Adelina Patti: Queen of Hearts

Adelina Patti at her height commanded a whopping $5,000 per performance in fees. She owned a castle in Wales. She was adored by the critics, composers, and the public alike. Pictures show an attractive petite brunette at times almost absurdly decked out in jewels. No wonder she considered herself a queen, albeit a fairly benign one.This biography is another in the series of finely produced, copiously researched "Opera Biographies" by Amadeus Press. Tons of pictures, letters, reviews, apperance annals, and a discography make up this enjoyable book on the life of the ultimate prima donna of the 19th century. This book could, in fact, be subtitled "Everything you wanted to know about Dina." However, like many prima donnas, Patti was probably a creature of the stage and song. She came alive the most when she was singing -- she even built a private theatre in her home to entertain guests with her singing. Her personal life, although much discussed, comes across as rather shallow and artificial. She married three times, the first time to a Marquis who flirted with Patti "lookalikes", the second to the tenor Nicolini (which caused a scandal in Victorian England) and the third time to a Baron half her age who both pampered and isolated her. There is no evidence she was ever in love though -- indeed she seemed mainly attracted to fawning eccentrics. Her last years seem to have been lonely. Thus, despite the research and well-written style of this biography, ultimately Patti is still a mystery. Her recordings, made when she was in her 60s, tell more of the story -- the charm, the emotional involvement, the uniquely haunting sound.I greatly enjoyed this book because I had heard so much about Patti and wanted to 'know' her better. But as with most opera singers, really "hearing, one can believe."

The above quote, from Patti herself, pretty much sums things up. Adelina Patti was, undoubtedly, the most famous singer of the 19th century. In Mr. Cone's exhaustively researched book (in appendix form are lists of her roles, recordings, stage and concert appearances), the life of this extraordinary diva is examined. She started as a child prodigy, and made her official operatic debut at the age of sixteen (!) in "Lucia di Lammermoor." Patti lived in an age when operatic star power reigned supreme, and Cone includes tales of her capriciousness to highlight that fact. However, Patti was a true artist, able to even melt the hardest of hearts, including George Bernard Shaw. This is a marvelous book for anyone interested in singers and/or famous women of the 19th century.

I read this book years ago after it first came out. I was a fan of Patti but I knew very little about her life. She is an absolutely fascinating person and a tremendous singer (even in her sixties and seventies). If you like opera history, then this is the book for you.