A DIVA'S IDEAS ON SONG

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 8, 4 October 1919, Page 5

A DIVA'S IDEAS ON SONG

WHAT ADELINA PATH THOUGHT

THE SINGER AND HER TEACHER ■

Another of the world's great songAdelina Path an. artist, who in her long, extonded prime, yanked w'ith such bingers as Jenny Lind, Malibrau, and •ireoeiii, and whose successor on the grand opera stage of England is Melba. iam s voice was remarkable in its purity and musical tone, and remarkablo in its lasting power, shown at her many reappearances for. charity and in tho sanctity of her own private theatre in \Ules on many occasions since hor official" retirement from the stage. Without "selling her secret" of voice preservation, Madame Adelina Patti recently talked about the modern mothoda of singing. This is what sho said: Whenever'l go to hear ono of the new school with the acrobatic and vocal fireworks, I feel tempted to say,' 'My dear, you have beautiful furniture, you have pretty ourtains for the windows, and charming pictures but, ma foi you have no houao to put them all in.'"' The great bane of modern singing is without doubt the unduo haste to appear before the public without adequate training. How many too eager aspirants to vocal tame will bo singing like Santley at seventy-six, or like Patti at sixty-seven? As she made her first public appearance when che was sovon, Madame Patti has had a record-breaking singing career of sixty years. When the_ "final" retirement of Madanio Patti was announced the New York "Musical Courier" had tho following: "Not enough is said about tho late Maurice Strakosch, ■ who ' was the one man who took Adelino Patti In hand and •■■aught her how to sing, according to what wo now call the'Garcia., or the bel canto, method, and who also initiated her in music outside of song. Her sister, Amalia Strakosch, widow of Maurice, and mother of manager Robert Strakosch,.is living with her bachelor son in Paris, very much as if in voluntary retirement, fleldom hearing from her -nister Adelina. This musician, Maurice Strakosch, who was an artist of superb gifts, a oianist with an exquisite touch, Thalbexgian in 6tylo, a composer of merit for his period, was ono of the elements in the attainments of the.Patti glory; Another was Signor Nicolini, who in his days was by 'far the finest intellect among the tenors and a man from whom Adelina Patti acquired many musical ideas and histrionic points of vast valoe. Njco< lini was Patti's second husband."

Tho claim of Maurice Strakosch as Patti's teacher was formally sot out in tho "Strakosch Diary," which was pub. lisbed a while back. The great singer then wrote a letter, in which she mado this interesting statement: "My father was 'my first musical instructor, Next to my father I owe everything to my halfbrother, Kttore Barill. Over and oyer again it has been stated that Strakosch was my teacher. He taught me a few operas and a few ballads, that was all. My first teacher, my only teacher, was tho late Ettore Barill. It was he who saved my voice. He never forced it; he never permitted me to strain it. He taught me all that could be learned In the Italian method of singing." Ettore Barill. it is said, taught-Madame Patti from her IStfk to her 17th year, or at the time when she had toinporanly retired from publio life before making her dobui in opera. Cariotta Patti, her eistor, who was a graduate from the Mikn Conservatory in piano, also began hor vocal studies with the same master. Barill, whose daughter is now a musio teacher in New York, was the first baritone to sing t'he part of Rigolotto in the United States. He also sang, on short notice, tho vor/ difficult part of Don' Giovanni, having mastered it in 48 hours without a piano. When in her decline as a singer, the brilliant Cariotta Patti toured Australia well nigh thirty years ago, under the management of De Vivo, who. brought lima Di Murska to that country. ' Tho stout sister of 'la diva" sang at the Sydney-Theatre Royal In concerts. Her lameness made it impossible for Cariotta Patti to appear in operai ■•■■• ■-•

The teaching of Adelina Patti may he a matter for argument. But it cannot bo made a question that tho wonderful 6inger has been sustained in a- wonderful career by her natural gift of singing naturally. Endowed with a voice of great beauty, Patti obtained complete control over it by her plan of never forcing and always keeping it in a normal condition by the exercise of great caro and tenderness. Thero was no abundance of temperament. There was no superabundance of temperament, and hence no appetite for the dissipations of the overwrought singer who subjects tho voice to strains which are brought about by all kinds- of exposures and indifferences to tho hygiene of the artist"a life. She sang what was adapted to her style. When Patti sang Aida and Leonora she knew that she, was out of her : element, and rarely essayed those roles. In the high soprano parts she was 'the brightest example to the vocal world, and as sho combined agility with an even compass of exceptional emoothncss, togother with warmth'and a naive style of delivery, she soon became the choice of tho public, who recognised her superb control of vocal technique. She laid great stress upon the study of recitative, for that gave her her opportunity for temperamental delivery. Wagner'she wisely evaded, as Madame Melba did ■after a few experiments. Her voice wNuld have suooumbed to Wagner's vocai demands.