New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-10-05
By H. E. Krehbiel

Mournful reflections caused by the
..,or4s Of the illness of Nine.
ade,;na Patti. coupled with desire to
-ra.erve the memory or nor nrt from
pssnersion implied by comparison of
{. with that OF greatly inferior
a;raer led ME last March to write
down my appreciation OF the singer
those recent death the musical world
~ nov, deploring. My retrospections.
&c interesting at all. would be more to
,he purpose now than they were six
~ rfhs ago, but cannot in good con-
.c;encc reiterate them. Neither is it
n.cessary that I should in order to
contribute somewhat to popular knowi-
.Jee OF her who was the greatest
singer whom it has been my privilege
70 write about from personal knowl-
sdce and acquaintance. His would be
seeblv retentlve mind that could have
heer In direct contact with the entire
American career OF Nine. Patti from
The time of her first return to the city
of her birth in 1881 to her fnai de-
narture from it in 1904 without having
something 10 say about 1t. There are
memories, many of them of high artis-
+;c delights, which might be recorded;
hut they have been set down in COL
nmns of The Tribune and in volumes
which | fondiy hope are books of his
tory: there is pitiful recollection of
an artist who Gagged superfuous" on
tho public stage, and If the memories
are profitable for instruction the recol
lection is also profitable, or might be,
for reproof and correction in artistic
righteousness No one will ever be
able to estimate correctly the harm
done by the last tour of Nine. Patti
in the United States, not only to her
own fame, but to the judgment of
unframed persons who had been taught
TO believe that she was an eXemplar
and Who knowing no better, accepted
her AS such when her art was deep IN
decsdence Il is only fifteen years
since the Baroness Cederstrom was
seen in New York, but it is quite twice
fifteen wears since Nine. Patti, the
artist. was heard here; and the lovers
OF music who knew her when she was
the supreme exemplar of beautiful
singing must have memories reaching
back more than q generation.
After Patti had established the fame
whose foundation was laid in New York
in 1859 she went to Europe, and did not
return to the city in which she was
born until the winter of 1S81'S2.
There was scarcely a moment after her
conquest of Europe in which her name
was not present to the imagination of
Americans, but only the people of wealth
who had visited the opera houses of
the European capitals, or the few with
operate traditions reaching back to the
Academy OF Music before the War Of
Rebellion, had actual acquaintance with
her. So when she came to New York
in November. 1891, she had virtually to
conquer new public. The task was not
as easy as one might think, considering
the place she held in the musical world,
and it was begun in q bungling fashion.
Maurice Strakosch, her brother-in-law,
her teacher and her manager from child
hood to maturity, was not here to direct
her affairs. Her manager was for
eigner named FRANKIE. who knew nothing
about musical conditions in America
He began hy exacting $40 for ticket to
the concerts, which were given in Stein
way Hall, and the public had never