Adelina Patti

Adelina Patti, the greatest soprano of her day, will always be associated with her castle in the Upper Swansea Valley. She gave it the romantic name of Craig-y-Nos - the Rock of Night.

Born:

19 FEB 1843

Place of Birth:

Madrid, Spain

Famous For:

A succesful soprano opera singer.

Patti's pure, sweet soprano and dazzling technique conquered all who heard her. Her voice was considered small but was remarkable for its wide range, evenness of production, and purity of quality." (Women in American History by Encyclopaedia Britannica) Adelina Patti

Biography:

Adelina Patti lived the best part of her life in Breconshire, but before arriving in mid Wales she had made her mark as a famous opera singer, and had appeared in concerts in America and Europe.

She was born in Spain to a relatively poor family. Her parents were both involved in opera, her father a tenor and her mother a soprano; therefore it was no surprise that from the age of seven Adelina appeared in concerts in New York City. (The family had moved to New York in 1947). Adelina also spent several years touring North and South America, until she made her operatic debut at the age of sixteen as Lucia in Gaetano Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor at the New York Academy of Music where see won critical acclaim.

In 1861 she was invited to London to take the soprano role of Amina in Vincezo Bellini's La Sonnambula, and following her sensational performance she became a Convent Garden regular. Her success grew, as she sang many roles in the operas of composers such as Rossini, Bellini, Meyerbeer and the early operas of Giuseppee Verdi.

Verdi declared her the greatest singer he had ever heard, but she was also a notable actress as she achieved her greatest successes in comedy operas such as W.A. Mozart's Don Giovanni.

The move to Wales
Adelina came to close contact with Breconshire in 1878 when she bought Craig-y-Nos, a large early Victorian house, and the surrounding park beside the river Tawe near Abercraf. She transformed part of the Craig y Nos Castle to a theatre, which is today called The Patti Theatre, and is home to the headquarters of The Opera School Wales.

From 1881 to 1904 Adelina made a series of annual tours of the United States, but her official farewell appearance was at the Royal Albert Hall, London, in December 1906, although she did continue to make occasional appearances.

Adelina Patti lived in retirement at Craig-y-Nos Castle, until her death there on September 27, 1919, and the site is now part of the Brecon Beacons National Park.

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O Gymru i Ohio Lynwen Haf Roberts yn sôn am ei chyfnod oddi cartref yn yr Amerig.