Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-03-22
THE PATTI AND GERsrER OPERA SEA
SON AT SAN FRANCISCO.

The RECORD UNION San Francisco cor
respondent, writing concerning the present
opera season at the Bay, says:
There has been nothing like the opera
excitement that prevails here since tie
stock insanity. Msplesons dark ways and
vain tricks have not had the slightest effect
in dampening the enthusiasm, which con-
tinues nubounded, and the audiences that
fill the Grand Opera House every night are
politely vociferous. Competition is the
life of business, saith the sententious trader
and there are tive sharply defined parties,
the Gerster party and the Patti party, the
former, perhaps, the larger; Tor, aside
from the acute pleasure it gives many peo'
pie to say, 81 don't think she's SO won
derful after all, there sre very few listen
ers able to recognize and appreciate tlue
school and artistic finish of rendering when
the voice itself is beginning to show signs
of wear, and there is a blooming young
rival with such a voice as Gersters, ten
wears younger than PATHS, with whom to
compare it.
A more gorgeous house under the infu,
ence of such tense excitement has never
been seen in San Francisco, and not often
in other ties, said the experienced, as
that which gathered for the first Patti
night. With prices at such premium the
men all bought seats for their women-folk,
contentiDg themselves with admission tick
cts OILY, consequently the flor of the
house was one mass of silk, flowers
and feathers, waving fans and the
uncovered hair of well-coiffe heads. The
men crowded the doorwRys and outside
aisles. The papers had sharply rebuked
the ladies' for keeping their hand. bouquets
to themselves on Gersters opening night,
so when the Italians in the topmosV gal
lery started patriotic demons tration and
| the cries, ola Diva, Ia diva p would have
| thrilled stone, the air was dark with the
! flying flowers all about the graceful figure
/ of the singer. Patti is Al, she looks 81,
| There is something peculiar about her
eyes; they are blue, and show the effects
| of co lstant darkening of the eyelashes.
! The sudden development OF the round
column of the throat, that Is generally
hidden away in adipose tissue in the case
| of women, is most noticeable IN Patti.
| She seems to have all the gifts of the gods.
In the last act of " Traviata she shakes
down mass OF long, abundant, black hair,
that seems heavy for her small, shapely
head. She has beautiful figure, and Won.
derful, wonderful clothes. Almost all her
dresses in "Traviata were white, In
the scene in the country-house she wore q
broad pink sash broader with large purple
pansies, and in the scene at Flora's ball, in
the third act, she wore the celebrated dress
powdered with diamonds, as well as dia.
mond ornaments on wrist, and neck,
and hair. The display would have
been repulsive on almost any one else, but
on her no more than the metallic tints on a
tropical bird. She seems made for the
costliest and rarest that there is, and her
voice fully corresponds to her radiant per-
sonality. 1t is passionate rather than ter
der, brilliant in timbre, full, and what the
| Germans call OZARK in the lower notes,
with a tendency to sharp in tie upper.
She is little on the wape, even she, the
wonderful Patti, or | fear we should not
see her here; but it is worth all the strug.
gle to see her.