke of, 173

Mancinelli, Luigi, 329

Manners, Charles, 331

Manns, Sir August, 345

Manzocchi, 43, 50

Mapleson, James H.: 48; engages
Patti for London (1861), 57, 58,
59; interview on arrival, 60;
contract cancelled, 61, 95, 105,
166; "coalition" season, 177;
Nilsson's fee, 199; first Ameri-
can negotiations, 203, 204, 205;
second American tour, 205, 207;
third, 207, 208; fourth, 209 et
seq.; financial results, 214; sues



Nicolini at New York, 214;
treatment of Patti by, 215; his
contracts with her, 215; the re-
hearsal question, 216; attempts
Italian revival at Covent Gar-
den, 218; a contract with Patti,
220, 221, 252; bankruptcy, 230;
benefit at Drury Lane, 237, 242,
247, 381

Maretzek, Max, 11, 24, 25, 43, 213

Marguerite ("Faust") : Hamburg
(1863), 148; Covent Garden
(1864), 150 et seq., 168, 169,
240; at Craig-y-Nos Castle, 286-
289

Maria ("Figlia del Keggimento" ) ,
138, 139, 140, 169

Marimon, Marie, 182

Mario: 57, 59; in famous "Bar-
biere" revival, 87, 88, 138; in
"Faust," 149, 152, 153, 161, 166;
in "Romeo," 167, 172, 173; in
"Don Giovanni," 177, 184; fare-
well, 191, 252

Martha: 50, 55, 87, 89, 97, 169,
212, 240; at Craig-y-Noa Castle,
290

Mascagni, 305

Masini, 186, 244, 246

Materna, 211

Mattei, Tito, 301, 337

Maurel, Victor, 155, 194, .331

Mayer, Marcus: 245, 246, 311;
final American tour, 356, 357,
358

Maynard, M., 197

Melba, Nellie: 245, 253, 306, 327;
Patti and, compared, 352, 353,
364

Merelli, 102, 113, 147, 148

Merime'e, Prosper, 226

Mexico City, 255, 258

Meyerbeer, 264

Mierzwinsky, 205

Milan: at La Scala, with Nicolini,
202; Verdi at, performances,
313



INDEX



467



Miolan-Carvalho: 66, 109, 140,
148; Marguerite compared, 150

Monbelli, 155

Mongini, 193

Monte Carlo: 334; a French son-
net, 339

Munek, Chevalier Ernest de, 146

Murska, lima di, 182

Muzio, 45, 46, 47

Naudin, 168

Neri-Baraldi, 164

Netherlands, Crown Prince of, 181

New Orleans, debut, 55

New York: concert debut as child-
prodigy, 24; operatic debut, 48,
49, 50; concert reappearance
(1881), 203; in opera (1882),
204 et seq., (1883), 206, (1884),
210, (1886), 238 et seq,; opera
at the Metropolitan, 239; last
operatic appearance at (1892),
310, 311; concerts (1893), 311;
arrival on final tour, 358; open-
ing concert, 359; farewell ap-
pearance, 360

Nice: 270, 313, 314; operatic tri-
umphs (1895), 323; "Mirka" at,
334

Nicolini, Ernest: 130, 155; Lon-
don delmt, 165, 166, 167, 183;
succeeds Mario as Romeo, 184,
185; Radames in ^Aida" pro-
duction, 189, 195; marriage with
Patti, 196, 199; increases her
fees, 199 et seq*; with Patti at
La Scala, 202; first American
tour, 203; engaged by Maple-
son, 204, 205; Romeo in New
York, 207, 212, 214; Mapleson's
London contract with, 219; with
Patti receives the Author, 221-
226, 232, 233, 235; as Almamva,
at Drury Lane, 237; discusses
South America, 244; the first
tour, 245, 252, 253, 274; at
Craig-y-Nos Castle, 280-282,



286; Romeo at home, 286; a
shooting adventure, 294, 295,
300, 301; last time at Swansea,
317; his collection of old vio-
lins, 318, 319, 322, 324, 337;
failing health, 341; death at
Pau, 343; character and influ-
ence, 343, 344, 348

Nicolini, Richard, 304

Nilsson, Christine, 66, 155, 163,
174; in "Don Giovanni" with
Patti, 177, 182; fees of Patti
and, compared, 199, 200; op-
posed to Patti in America, 206;
friendship and sympathy of, and
Patti, 381

Ninetta ("Gazza Ladra"), 138,
207

Nordica, Lillian, 255

Norina ( "Don Pasquale" ) , 50, 110,
138, 169

Novara, Franco, 240, 256, 286, 287,
290, 296, 311, 312

Novello, Clara, 157, 158, 159

"Nozze di Figaro/' a promise un-
redeemed, 163, 164

Operas sung by Patti, List of, 332

Paderewski, 270

Palmo, Ferdinand, 9

Paravelli, Sgra., 22, 32

Parepa-Rosa, 154, 158

Paris: de*but, 112; first European
interview, 117-119; season of
1864-5, 152; at Mario's flat,
167; reception at HStel du Rhin,
181; mime-play, "Mirka," 334,
354; Legion d'Honneur con-
ferred, 362; last stage perform-
ance, 373

Pasta, 25, 68, 117, 181, 193, 245

Patey, Madame, 158, 248, 314

Patti, Amalia (Strakosch) : 6, 13,
14, 16; marries Strakosch, 25,
45, 143, 179, 181

Patti, Carlina, 246



468



INDEX



Patti, Carlo, 5

Patti, Carlotta: 6, 14, 43; first
visit to England, 141 ; lameness,
141-142; studies and early ca-
reer, 142, 143, 144; London
debut, 144, 145; the sisters com-
pared, 145, 168, 181

Patti, Salvatore: birth, 4; mar-
riage, 5; in New York, 9, 10;
director of Astor Place Opera
House, 10, 11, 17, 18; brings out
his child-prodigy, 23 et seq., 26,
41 ; first operatic tour, 53 et seq.,
82, 120; the Chancery hoax, 130,
135, 165, 167; the Caux mar-
riage, 172; death, 179, 191, 198

"Patti i>. Patti," a Chancery hoax,
130; the plaintiff's affidavit, 135

Penco, 107

Persiani, 147

Petrograd (St. Petersburg), 176

Philadelphia: 207, 312; meeting
with Prince of Wales at, 373

Piatti, Alfredo, 253

Piccolomini, 44, 57

Philharmonic Society, gold medal
presented by, 326

Pini-Corsi, 330, 331

Pizzi, Emilio, "Gabriella" in Bos-
ton, 311, 312

Planeon, 327

Pogliagno, 9

Pollonnais, Andr6: "Mirka," 334;
"Dolores" at Nice, 340

Poniatowski, Prince, 190

Popper, David, 335



Rachel, 74, 138, 201

Ravelli, 205, 255

Ravogli, Giulia, 327

Reeves, Sims, 158, 236, 270, 379

Reszke, Edouard de, 155, 191, 235,

327, 373
Reszke, Jean de: 189, 248; as

Rom6o (Paris, 1888), 249, 327,

373



Reuter, Baron and Baroness de,
278

Richter, Dr. Hans, 272

Ricordi, Gmlio di, 187, 313

Rigby, Vernon, 158

Rigo, Frank, 288

Ristori, 201

Rome, 165

Ronconi, 85, 153, 154, 164, 168, 190

Rosa, Carl, 158, 218

Rosina, ("Bar bier e di Siviglia") :
50, 55; first London season, 87-
89, 101, 110, 140, 147, 148, 153,
169; American tour (1884),
211; Garcia's estimate, 225; at
Mapleson's benefit ( Drury
Lane), 237; last in New York,
311, 313, 323; Covent Garden
farewell, 330, 332; last stage
performance, 373

Rossini: Patti's changes and em-
bellishments, 88, 137; her Semi-
ramide, 173, 174; she sings at
his funeral, 174; his friendship,
175; "Bel raggio" changes and
cadenzas, 194, 225, 373

Rothschild, Alfred de, 80, 234, 278

Royston, Lord, 299

RudersdoriT, 108

Ryan, Desmond, senr., 69

Ryan, Desmond, junr., 260



Saint-Amand, Baron de, 171, 173

Sain ton, Prosper, 162

Salt Lake City, visit to, 208

San Francisco, "Patti epidemic"

in, 208, 209
Sanquirico, 9, 10
Santley, Sir Charles, 154, 158, 236,

335, 345, 374

Scalchi, 194, 205, 212, 240
Schoeffol, John B., 200
Schlirmann and Pollini, 247
Scola, 143

8eli7ca ("L'Africaine"), 195
Sembrich, Marcella: 163; New



INDEX



469



York debut, 206, 235 ; compared,
352, 359, 374

Semiramide, 173, 194, 205, 211,
240

Sinico, 6, 7

Smith, E. T., 57, 58, 59, 60, 95

Sontag, Henrietta, 30, 40, 60, 68,
139, 181

Spalding, Augustus F. M.: 246,
274; reflections, 286, 292, 297,
298, 337

State Concerts: 92, 93, 94, 154;
list of appearances (1865-1886),
154, 155, 329

Steinway, William, 213

Sterling, Antoinette, 270, 301

Stockhausen, 155

Stolz, Teresina, 186

Strakoseh, Maurice: 13; meets the
Pattis in New York, 15, 21;
story of his career, 25-27; mar-
ried to Amalia Patti, 25, 28;
first concert tour with Adelina,
27 ; share in her training, 29-32,
33, 41, 42, 43, 44, 46, 47, 50;
first operatic tour, 53-56; ne-
gotiations with Mapleson, 57,
58; arrival in London with
Patti, 59; Mapleson's cancelled
contract, 60; first contract for
Covent Garden, 61, 69; terms of
renewal, 77 et seg., 82, 95, 97;
first continental tour, 98 et seq.,
102; Patti's growing fees, 102,
103, 111, 120; understudy at re-
hearsals, 125, 126, 128; re
Chancery hoax, 130-136, 143,
160, 165, 167; the Caux mar-
riage, 172; his Eossini orna-
ments, 175; on prima donnas
and husbands, 179; separates
from Patti, 180, 191, 198; the
fee question, 200, 201; organizes
Italian tour, 201; the rehearsal
proviso with Mapleson, 216;
death, 242; appreciation of the
man and his "Souvenirs," 242,



243; an old dinner invitation,

366
Sullivan, Sir Arthur: 366; Jenny

Lind's appreciation, 381
Sweden, King and Queen of, 348

Tagliafico, 71, 85, 86

Tamagno, 244, 246, 255, 327, 364

Tamberlik, 85, 140

Ternina, Milka, 304

Terriss, William, 278, 283, 284,

285, 291
Thalberg, 44
Thalherg, Zar, 155
Thouless, A. H., 183
Tiberini, 82
Tietjens, Theresa: 57, 65, 66, 95,

97, 105, 150, 155, 158, 159, 163,

173; in "Don Giovanni" with

Patti, 177, 182, 194
Trebelli-Bettini, 154, 155, 182

Ullmann, 44, 45, 47

Valda, Giulia, 286, 287, 290, 296

Valentino, ("Les Huguenots") : 54,
55; at Covent Garden, 191; in
America, 208

Valleria, Alwina, 191

Vanderbilt, William H., 206

Vaughan, Father Bernard, 374

Veiled, 190

Verdi: 111, 116; Paris revival of
"Giovanni d'Arco/' 177; "Aida"
produced at Covent Garden, 187
et seq.; "Otello" in America,
256; witnesses "La Traviata" at
La Scala, 313; "Otello" and
"Falstaff" at Covent Garden,
327, 279

Vianesi, 156

Victoria, Queen: 91, 92, 93, 94;
Patti sings before, at Bucking-
ham Palace, 329, 330; Diamond
Jubilee celebrated, 341, 342

Vienna: 78; delmt, 113; an ex-



470



INDEX



perience in, 114, 115; another,
265, 323

Vilda, 156

Violetta ("La Traviata") : 50;
first London season, 82 et seq.,
100, 165, 169; in America, 205,
207, 208; Mapleson's Covent
Garden season, 223, 225, 240; at
Her Majesty's, 241, 267; at
Craig-y-Nos, 286, 287; at La,
Scala before Verdi, 313, 323;
farewell appearance at Covent
Garden, 328; emotions, 328; a
jewelled costume, 328, 329, 332

Visits to Patti (the Author's), in
London (introduction) : 223-
226; at Craig-y-Nos Castle, 277
et seq., 300, 306, 337

Vivian, Sir Hussey (Lord Swan-
sea), 230, 272, 274, 278, 288

Vivian, Mr. Graham, 230, 295, 298,
299

Wachtel, 108

Waldmann, 186

Wagner: 232, 268, 317; Patti es-
says "Traume," 314-316; Eliza-
beth's "Prayer," 316, 317; Wil-
helmj plays "Preislied" at
Craig-y-lSfos, 318; a provincial
furore, 319; letters on Bayreiith,
a visit to Wahnfried, 371, 372;



Richter's appreciation, 372, 380

Wales, The Prince of (Bang Ed-
ward VII), 218, 327, 329, 350,
373

Wales, The Princess of (Queen
Alexandra), 189, 327, 350

Watts, George, 235

Weiss, 158

Wilhelm I, Emperor, 98, 264

Wilhelmj, August: visits Craig-y-
Nos Castle, 317; plays "Preis-
lied," 318

Winter, William, 213

Wolff, Johannes, 270

Wordless- or Mime-Plays: intro-
duced at Craig-y-Nos Castle,
296; "Mirka," 333 et aeq.; "East
Lynne," 334; "Le Malheur d'un
Peintre," 338

Wynne, Edith, 158

York, Duke and Duchess of (King
George V and Queen Mary), 327
Young, Brigham, visit to, 208

Zerlina ( "Don Giovanni" ) : 50 ;
first London season, 85-87, 101,
107, 108, 136, 169; "Coalition"
cast, 177; a personal recollec-
tion, 182; in America, 205, 225;
Covent Garden farewell, 330

Zimmermann, Emmy, 183