The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1890-08-01
THE GREATEST SINGERS.
A View OF the Worlds Songsters FrOI
Early Times Down to Patti.

A View OF the Worlds Songsters From
Early Times Down to Patti.
Agujari, whom Mozart heard when she
was twenty-seven had, according to his
trustworthy testimony, a compass which
extended to c in altissimo. Mara, the
first great German singer, had two and
thrce-quarters octaves, from low G to
high E. Banti had three Octaves, reach
ing high G. Mrs. Billington's voice ran
from A to A, three Octaves. Catalani
ran to high G. PATHS voice, in its best
days, extended from C below to high F.
One of the greatest sopranos who ever
lived. probably the greatest before
Patti. was Angelica Catalani, born :779.
died 1870. Fetis and others speak of
her voice as of marvellous purity.
strength and range. 1t extended to G in
altissimo( Miss Saunderson's ''Eiffel tow
er note'). 1t is declared that no singer
has ever surpassed her in the velocity
and precision of her chromatic scales.
But she had certain bad tricks. ''One
of her faults was that she could never
execute certain passages without very
perceptible oscillation of the lower law.
which made them, instead of being even
and smooth. sound like succession of
staccato passages on the violin" Again,
she failed in the simple, pathetic style.
In other words, her fiorituri were not
executed perfectly, as PATHS used to be,
and she could not have sung THE Last
Rose of Summer" or Home, Sweet
Home" with the same success
Grisi, of course, can hardly be compared
with Patti, because the former was
more dramatic singer, and even in Semi
ramide," in which she was regarded as
the successor of Pasta tan artist of ire
mendous dramatic power with harsh
and vailed voice conquered by severe
training), she was triumphar quite as
much by reason of her histrionic powers
as by reason of her voice. which was
pure, brilliant flexible soprano.
Malibran was another Of the great
stars of vocal history, but it is on record
that "her style was marred by a ques-
tionable taste in her choice of orna-
ment" If we grant that the improvisa-
ton of ornamental work is admissible
at all, we must admit that PATHS inter
polations have generally been skillful.
Malibran's voice, too, was not faultless
either in quality or Uniformity PATHS
certainly has been. Malibran's charm
lay in the peculiar dramatic quality OF
her voice and in her powerful musical
feeling and intelligence
PATHS greatest rival in the history OF
song was probably Jenny Lind. Her
voice was a soprano of bright, thrilling
and remarkably sympathetic quality,
from ID to d. with another note or two
occasionally available above the high
d. The upper part of her register was
rich and brilliant. and superior both in
strength and purity to the lower.
These two portions, she managed, how
ever, to unite in a most skillful way,
moderating the power of the upper
notes so as not to outshine the lower"
Her execution was wonderful and she
possessed a phenomenal length OF
breath 1t is probably that in her best
days Jenny Lind's powers of execution
were quite as great as PATHS, but she
was not quite so highly gifted in voice,
PATHS compass being larger and her
registers better equalized--N. Y.
Times