Interview

Interview with Adelina Patti

Tessa Bailey: Ms.Patti, I would like to start by saying you have an amazing voice. It is a pleasure to be here interviewing you. Where did you grow up? What was your family like? 

Adelina Patti: I was born in Spain in 1843. ("Powys A Day in the Life") My parents were working there during my first few years, then when I was five years old, we moved to New York City. We lived in the Bronx, and today my home is still standing. (“History and Women”) We lived in the same house until I was seventeen years old. (Mortier ) I loved New York City, it was where I spent my childhood. 

My parents were both Italian opera singers. My mother, Caterina Cheisa Barilli-Patti, was a soprano, and my father, Salvatore Patti, was a tenor. ("Encyclopedia Britannica Online") I was the youngest child in my family.  I had two sisters, Amalia and Carlotta Patti. My sisters were singers as well. My brother in law, Maurice Strakosch, was a musician, and he was my first manager. ("ENotes") He also helped me with my vocal techniques when I was younger, however other than this early training, I was self-taught. ("History and Women") 

Tessa Bailey: I see! It sounds like you had a good childhood. What events in your early life made you interested in opera?

Adelina Patti: My mother and father were both Opera singers, so I grew up with the style of music in my house. ("Encyclopedia Britannica Online") I began singing when I was a young girl at age seven. ("Powys A Day in the Life") I assume the reason I became an opera singer is because even throughout my childhood, music was a part of my life. I watched my parents perform the genre, and eventually I performed it as well. I made my debut on stage when I was sixteen years old. I sang the title role in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. ("All Music") I performed this role with New York’s Academy of Music. (St. Austell) That performance was my first leading role. 

Another reason I became interested in music when I was younger was because my brother in law was a musician. He was a brilliant pianist, composer, and impresario. (Whitley) His success in the music business defiantly persuaded me to pursue the industry as well. As I mentioned before, he was my first manager. ("ENotes") Since my parents and brother in law were in the music industry, I grew up around it, so I became interested in the art form. That is how I became so attached to the style of music. 

Tessa Bailey: You mentioned that Maurice Stakosch helped you with your technique when you were young. What role did mentors play in helping you develop the interests and talents you have as an artist today? 

Adelina Patti: As I have mentioned, my brother in law did help me create an interest in music. He also helped me with technique. ("ENotes") My parents also helped me develop this love for opera. ("Encyclopedia Britannica Online") Maurice not only helped me with my technique, but as my manager, he was responsible for the roles I received. (Lawrence and Strong 630) My family members served as mentors during my early years, and I owe a lot of my success to them. 

Later in my life, my agent, Giovanni Franchi supported me financially. He paid me 5,000 dollars per performance. This was an amazing amount of money, considering it was about twenty times more money other singers received, such as Mario and Titiens. Mario and Titiens were two other opera singers that performed their work in the 1800‘s. (Novello 825 ) They were vocalists twenty years before I started performing. (Gates 316) Franchi’s financial support allowed me to continue singing and keep my interest in the art form alive. 

Tessa Bailey: What was the world of Opera like when you were performing in it?

Adelina Patti: When I was first starting out in opera, a style of opera called bel canto was commonly performed. ("Opera America") The word “Bel Canto” means beautiful singing in Italian. (Stark 325) The music in this style of opera was written to emphasize the beauty in a singer’s voice. The operas written in the time period were often about love. Some famous composers during this period were Gioacchino Rossini, Gaetano Donizetti, and Vincenzo Bellini. ("Opera America")

Over time, the opera style changed. During the late 1800’s a style of Opera known as grand opera became quite popular around the world. Grand Opera consisted of large casts of people. This style of opera also included spectacular sets and costumes that were stunning to audiences, because they were new. These pieces were also highly dramatic and impressive. An example of this type of opera is Verdi’s Aida, which had a large scene with hundreds of singer, dancers, and animals on stage. ("Opera America")

Tessa Bailey: Wow, that sounds interesting! How did the major cultural situations in the late 1800’s impact your your work? How did the economic and political situations affect it?

Adelina Patti: I was professionally singing during a period of time that can be described as the time of imperialism. Imperialism began in the late 1800‘s. America persuaded other countries to have a well organized government. ("Impact of US Imperialism") Imperialism is a way in which one country has control over another country, and is sometimes achieved by force. ("Cambridge Dictionary Online") A cultural situation during the this time period was the Jim Crow laws. These laws segregated against people of African American descent. I never performed with a singer of color throughout my whole career. It is a sad realization, when I think about all the talented people I didn’t get the chance to perform with because of these laws. (Simkin) One famous African American opera singer, that I wish I could’ve had the chance to perform with is Sissieretta Jones. She was the first African American to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City. I wish I could have had the chance to sing with her because she was a very talented  women. (Taylor)

One economic situation that took place during the time period I performed in was that the USA was exporting many new goods. (McCarty) Our country also gained more ports in different countries.(conservapedia) This was a time of rapid growth economically in the USA. Many people were rich. (McCarty) This affected me because I was lucky enough to have a lot of money. (Gates 316) Also many people could afford going to the opera during this time of prosperity, which resulted in larger audiences for my performances. Since times were economically well, there was more money to be spent on glorious opera houses. Times in our country were great, and I prospered from the economic wealth. 

In 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed. ("Chinese Exclusion Act: A Black Legacy ")This act prevented the Chinese from immigrating to our country or become US citizens. It also put many Chinese people out of work in our country. ("Immigration to the United States, 1789-1930") This affected me because I didn’t perform with anyone that was Chinese throughout my whole life. As I said earlier, I missed out on many opportunities I could have had if racial segregation didn’t exist. 

Tessa Bailey: What were your major accomplishments and the methods you used in your style of singing?

Adelina Patti: I have sung at many different events, and performed many different places, but my first great accomplishment in opera was when I sang at the Covent Garden. I was only eighteen years old, and I took the lead soprano role of Amina in Bellini’s La Sonnambula, and it was a huge success. In 1862 I sang in the White House for Abraham Lincoln and his wife, due to the loss of their son Willie. I sang John Howard Payne’s Home, Sweet Home, and I caused the president to burst into tears and insist on an encore. I have sung in many countries, and I have performed all over the world. ("History and Women")

My vocal technique helped me create a sound that was pure and whole. I relied on my breath support to keep my sound spinning, even when I was reaching the top of my vocal range. I had quite a lot of training under my belt. All my training was the reason I had such an incredible range. ("Encyclopedia Britannica Online") I used these methods to make my voice float on my air, and it creates a lovely sound. With these healthy singing techniques, I was able to continue singing throughout my whole vocal career. ("Encyclopedia Britannica Online")

Tessa Bailey: What were the key opportunities you had that led to major turning points in your life and musical career?

Adelina Patti: My professional singing career began when my brother in law, Maurice Strakosch, helped me develop my voice into the magnificent instrument it is. One major turning point in my music career was when I sang at Covent Garden, a spectacular opera house in New York. As I said before, I was only 18 years old. It was a great honor to be able to sing in such a professional environment at such a young age. Amazingly enough, people thought my work was brilliant, and I continued to sing professionally. ("History and Women") This performance was a huge step that led me in the right direction to great fortune and fame in the music industry. 

Another key turning point in my music career was when I sang for the President of the United States in the White House. It was such an honor to meet the president, and even more of an honor to be able to share my art with him and his wife. I was pleased that they were so breathless after I finished singing. I had really touched their hearts with my music. That was another great turning point that made my vocal career really start to take flight. ("History and Women")

Tessa Bailey: Were there any hardships or roadblocks you had to overcome in order to be an opera singer? If so, what were they?

Adelina Patti: I had very few hardships during my vocal career, however there was one event that I consider a major failure on my part. I played the ‘cigarette girl’ in Bizet’s Carmen in 1885, and the role stumped me. It was a role that was too heavy for my voice. It was considered an error in my career by many critics. I was so ashamed that I had made this mistake. However, this was one of my only true faults in my opera career. I wouldn’t stop singing just because of one little mistake. I continued my training, and didn’t let it upset me.  I achieved many great accomplishments after that incident, because I didn’t give up. (Van Dijk)

Other than this incident, I didn’t really have many roadblocks. I liked to stay positive about my career and keep myself happy. However, there were hardships in my life that made me want to give up. A major hardship that made me want to give up was when my husband, Signor Nicolini died of cancer. ("New York Times" ) I was heartbroken and I didn’t think I could go on singing without my love accompanying me through my life. Even though his death was a major disappointment, I continued singing. I knew that he would want me to keep singing, and I continued in remembrance of him. 

Tessa Bailey: Who are some people that you admire both in the arts and beyond, and why do they inspire you?

Adelina Patti: One of my biggest inspirations in opera was Nellie Melba. (Callaghan) She was an Australian soprano who achieved many great accomplishments. She didn’t start studying vocal music until she was twenty one years old, but she had a natural gift, and went far in her career. One of her most memorable performances was in 1887, when she made her debut as Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto. She sang in many principal opera houses in the United States and Europe. ("Encyclopædia Britannica Online") She was a great inspiration for me because we both had the same dreams and goals of becoming world renowned opera singers.

Although Nellie Melba was one of my biggest inspirations, she wasn’t my greatest. The two people I admire the most are my parents, Salvatore Patti and Caterina Chiesa Barilli-Patti. My parents inspired me because they were both opera singers as well. ("Encyclopedia Britannica Online") My father was a brilliant tenor, and my mother was a glorious soprano. After my birth, my mother lost her voice. This was a terrible tragedy in my family, and it was the reason we moved from Spain to America. (essortment) My parents were my biggest inspirations through my life because they shared my goals and hopes and dreams. 

Tessa Bailey: Thats very interesting that your parents share the same interests as you. What personal stories, or anecdotes, best illustrate how you became successful in the arts?

Adelina Patti: I gave many performances over my lifetime. My piano accompanist, Landon Ronald glorified me as a marvelous artist. He once wrote, “When the little trumpet gave forth the beautiful tones, she went into ecstasies! She threw kisses into the trumpet and kept on saying, ‘Ah! Goodness me! Now I understand why I am Patti!’ Oh yes! What a voice! What an artist! I understand everything! Her enthusiasm was so naive and genuine that the fact that she was praising her own voice seemed to us all to be right and proper.” ("History and Women") His gracious compliments flattered me greatly. It persuaded me to continue to sing. 

Another compliment I received was when Giuseppe Verdi, a world famous composer, called me “the greatest vocalist that he ever heard.” ("History and Women") His words gave me confidence to keep singing throughout my whole career.  Audience reactions also flattered me. They loved me, and showered me with compliments. (“History and Women”) As a result, I kept performing at my best, which made me a successful opera singer. 

Tessa Bailey: How many husbands did you have? 

Adelina Patti: I married three times. My first husband was Henri de Roger de Cahusac, marquess of Caux. We married in 1826. We were happily married for many years, until both of us had affairs. He was granted legal separation from me in 1877, and our divorce was final in 1885. ("History and Women") After my divorce, I lived with Ernesto Nicolini. He was an opera singer as well. We fell in love and married in 1886. 

Our marriage lasted until his death, and he suffered from cancer. Our marriage had struggled the last few years we had together, and caused him to take me completely out of his will. My last marriage was to Baron Rolf Cederstrom in 1899. He was a young Swedish aristocrat. He severely damaged some of my relationships, for instance, cutting my domestic staff from 40 to 18. However, he gave me the love and support I needed. ("History and Women") 

Tessa Bailey: How did you spend the last years of your career?

Adelina Patti: The last tour I performed in was in the United States, and it was a failure. I was growing old and weak, and I didn’t have the strength to perform at my best anymore. I stopped giving tours, and I only performed occasional concerts and private performances every once and a while. When I turned sixty, my voice started to noticeably weaken. My breath control wasn’t strong, and my voice seemed tired. Even though my voice had weakened, my tone remained impressively pure and beautiful. ("History and Women")

I built a private theater in my home, the Craig-y-Nos, in Wales. I spent most of my later years there. ("History and Women") My home was a giant mansion that I spent my days in. Nicolini and I had lived in the home together, and after out marriage came to an end, I still lived there for years to come. ("Theatres Trust") The home in Wales will always have a special place in my heart, for it gives me comfort, and a sense of joy.  It reminds me of the days when I would sing for thousands of people every night. 

Tessa Bailey: Thank you so much for your time here, it has been an honor to be able to interview you!

Adelina Patti: Its my pleasure. Thank you for the opportunity to bring my story back into the lives of people today. 

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