Adelina Patti: Queen of Hearts (Opera Biographies (Amadeus)) [Hardcover]

John Frederick Cone (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2003 | Series: Opera Biographies (Amadeus) (Book 4)

A vocal phenomenon, soprano Adelina Patti was both a glamorous celebrity and a formidable legend, renowned for her peerless professional career that stretched from 1851 to 1914 and for her intriguing personal life. This book is the first full-length Patti biography to appear since 1920, and it includes previously unpublished letters.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this exemplary biography, Cone ( First Rival of the Metropolitan Opera ) explores the career of legendary diva Patti (1843-1919), who was acclaimed as the most brilliant soprano of her time. Born into a family of Italian opera singers, Patti made her debut in New York City at the age of eight and rose, seemingly effortlessly, to become a world-renowned superstar commanding enormous fees for her performances. She caused an uproar in Victorian society when she left her first husband for the tenor, Ernest Nicolini, himself married and a father; but she was unscathed by the scandal, and became a friend of royalty, heads of state and the world's elite, many of whom she entertained in the private theater at her sumptuous estate in Wales. Cone paints a lively picture of Patti's operatic triumphs, her rivalries with other singers and her relationships with the great opera houses of her day. He enhances the narrative with a wealth of photographs, including many of Patti wearing the glamorous costumes and jewels for which she was famous. A chapter on her recordings and a chronology of her appearances round out a book that is an opera buff's delight.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0931340608
• ISBN-13: 978-0931340604
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.7 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,860,445 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitive biography of this most famous diva, February 16, 2002

By 

Ivy Lin (NY NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Adelina Patti: Queen of Hearts (Opera Biographies (Amadeus)) (Hardcover)

Adelina Patti at her height commanded a whopping $5,000 per performance in fees. She owned a castle in Wales. She was adored by the critics, composers, and the public alike. Pictures show an attractive petite brunette at times almost absurdly decked out in jewels. No wonder she considered herself a queen, albeit a fairly benign one.
This biography is another in the series of finely produced, copiously researched "Opera Biographies" by Amadeus Press. Tons of pictures, letters, reviews, apperance annals, and a discography make up this enjoyable book on the life of the ultimate prima donna of the 19th century. This book could, in fact, be subtitled "Everything you wanted to know about Dina."
However, like many prima donnas, Patti was probably a creature of the stage and song. She came alive the most when she was singing -- she even built a private theatre in her home to entertain guests with her singing. Her personal life, although much discussed, comes across as rather shallow and artificial. She married three times, the first time to a Marquis who flirted with Patti "lookalikes", the second to the tenor Nicolini (which caused a scandal in Victorian England) and the third time to a Baron half her age who both pampered and isolated her. There is no evidence she was ever in love though -- indeed she seemed mainly attracted to fawning eccentrics. Her last years seem to have been lonely. Thus, despite the research and well-written style of this biography, ultimately Patti is still a mystery. Her recordings, made when she was in her 60s, tell more of the story -- the charm, the emotional involvement, the uniquely haunting sound.
I greatly enjoyed this book because I had heard so much about Patti and wanted to 'know' her better. But as with most opera singers, really "hearing, one can believe."

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great review about one of the greatest singers of all time, December 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Adelina Patti: Queen of Hearts (Opera Biographies (Amadeus)) (Hardcover)

I read this book years ago after it first came out. I was a fan of Patti but I knew very little about her life. She is an absolutely fascinating person and a tremendous singer (even in her sixties and seventies). If you like opera history, then this is the book for you.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Patti IS a music festival!, November 26, 1999

By 

Michael K. Halloran - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adelina Patti: Queen of Hearts (Opera Biographies (Amadeus)) (Hardcover)

The above quote, from Patti herself, pretty much sums things up. Adelina Patti was, undoubtedly, the most famous singer of the 19th century. In Mr. Cone's exhaustively researched book (in appendix form are lists of her roles, recordings, stage and concert appearances), the life of this extraordinary diva is examined. She started as a child prodigy, and made her official operatic debut at the age of sixteen (!) in "Lucia di Lammermoor." Patti lived in an age when operatic star power reigned supreme, and Cone includes tales of her capriciousness to highlight that fact. However, Patti was a true artist, able to even melt the hardest of hearts, including George Bernard Shaw. This is a marvelous book for anyone interested in singers and/or famous women of the 19th century.