The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-27

ously busy, going about to hear them.
The great one of the week was, of
course, the Philharmonic, (which was
interesting, indeed, from every point of
view. Little Fraulien Ibenshutz did the
Schumann Concerto with the orchestra
and some new pieces called From the
North" by Sir Alexander were done
for the first time. They were perfectly
delightful, and the audience received
them wildly.
The audience, by the way, was the
finest one, in point of brilliancy, that 1
have seen at Queens hall this winter.
1t being the occasion, you know, Of
PATHS appearance in London. We
were all on the qui vive for her solo,
which came down near the end of the
programme, and just before her COM
ing out. we just sat and hugged each
other almost, in sheer delight, that we
were at last going to hear this most
wonderful Adelina warble. Well, we
sat still, getting our glasses for instant
use, and waited and waited for about
five long minutes, but no Patti came,
and we turned to each other in despair
with Suppose she is in temper and
won't sing'v or What IL she is indis-
posed?" and such dismayed ejacula-
tions, for we really got to fear that she
was not going to sing.
Adelina Patti Appears.
At last, however, some sensible crea-
ture, who evidently knew Patti of old,
began to clap softly. Another nearby
Joined in, then some more, and soon the
whole fashionable and distinguished
a. iv,s, ,,f fnt. !, n
great diva. Very likely the adorable
madame had been waiting for just this.
for she Immediately sailed forth before
our delightful eyes, beamng, smiling,
bowling flirting about with us all at a
great rate. I was very near her and
could see her beautifully. and even had
glass to help me, If necessary.
She had on an unspeakably lovely
white satin gown which was picked out,
so to speak, with pink satin here and
there and the whole confection looked
like lovely flower, as a white rose,
you know, with a pink heart, or any
thing else pretty. But the diamonds
she wore both on herself and on her
gown, were simply legion! Diamonds
all over and such beautiful ones! Real
ly, they were treat to see. She had
them in her hair, which, by the way, is
black again, she having forsaken her
auburn colored locks with her mourn
ing, and on her neck. and in her ears,
and on her dress bodice, and even on
her skirt and sleeves. Gracious! how
she sparkled! Everything that art can
do Is done for the preservation Of this
famous prima donnas good looks and
youthfulness-at fifty-three-and she
was indeed very youthfully "made up"
and all too evidently, artistic through
it was.
La Diva's Reception.
She gave us una Voce Poca Fa"
and responded to an encore with anoth-
er italian selection, after which she
was brought out again to receive some
bouquets, at the sight of which she gave
some suppressed little gasps of delight,
throwing up her arms in ecstacy as
each one was handed up to her, and
bowling and laughing at a great rate all
the time. This, they say, Is the regula-
ton way in which she always receives
flowers, even though she, no doubt,
knows all about them beforehand. She
certainly was interesting in the ex-
,treme. On account of her kindness in
singing for the Philharmonic society,
she was invested by them with the
Beethoven gold medal that evening on
the stage, with very long speech from
the secretary, to which we all listened
with breathless interest. 1t was sort
of eulogy of her services to art and all
that, you know, and was most interest
ing to us, and no doubt, very pleasing
to the great diva, who SO loves to be the
adored and adorable soprano of the age
that she cannot give up singing, even
at the advanced age OF fifty-three and
though she knows that her powers are
prime, long ago.
OF course, she was applauded and ap-
plauded to the very echo by large
part of the audience there, most of
whom had come, in fact, to worship at
her Shrine, but so far as the voice and
singing of this dear, fortunate. God
gifted woman goes, it was the greatest
disappointment in the world to me.
could have cried with anger almost at
having heard such performance, after
what I really had expected to hear. /
went thinking that should at last hear
this heavenly voice that had ravished
the ears of the past generation of music
lovers thinking that l should at last
have a taste of this glorious and in
comparable method of Patti and so
on, and what did / hear? A worn out,
hard old voice, in which every ugly
break was only too evident, and whose
method" was such one that / do not
want to copy; broken phrasing, bad
breathing, great grievous faults in the
moving from one note to another, and
worst of all, dreadful, horrible. high
notes all out of tune! I could have
shrieked with disappointment! l was
so dismally dismal over 1t all.
Home, Sweet Homo.
OF course the audience would not let
her go until she sang "Home Sweet
Home" and as the opening bars were
struck one of the girls turned to me
with "This is for you, Miss Kaiser"
and I commenced to listen and get
ready that little tear which I have al
ways been told, would steal down your
cheek when you heard Patti sing" Home
Sweet Home" and as 1 am rather
chicken-hearted and homesick person
to be away from home and friends for
long time, certainly expected that
she would at least afford me the luxury
of good cry over her song. But no;
it was so commonplace that / was
robbed of only giggle or two, instead
of that crystal tear. which 1t is the cor
rect thing to expect from one after
hearing this touching little song. All
that / can truthfully say of the whole
performance Is that l have heard doz-
ems of singers here. who are far and
away lovelier than Patti. She was no
doubt the most beautiful singer of the
whole world when she was in the hey
day of her power and charm, but 1t Is
too much to expect ones youth, voice