New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-02

exquisite skill that she deserves high
admiration despite blemish in her
art which obtrudes itself in nearly
every one of her performances, and
seems to be a consequence of made
quate or improper training. But she
has had several peers within the
memory Of persons whose experience
is measured by the span Of history
covered by the Metropolitan organiza-
ton, while Nine. Patti has had none
Nilsson, Gerster, Sembrch, Melba-
are they to be forgotten because rival
ry between two establishments has
been artfully famed into factional
passion?
Adelina Patti
Let us not forget the truly great
singers Just mentioned while we recall
some of the characteristics of Adelra
Patti. Each one of them possessed an
individual quality which their prede-
cessor lacked, but this fact does not
dim the refulgence which still sur
rounds her name. We make no apol-
ogy for echoing words which we wrote
some thirty years ago. They were true
then; they remain a truthful express
sion of seasoned judgment still. OF
her voice we shall not attempt to speak,
since that was the gift of nature as
boundlessly kind to all mankind as to
her in it's bestowal upon her. Nine.
Patti was the supreme exponent in her
day Of the art of beautiful singing-the
old art, whose decay, when she first
sang for us, had been deplored by
critical historians for more than
century. How she would have COM
pared with the products of the famous
old schools of Rome it is impossible
to say; nor does it matter, since the
comparison, if it we're attempted, would
be purely technical and much of it
would rest wholly on history. We
know of the technical feats performed
by singers of the eighteenth century,
and from the stories of the effect
which their singing had upon their
hearers, we can conceive something
as to the quality of their voices and
the elements Of essential beauty which
entered into their singing-their
phrasing, diction, etc. They were ira
dition; Nine. Patti an experience. To
the singers Of forty years ago she bore
the relation of being the highest exem-
plar of what generous gifts, sound
training, correct musical feeling and
a high order Of artistic intelligence
could do. This is not to say that her
operate representations fulfilled every
ideal of character which she essayed.
Like every artist, before her time and
since, she had genre in which she
made her greatest achievements. That
genre was not grand, not HEROIC. AS
Catalani said of Sontag, and as was
repeated long years afterward of Ger
ster very much to that lady's indig-
nation, we are sorry to say, since we
had to hear her proud reputation of
the description which was not intended
to beittle her significance), her genre
was small, but in it she was unique.
The limitation is of one vocal quality
and mental inclination. There is
grand style which when consorted with
a grand voice is the proper vehicle for
grand or heroic emotions. 1t was the
manner which enabled singers of the
old school to awe their hearers, as we
are told Pasta did, even while singing
arias in which modern taste is not in
clined to recognize many elements of
tragic expression. 1t is the style which
form arc lyric tragedies. In this form
no ono looked to Nine. Patti for es-
pccial excellence. By its side, equally
worthy Of admiration and equally
capable of giving lofty artistic pleas
ure ia the comedy type which, before
It's name Was degraded by tho King of
the BouTcs Parisiens, was known and
respected as opera buGd. In it the dra-
matte characters are plain people. the
action deals with tho foiblcs and fol
lies of common humanity and the pur-
pose. when it goes beyond mere en-
tertainment, less gloomy than that Of
tragedy Is to chastisc manners, but to
do so with smic--as famous old
definition puts it.
Nine. PATHS Province
1t was in this style that Nine.
PATHS province lay, and it en-
braced many works which are con-
sidercd tragcal, simply because of
their mournful outcome. Unqueston-
aoiy her powers as an actress, mimi
table IN pieces in which mere roguish-
ness was dominant-"Il Barbcre," for
instance waned the nearer the char
acters whioh she assumed approache ed
the dividing line between comedy and