Adelina Patti, (baptized as Adele Juana Maria), born in Madrid February 10, 1843, sang soprano in italian operas around the world for 50 years. She debuted on Thursday, November 24, 1859 at the New York Academy of Music. as Lucia in the Italian opera known at Lucia di Lammermoor.
Adelina Patti, as a child
Her father Salvatore Patti, a Sicilian, sang tenor and worked as an operatic manager. Her mother, Caterina Chiesa was a daughter of Italians living in Madrid. Adelina’s family moved to New York when she was five years old.
Her elder sister (Amalia) married Maurice Strakosch who claimed he intended to make her the greatest prima donna the world had ever seen. She also studied music under her half-brother, Ettore Barilli. Then under the direction of Max Maretzek she sang at a public concert in New York.
When she debuted at Tripler Hall, Adelina accompanied herself on the piano and made a success enough for an encore. She brought everyone to laughter by clapping as heartily as everyone else in the building. (“Patti’s First Performance.” In Southern Standard., September 26, 1891, page 6).
Adelina would refuse to sing when she was young unless Maurice allowed her to take her doll on stage with her. “Once she had sung a very difficult cavatina in such She arrived in London on the 1st of May, and made her a way as to ” bring down the house” with tremendous début on the 14th inst. applause. When the calm came after the storm, Adelina, having recognised on one of the front benches a child of her own age, said in a clear, smooth voice, “Nelly, come to my room right away; I’ve got such a beautiful doll to show you, and we’ll have such fun!” (The Illustrated London News. May 25, 1861. Page 491.)
After her debut she studied under Manzocchi for three years before going back on stage.
Adelina Patti’s Singing Career
Adelina sang on tour of the West Indies before returning to New York for her debut in 1859.
Pattie made her first appearance in Washington, DC in 1853 on Monday evening November 7th at Carusi’s Saloon. She sang “Brilliant Cavatina,” from Verdi’s Opera of “Ernani” and “Ah! non giunge,” the celebrated Rono Finale from La Somnambula. Later she sang Jenny Lind’s “Echo Song.”
Her first appearance in London occured at Covent Garden on May 14, 1861.
Adelina sang in Europe’s capital cities along with others such as Jenny Lind and Therese Tietjens. In 1863 The Alexandria Gazette of Washington D.C. calling her a “Diva” claimed that Adelina continued to attract all of Paris to the Italian opera. Even the emperor and his wife went to hear Adelina sing on multiple occasions who presented her with a diamond bracelet as a gift on one visit.
Patti’s Death in 1919
Patti passed away at age 76 in 1919 on September 27 after a 50 year career at her castle, Craig-y-nos, Penycos in South Wales. She was known as Baroness Cederstrom.
The Adelina Patti China Head Doll
The German porcelain and doll manufacturers Alt, Beck & Gottschalck made a glazed china doll head known today as the Adelina Patti. Some claim it does not look like her but one must study all her portraits to find the possible resemblance. Some of her younger portraits show a side profile with a middle part, curls on the forehead, and wisps of hair by her ears that ABG replicated in the china head mold.
Most images of Adelina have her hair pulled back with long curls in the back. The doll head just has vertical curls around the head but not pulled back making it seem as it does not resemble her. The doll head may more likely resemble Adelina’s hairstyle in the photograph by Charles Reutlinger. One might need to compare the various portraits of her.
Then consider the illustrations of her portrait that appeared the European newspapers or magazines in the 1860s and 1870s. Here is one from 1874. The consider this photo by Alphonse Liebert from the 1860s.
La Poupee-Patti
In 1893 the French publication Le Grelot described a life size Patti doll. La Mechanical Patti Company (LTD) created a life size wax doll of Adelina Patti with a phonograph device that sang opera songs. The doll used clockwork movements.