The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-30
LOVE AFFAIRS OF PATTI
THE DIVA's HEART SAID TO DE AN
EXTREMELY TICKLE ONE.
Discarded Her First Husband and
Took NicoIini from His Wife, and
Now to Be Married "a Third Time.
New York Press.

New York Press
Patti, it appears, has decided to celebrate
her fifty-sxth year, and also the year of
the fortieth anniversary of her debut, by
marrying again. She has said Eyes" to the
offer of a Swedish baron, so it is said, and
has set the wedding for next February. 1t
may be, however, according to another ac
count, that she will anticipate the happy
day by marrying about Christmas time.
The story runs that she met Baron Cedar
strom at Pau last year, where, too, she
met Jocelyn Persse, an Irishman to whom
she was reported few weeks ago to be
engaged. The baron is described as about
thirty-fve years old, of commanding figure
and fine appearance. OF course he has a
musical education and he possesses a. fine
baritone voice. He has a small fortune,
but Patti has a far bigger one. He was
entertained by Patti at her Welsh castle,
Craig7y-Nos, last summer.
This will be the third marriage of AIDE
lima Maria Clorinda Patti, her last hus-
band, Ernesto Nicolini. having died last
January A year or two after her debut, in
1853, she was engaged to the late Max
Strakosch, but this affair did not last long
| The diva, then riding in on the top crest
of success, seems to have passed the next
few years fancy free. About 1866 or 1867 she
| met NJ. Louis Sebastian Henri de Rober de
CahuZas, Marquis de Caux, of an honored
French family. AS they thought well of
each other, a marriage was arranged by
the Empress Eugenia. The ceremony took
place in the summer of 1865 and they began
married life most happily. In this fortunate
state they lived for several years, accord
ing to the observation of others, without
cloud upon the domestic horizon.
Then Signor Nicolini appeared upon the
scene. They first met in 1871. The wooing
and winning of the diva by Nicolini forms
the greatest romantic episode of her life,
and considered by many the most incom-
prehensble. Words can hardly express the
aversion in which Patti held the singer.
Nicolni, according to all accounts seems to
have been of rather ordinary musical ability,
and what he did have was not enhanced at
all by comparison with the Incompatible.
He appeared to initiate in every possible
way the great Mario, though in voice he fell
far short of his ideal. This rather servile
copying III dress, manner and so on, may
have had much to do with PATHS feelings.
For, when young she had heard Mario and
Grisi, and that Nieoini should attempt to
duplicate Mario in minor details may have
been the original cause of her aversion.
Nicolni, however who had a wife and chill
dren, followed Patti all over Europe. When
he knew that she was to appear in a certain
city he would secure an engagement for
that city, and If possible in the same the
alter. So successful was Nicoini that after
a while she found him singing Romeo to her
Juliet In Gounod opera She could hardly
bear him, and again and again would have
refused to sing with him, except for bust
ness reasons. Such fervent lovemaking as
came out in the scene though onesided had
not hpGn Witnessed before the nv
that generation, at least.
And it all met the hearty approval of the
marquis. Nicolini was received at the home
Of the marquis and marquise as guest.
Signora Nicolini, however, did not like the
turn of affairs, and though they seemed to
be devoted couple, many were the out
breaks and many the times when she re-
preached her husband with being a ''verita-
| BILE Don Juan" When Nicoliui had effected
| a reconciliation with his wife he usually
! celebrated. Nicolini even took the marquis
| into his confidence. He went to PATHS hus-
band one day and asked for advice how to
| get rid of a young woman whom he knew
in St Petersburg and who had followed
and she contemplated informing Niconi's
| wife. She did not carry this into effect
| however, and soon Nicolini found a way to
About this time, or little after, Nicolini
| seemed to be not so disagreeable to Patti.
| Anonymous stories and bits of information
| were sent to the marquis, to which he paid
| no heed for a long time Finally, however,
| though he would not appear to make use
| developed between himself and his frequent
| guest, which increased until he no longer
| invited Nicolini to his house.
One day in Moscow there fell into the
! hands of the marquis a letter of Nicolini's
maid. The marquis would not open the let
! ter, though he could not fail to guess pretty
accurately its contents. lie demanded that
! the opera of Romeo and Juliet be strick-
| en- from the list of plays to be presented
| i'm Moscow. The director assented but ow-
! ing probably to the representations of the
| Interested artists he allowed their names to
| be announced in 'Traviata." Enraged at
| this the marquis would not allow his wife
| to appear at ALL but was appeased on the
promise that if she would only sing Nicolini
| should not appear. This promise, however,
was broken.
| A few weeks later the marquis and mar
! quise separated. But it was long time
| before a divorce could be obtained. Finally
| when the French divorce laws were passed
! in 1884 they were legally put asunder. IN
| the meantime the Nicolins We're made
| Nicolini In June, 1856. AS they couldn't
marry in their own church without special
| dispensation, and as that special dispense
| ton could not be had they were united I'm
| a little Protestant Church near PATHS
Welsh castle.
| For a long time before the marriage Patti
| suffered in the estimation Of many people,
! but in the end she regained all her prestige
| and the affair never has been laid up
! against her In fact all agreed to forget
| it, and it was recalled only by the death,
| less than a year ago, of Ncolin
| This Encouragement of the trio proved as
| happy as the original marriage of Patti and
the MARQUIS was Tor Pa i'm time; Certainly
| perfection He took the greatest care OF
| his wife, watched over her voice, would
| not let her exert herself unduly, and even
| prepared the tempting put harmless little
dishes after the theater.
And when Nicolin fell Ill of cancer Of
the tongue i was the incosmlParable Pattl
fully giving I'D her engagements that She