Adelina Patti

Born Feb. 19, 1843, in Madrid; died Sept. 27, 1919, in Brecon (Brecknock), Wales. Italian coloratura soprano.

Patti made her debut in 1859 on the stage of the Italian opera company in New York in the title role of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. She toured triumphantly in many countries, making frequent appearances in Russia between 1869 and 1904. After 1897 she sang only on the concert stage.

An outstanding 19th-century singer, Patti had a clear, belllike voice and a brilliant virtuoso technique. Her roles included Rosina in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, Amina in Bellini’s La Sonnambula, Violetta and Gilda in Verdi’s La Traviata and Rigoletto, and Marguerite and Juliet in Gounod’s Faust and Romeo and Juliet. Patti’s sister, Carlotta Patti (1835–89), was also a well-known singer.