Word: adelina
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Battle of Monocles. In the third Covent Garden, designed 100 years ago by Architect Edward Barry, the fires have been artistic or temperamental, set by such prima donnas as Giulia Grisi, Nellie Melba, Emma Albani. In the '90s, Adelina Patti, who imperiously ignored rehearsals, once filled the stage with detectives disguised as supers to guard her diamonds. Famed Manager Augustus Harris made Covent Garden London's choicest nightspot for rich and royal patrons who came to monocle each other-and protested violently when he doused the house lights during performances...
...passionate hate, tempestuous love and outrageous gesture. The prima donna was larger than life, and a law only to her own towering talent. One composer did not dream of objecting when Maria Malibran (1808-36) regally replaced one whole act he had written with music by another composer. Adelina Patti (1843-1919) traveled in a deluxe private railway car of her own, flanked by husband, dogs, birds and servants. Her fees were stupendous, and one agent protested that she was asking more per month than the President of the U.S. got per year. "Well, then," said Patti stonily...
...dodging Dr. Hubert Parry's Job"; the closing lines are marked by a note of extreme sorrow: " He might have let Job alone . . . for, patient as we both are, there are limits to human endurance." Deadly insults march in disguise as compliments, as when Shaw wrote of Soprano Adelina Patti, after she had enjoyed 35 years of enormous popularity: "It is my firm belief that Patti is capable of becoming a great singer." Battle Lines. Shaw's criticisms are, almost to a word, a joy to read, even when the personalities are beyond memory. One reason: musical battle...
...Margutta enjoyed its golden age in the 19th century. Then the hill villages of Anticoli and Saracinesco, which have traditionally supplied artist models to the capital, still sent their handsomest daughters to Margutta studios. Fashionable painters gave parties at which young artists sipped champagne with Adelina Patti, Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner. Wagner was so fascinated with Via Margutta that he considered settling down there. The Marguttiani, appalled at having their peace disturbed by "a German who writes futuristic music," were relieved when the composer abandoned the idea...
...appear oftener than once in a generation. The nearest thing to such a voice that this generation of U.S. operagoers is familiar with is the neat, flutelike warbling of Lily Pons. She is the capable but hardly startling descendant of a great line beginning with Jenny Lind and including Adelina Patti, Nellie Melba, Luisa Tetrazzini, Amelita Galli-Curci. Measuring Korjus against the yardstick of their memories, old-timers placed her somewhere near the Pons mark, admired the warmth, vibrancy and agility of her voice, which reminded them slightly of Melba...