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Adelina Patti, 1843-1919
One of the greatest sopranos of the nineteenth century, Adelina Patti moved with her family from Spain to New York at the age of four. Born into a family of musicians, Patti had exceptional talent. Her career as a touring opera star began at age eight and spanned more than half a century. In 1859 she debuted as Lucia in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor at the Academy of Music in New York. Her 1861 Covent Garden debut in the role of Amina in Bellini's La Sonnambula was a great success. Between the 1850s and the 1870s she toured the United States, South America, the Caribbean, and Europe. In the 1880s she sang increasingly in concerts, demanding the highest fees the opera world had ever paid. Composers of her time raved about her clear voice tone and effortless skill of execution.
This photograph, taken by Charles Reutlinger, won the first prize at the International Exposition of 1867 in Paris.
Charles Reutlinger, c 1867 |