MADAME PATTI.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1304, 17 February 1885, Page 3

MADAME PATTI.

Madame Patti recently celebrated her silver wedding with the stage. The affair took place in America, and there were great doings on the occasion. She made her first appearance at the Academy of Music in November, 1859, in “ Lucia di Lararaermoor.” At the silver wedding ‘f Martha ” was the operg choaep, and the proceedings are described :—No sooper was the opera oyer titan a hand of the fth Begiiruat ipatch' d upon the ftage ; a storm of applause arose from all parts of the house, the hand played an inspiriting march, the composi'ion of fin- favorite prima donna, who, at the conclusion of the march, stepped gracefully forward, and said:—‘My ar Friends, —it is tvyenty-five years ago since I sang here for the first time. The reception you have given me tc-night is a tribute I shall never forget. It oyercomeg tp e : | am so overwhelmed that I can say pothjng raore. , At these pretty declarations the audience fairly shouted with delight. Ladies stood up in their Beats and waved their handkerchiefs, and the army of young mm shouted ‘Bravo!’ Madame Patti turned to Scalchi and kissed her on the cheek. She then shook hands with the conductor bowed sweetly

to tho members of the band, kissed her hand to the audience, and ran away to her dressing-room. It was close upon midnight when Madame Patti came out of the Academy and entered a close carriage drawn by four white horses. A platoon of mounted police cleared the way for the carriage, and fifty torchbearers fell in b'diin.l the police. The Seventh’s band headed tho procession. Following Patti’s coach-and-four was a big waggon, from which there was a continuous shooting off of Roman candles. This waggon also contained iron basins of powder, which, when ignited, made the streets brilliant with nnrny-colored lights. The route terminated at the Windsor Hotel, in the vicinity of which establishment cannon* were fired with a noise and rnpiuity which quite unnerved the great songstress. Subsequently Madame Patii informed an interviewer iliat after tV next season in Europe she intended to leave the stage for ever.”