Adelina Patti Famous opera singer 19th century Date of Birth: 19.02.1843 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of Adelina Patti
2. Early Life and Training
3. Debut and Success
4. Later Life and Career
5. Personal Life

Biography of Adelina Patti

Adelina Patti was a renowned 19th-century opera singer who first began singing as a child in 1851 and gave her final concert over 50 years later in 1914. Alongside Jenny Lind and Thérèse Tietjens, she is considered one of the most famous sopranos in the history of the world. Her pure and beautiful voice and unparalleled bel canto technique brought her great fame. Adelina, then known as Adela Juana Maria Patti, was the youngest child of tenor Salvatore Patti and soprano Caterina Barilli. She was born in Madrid while her parents were working there. As Salvatore was Sicilian, Adelina also became a citizen of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Later, she would acquire a French passport through her first two husbands, who were French.

Early Life and Training

Adelina's sisters, Amalia and Carlotta, were also involved in singing. Adelina grew up in the Bronx, New York, as her family moved there when she was still a young child. She began her professional singing training from a very young age, ultimately developing a remarkable coloratura soprano voice with incredible warmth. It is believed that Adelina learned many vocal secrets from her stepbrother Maurice Strakosch, a famous musician and impresario. However, the singer herself claimed that she had taught herself everything.

Debut and Success

Adelina made her operatic debut at the age of 16 on November 24, 1859, with the leading role in Gaetano Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor" at the Academy of Music in New York City. On August 24, 1860, she sang a solo alongside Emma Albani at the world premiere of Charles Wugk Sabatier's Cantata, which was performed in honor of the visit of the Prince of Wales. In 1861, Adelina was invited to perform as Amina in Vincenzo Bellini's "La sonnambula" at Covent Garden in London. She was received so warmly that she acquired a home in Clapham and began conquering Europe starting from London. Her portrayal of Amina in Paris and Vienna also garnered immense success due to the incredible purity and resonance of her voice.

Later Life and Career

Adelina's age influenced both her repertoire and singing style, as she became more conservative. She understood which roles would showcase her mature voice most favorably and focused on performing those. At the height of her career, Adelina commanded fees of up to $5,000 per night. Her contracts even stipulated that her name should appear larger than other performers on posters. Adelina was known for her incredible tenacity and business acumen.

Personal Life

Adelina was married three times, though her personal life was not as successful as her professional one. Her first marriage ended due to mutual infidelity, her second due to her husband's death, and her third due to her own passing. Despite these challenges, Adelina led a long and quite successful life. She passed away in 1919 from natural causes.