# Adelina Patti Recordings Question



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I am doing a speech comparing Patti and Stignani.I will likely only do recording samples of Stignani but would play some excerpt by Patti if I could find something that actually sounded good. Do YOU know of a recording of Patti where you think she sounded impressive. She was in her 60's before the first recording equipment could capture her. I couldn't find anything that was worth listening to.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

For what purpose are you comparing an elderly soprano, born in 1843, poorly recorded, with a mezzo born in 1903 and recorded in her prime?

Patti's recordings are very much worth listening to. They are not only deeply felt performances, but they give us a valuable glimpse of stylistic practices of the 19th century. Her personal, expressive musicality seems not to have been inhibited by the circumstances of recording. I find her "Ah non credea" as touching as any, if not more so:






Her "Voi che sapete" is absolutely unique in its creative freedom and spontaneous-sounding engagement with words and music:






"Home, Sweet Home" is as purely and sincerely expressed as it can be:


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Made a wrong post.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> For what purpose are you comparing an elderly soprano, born in 1843, poorly recorded, with a mezzo born in 1903 and recorded in in her prime?
> 
> Patti's recordings are very much worth listening to. They are not only deeply felt performances, but they give us a valuable glimpse of stylistic practices of the 19th century. Her personal, expressive musicality seems not to have been inhibited by the circumstances of recording. I find her "Ah non credea" as touching as any, if not more so:
> 
> ...


Woodduck, that was exactly what I was searching for. A fan of Patti who could point the way.
Your question has merit and I hope I can justify my madness. A. I am mainly interested in Stignani. I had a language guru coach me and I plan to read in an Italian accent a bit of an interview Stignani did for The Last Prima Donna. It is so brilliant and she is unlike any other prima donna. B. That only takes up 90 seconds and the rest of her life is about her roles which would mean nothing to my opera ignorant audience. C I thought I would speak a bit about a TOTALLY different prima donna- Patti-as a contrast to Stignani. It is some fun stuff. D. I am very excited about playing some excerpts about Stignani and I have some great ones. D. I am not sure my crowd will like any of the very early Patti stuff but I will check out what you recommended. Patti is a secondary character in my speech to highlight the uniqueness of Stignani and to take up some time in my speech as it needs to be a certain length. I thought of doing Kathleen Battle instead of Patti, but she deserves some major time devoted to her singing and I think I need to do a whole speech about her. I hope that makes some sense.
I like the Somnambula aria the best.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Seattleoperafan said:


> Woodduck, that was exactly what I was searching for. A fan of Patti who could point the way.
> Your question has merit and I hope I can justify my madness. A. I am mainly interested in Stignani. I had a language guru coach me and I plan to read in an Italian accent a bit of an interview Stignani did for The Last Prima Donna. It is so brilliant and she is unlike any other prima donna. B. That only takes up 90 seconds and the rest of her life is about her roles which would mean nothing to my opera ignorant audience. C I thought I would speak a bit about a TOTALLY different prima donna- Patti-as a contrast to Stignani. It is some fun stuff. D. I am very excited about playing some excerpts about Stignani and I have some great ones. D. I am not sure my crowd will like any of the very early Patti stuff but I will check out what you recommended. Patti is a secondary character in my speech to highlight the uniqueness of Stignani and to take up some time in my speech as it needs to be a certain length. I thought of doing Kathleen Battle instead of Patti, but she deserves some major time devoted to her singing and I think I need to do a whole speech about her. I hope that makes some sense.
> I like the Somnambula aria the best.


Sorry, Seattleoperafan, as a mezzo, Stignani is _seconda donna_!


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

MAS said:


> Sorry, Seattleoperafan, as a mezzo, Stignani is _seconda donna_!


Are you serious!!!!!!!!????????? I can't talk about seconda donna attitude. Perhaps just opera diva. Thanks for keeping me from coming off as stupid.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

MAS said:


> Sorry, Seattleoperafan, as a mezzo, Stignani is _seconda donna_!


Are you serious!!!!!!!!????????? I can't talk about seconda donna attitude. Perhaps just opera diva. Thanks for keeping me from coming off as stupid.
Is she a seconda donna in La Favorita and Carmen as well?


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Seattleoperafan said:


> Are you serious!!!!!!!!????????? I can't talk about seconda donna attitude. Perhaps just opera diva. Thanks for keeping me from coming off as stupid.
> Is she a seconda donna in La Favorita and Carmen as well?


No, in those she would be termed Prima Donna, of course! But there are many mezzo sopranos who always acted like a prima donna!  Helga Dernesh once told me that she liked singing Penthesilea because she once again could be prima donna (this was after she started singing mezzo roles), so yeah, mezzos can sometimes be prime donne!


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

MAS said:


> No, in those she would be termed Prima Donna, of course! But there are many mezzo sopranos who always acted like a prima donna!  Helga Dernesh once told me that she liked singing Penthesilea because she once again could be prima donna (this was after she started singing mezzo roles), so yeah, mezzos can sometimes be prime donne!


Whew. I'm not a total ninny LOL. You guys are such fountains of operatic knowledge!!!!!


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