Seventy years ago, on 16 June 1947, virtuoso violinist Bronislaw Huberman died at 64. He founded the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra by bringing Jewish musicians from Nazi Europe to Palestine, giving refuge to 1,000 musicians and their families. Huberman was a child prodigy. He was born in Poland on 19 December 1882, began lessons when he was six, and gave his first public … [Read more...] about Founder of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, violinist Bronislaw Huberman, died 70 years ago today
Adelina Patti
Fiorenza Cossotto receives the Marietta Alboni award
Mezzo soprano Fiorenza Cossotto has been awarded the first Contr’alto di donna prize, given in honour of the great contralto Marietta Alboni. The ceremony and conversation with Fiorenza Cossotto came after a concert celebrating the repertoire of Alboni, held in the enchanting Teatro Bonci, the theatre of her hometown Cesana, near Italy's northeast coast. Cossotto, … [Read more...] about Fiorenza Cossotto receives the Marietta Alboni award
Adelina Patti in a splendid portrait now on show in Milan
Giuseppe Verdi on Adelina Patti, one of the great coloratura singers of the 19th century: When I heard her for the first time (she was eighteen) in London, I was astounded not only by the marvellous performance but also by a number of stage traits that revealed her great acting talents. Such was the fame and bravura of Dame Adelina Patti that in the 19th Century she was … [Read more...] about Adelina Patti in a splendid portrait now on show in Milan
Adelina Patti: Her voice was a technical marvel
Italian voice expert Rodolfo Celletti said of Adelina Patti: Her voice was a technical marvel. The staccatos were marvels of accuracy, even in the trickiest intervals, her legato was impressively smooth and pure; she connects the voice from note to note, phrase to phrase, lifting and gliding with an exceptional virtuosity. Her chromatic scale was deliciously sweet, and … [Read more...] about Adelina Patti: Her voice was a technical marvel
1907: Madame Tetrazzini conquerors London and her ‘rival’ Adelina Patti is there to cheer her on
In 1907 Madame Tetrazzini made a sensational début as Violetta in La Traviata at Covent Garden in London, where she was completely unknown, and from that point on she was an international operatic superstar, commanding the highest fees and selling out opera houses and concert halls wherever she performed, says Wikipedia. In her autobiography, written 14 years later, we have the … [Read more...] about 1907: Madame Tetrazzini conquerors London and her ‘rival’ Adelina Patti is there to cheer her on