San Francisco Mails.

Auckland Star, Volume IX, Issue 2477, 2 March 1878, Page 2

San Francisco Mails.

The s.s. Australia left San San Francisco on the ISth Feb., the contract date.

The City of New York arrived at San Francisco on the I9th February, one day before her time-table date.

THE GREATEST LIVING PRIMA

DONNA.

The folio wing notice of the greatest living prirna donna may not be out of place just now :—Madame Adelina Patti is incomparably the best prirna donna assoluta on the operatic stage. Had fate denied her the glorious voice which she possesses, she would certainly have gained name and fame as an actress. Unlike many of her sister vocalists, who are never able to forget their OAvn identity on the stage, la Patti throws herself heart and soul into every part she undertakes, and is consequently almost always successful. Ever since her debut, which took place nearly seven years ago, the little songstress has " been positively idolised by English, Russian, and Austrian opera audiences. At Covent Garden the habitues are notoriously cold and silent, but Patti's entrance never fails to evoke the most enthusiastic applause. Mdme. Patti inherits her vocal powers from her mother. That lady was at one time employed as washerwoman in a laundry at Kome. Nature had given her a fine voice, and one day as she was singing at her tub she was heard by the Maestro Barili- who freed her from the thraldom of soap-suds, gave her a musical education, and finally married her. By-anct-bye the pair found themselves at the Rio Janeiro Opera. There fate, in the person of a young Italian tenor named Patti, overtook them. The wife sang with the tenor, fell in love, and eloped with Mm. Barili drowned Ms sorrow in the flowing boyrl, while his wife solaced herself by bearing four children to her lover —Carlotta, Adelina, Amelia, and Carlo. La Barili was not blessed with too sweet a temper, and once so far forgot herselt as to fling poor Carlotta down stairs. Mdlle Carlotta Patti, it will be remembered is lame. After a time Barili very considerately drank himself to death, and the tenor married his mistress, thereby, according to Roman law, legitimatising the children. Signora Patti thus turned into an honest woman, became mpst devout, every morning she went to church .and heard three masses. She is now buried at the Campo Verano, beneath a marble cenotaph erected by her famous daughter. Adelina has, iv some ways, walked in her mother's footsteps. For many months before she married him, the Marquis de baux, metaphorically speaking, followed her about on his knees, till at last dazzled by his rank, she accepted him. There was no pretence of love in the matter, it was just an affair de convenance. All went well for a time, in fact until Mdme Patti met with Mr Nicolas, the tenor—better known as Signor Nicolini. This young man who is the son of an Ostend or Dieppe hotel keeper, not only has a first-class voice, but is fairly personable. He was naturally struck with La Marquise who but for her complexion (which does not shew at night) would be a very pretty woman. She reciprocated his affection, not only passionately, but almost openly. There was plenty of talk about it behind the scene at Covent Garden indeed everybody seemed to know and observe what was going on, but the husband who it was wickedly suggested would play the part of mari complaisant for good solid pecuniary reasons. At last however, it was impossible for the Marquis to shut his eyes any longer and then followed all that has been, reported in the " Home News." Accusations and counter accusations. Appeals for divorce from the husband and ditto from the wife. The decision of Paris tribunal, before jwhoni the case was tried, can scarcely have been very satisfactory to the lady. She has lost half her fortune, and although parted from her husband cannot marry again. In a paroxysm of rage or remorse, it is difficult to say which, she fled to a convent in Brittany directly she heard the news and announced her intention ot taking the veil. Luckily for the opera going wprld,however, ajweman in her position cannot be received, into a convent. After a few weeks sojourn there, Mdme. Patti emerged, and even condescended to renew her contract (£250 per night and

extras) with the impressairo of Covent Garden for 187 S. We hope the idea of seclusion in a convent may not suggest itself to her again, at any rate for some time to come. Adelina Patti, with all her faults, is an operatic artiste the like of whom we are scarcely probable to see again during the nineteenth ceuturv. Max.