Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1882-01-21
PATTI AT ST. LOUIS.


Four fortunate Lexingtenians heard the ex-
quisite voice Of the greatest living singer in
the Grand Guerra House in St. Louis on the
evening OF Friday, january 18th; the
four were Mrs. W. E. Foote, the accomplished
vocalist OF Central Female College. q. W.
Winsor. ESQ q, q conuoisssur In music IS well
IS coal, q very cnxrminx lady who shall b
nameless, but who was thus compensated ior q
Christmas on bed Of sickness, and . timld
tenor singer, your correspondent. 1sfsrs dis
cussing the concert let NJ talk . little about this
price OF tieksls. Five dollars may seem an ex-
orbitant SUN 10 pay to hear any person sing, but
In this case 1t was not, when We compare. Patti
10 Is great - Jenny Lind was. Barnam gavs
the dS>S Of hts day q. oco per concert shsolateiy
Mr.. Abbey gives his $3.50 for the same work.
Jenny Lind's troupe consisted Q fhsrsslf, y BARI
tone singer and . pianist; Mr.. Abbey supports
Patti with . grand orchestra Of from 20 to 80
performers; four male and two female solo vo-
ealists and = solo ~violiniss Barnum sold his
choicest seats at auction. and disposed Of what
WAS left at from 81 to S3 each Tor reserved seats,
according to location, and u and - fer stand
Ing room; the best seats at the Patti concerts
we're sold At . standard price of s6 each. rang
ing from that down to - fer the gallery and
standing room Surely when We consider the
vast difference In both lumber and pay OF these
different troupes, Mr. Abbey 10 very reasonable
when he only demands . modest S5 for the ele-
CANT cushionsd chairs in which We took our I'M
disturbed ease In listening to the divine voice
Of the Jenny Lind OF To-day; not to mention the
other attractions given us beside.
But the price seemed an Insignificant matter
when compared with the great question OF room;
ladies in satins. velvsts sad diamonds were
scattered through the crowd that throRged the
aisles. vestibules and even the stairways to the
different balconies IN their eagsrness to sss and
hear the famous cantstrlce.
Patti sang ''Bel Raggio" from Semirsnide.)
IA elaborate mase OF vocal intricaoies, and oke
which calls for all the resources Of the art ' ocal.
Her sther number was Knights ballad, ''she
wore . wreath Of Roses;'' while her sseores
were all ballads tThe Last Rose Of Summer"
"Robin Adair'' and ''Home, Sweet Home"
Beside this she sang and acted the reIs Of Mar
gusrlte Ia the third act Of Gounod's ''Faust.''
which act was given entire with full cast. In
this way the audience had full opportunity to
hear and test the great singer In difficult concert
song. In ballad and opera, which covers the
entire range OF vocal display.
With all this there was and could be but one
verdict, that was spoken in tho storms of ap-
plause whish greeted and cheered every appear
ance. with the widest enthusiasm. Adelin.
Patti 10 not only a great artist in the tschni-
cal and professional sense OF the word but has
been endowed by her Maker with one Of those
Voices that appear but once or twice in . gen.
GRAFTON. 1t is q voice Of velvety smsotkness
and richness; and whose henied sweetness and
lndescribable tenderness touches and moves both
heart and soul; . voice that lsaped and rlpplsd
from her throat ~ from = bird's, or g water
from . mountaineering without the conscious
ness Of effort; . voice 10 make us forget oil else
beside. and to love heaven more, for IL seems
but . f~srstssts of the divine melody We shall
listen to there. She sang the ballads simply
and almost bare of ornament. scarcely even a.
lowing the little -srsce-notss intended by the
composer to add to the song, and In Q gentle
tone Of voice barely rising to medium. saeh
. Voice ~ she might use to lull q child to sleep
In her arms. with nothing Of vocal trick or Effort
bat simply relying on the delicious beauty Of
tone to win her auditors. They were sung in
the dear old language in whlch they were writ.
ten, one that she speaks - purely a. II she
We're ito the manor born" and in . style that
every word OF her song could be distinctly heard
even when singing scarcely above = whisper.
In the opera. Patti showed herself a. great an
actress rs vocalist when she sat at her spinninx-
wheel Is Marguerite singing the little diIy OF
1.-THE King Of Thule" The dropped thread, the
idle wheel anu the li>tlsss eye would show the
mind wandering from work aud song t.
thoughts Of another king who was establishing
IN her heart . reign supreme. while In the
parting duet with Faust the struggle betwesn
love and duty was shown more clearly IN the
lights and shades Of her mobile features and the
Movements Of her graceful figure. than sven In
the words Of the libIelto, and when In the lnxls
she threw herself IN the Al ms of Faust 1t was n
triumph Of the actress skill.
Personally Patti IL Cast in natures ~loysliest
mould. She Is Of medium Size with an elegant,
graceful figure; u = pronounced brunette with
brilliant black eyes and hair Of jet. ard . vsrita-
bic rosebud mouth. The natural expression of
her Ease 10 winning In Its peerless beauty. Al
though nearly 20 years Of age. on the stage she
does not appear over twenty, aud In face. figure
and quickness and grace Of movement, 10 the
evidence Of youth preserved.
In the concert part of the programme, she WAS
richly Creased in elegant white satin with long
train, and the front ornamsntsd to the waist
with heavy blk embroidery in eolors She
wore no jewslry Whatever, save u small, plain
gold ring on her wedding finger" We were
disappointed In this a. We expected among other
things to see the magnificent necklace and esr.
rinys Of diamosds worth nearly Sloo, 900, given
her by the Gear OF Russia.
Her stage manners are beautiful; she sppssrs
modest, unpretentious and unassuninx, and
receives applause with q look of grateful sur
prise ana a timid bow of thanks, a. II she were
q school girl with her nrst song, rather than
the queen of the lyric stage. Although the ap-
pidusc which greeted her was enthusiastic there
was an abssEcs Of floral display which gratinsd
Us exceedingly, there Is always . suspicion
about the bouquet BUSINESS in oonssrts,
The only tributes sent her from the audience
was a wreath Of laurel, the selection and irving
Of which was In the happiest and most sppro-
pirate good taste. and a bunch OF roses which
AN impetuors lady In one Of the proscsnium
boxes threw on the stage in her uncomfortable
delight.
There were many other thlngs In the concert
OF which l might speak, some good and SONS not
SO good, but the recollection of Patti nlls me
with = forgetfnlness Of the excel. ncies and =
charity for the lmp-rtectlols of the other per-
formers. How could l feel otherwise Nature
has been lavish in her gifts to this woman, has
given her bcaaty, voice ind genius and all that
%sttracts, with n prodigal hand. Truly we may
say, - Richard Grant White has said Of her.
1--WE who are now living may possibly never
leok upon the like of her again."
"a cHIEL."