1895

Coloratura soprano ADELINA PATTI sings "The Laughing Song" from Auber's comic opera, "Manon." This exceedingly rare recording, privately made for Patti on a brown wax cylinder, was discovered in the 1940's and transferred to a acetate 78 rpm disc by Wm. Seltsam (1897-1968) of Bridgeport, Conn. Understand that THIS IS THE OLDEST EXISTING RECORDING of a world-class opera singer and one of the first operatic recordings by anyone! DO NOT EXPECT HIGH FIDELITY; this is ancient sound. Listen carefully as the announcer gives Patti's name and the selection. It is generally stated that Patti's first recordings were made in 1905. It was in this year that her first DISC records were made....but not her first recording! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 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 in Madrid of Italian parentage on 19 February 1843, Adelina Patti was raised in New York and gave her first concert there at the age of seven. Patti first sang at Covent Garden, London, in 1845. From then on, her international career was assured. As a bel canto coloratura soprano she had no rival. Giuseppe Verdi thought she was the greatest singer he had ever heard. Wherever she sang, the public adored her, and she made a fortune. After her first marriage failed, she took a lover, the married French tenor Ernest Nicolini. In search of privacy, and <b>...</b>