Little Visits with Great Americans, Vol. 2 (of 2): Or Success, Ideals and How to Attain Them
History
Little Visits with Great Americans, Vol. 2 (of 2): Or Success, Ideals and How to Attain Them
Success; United States -- Biography; United States -- History -- 19th century -- Biography
to put it in another way, she was so belittled by her rivals that she
had to individually satisfy every great city in America that she had
not been overrated. Patti was deeply wounded by these unlooked-for
conditions, but nevertheless she bravely faced the sneers and unkind
criticisms and overcame them, and for many years has occupied a place
in the estimation of the public, which probably no other prima donna
in the history of civilization has attained. Twice during her career
she has been threatened with the total loss of her voice, but happily
the “nightingale in her throat” is as yet unsilenced. To the end of
her days she will reap the reward of the self-denial and persistent
attention to duty and art which she gave them during the years of
her childhood. She has been as successful abroad as she has in this
country. In grand opera she has assumed nearly all existing prominent
rôles. For some years past she made her home abroad. In 1881, Patti
revisited the United States, when she received $5,000 per night, which
is said to be the largest amount ever paid to a singer or actor for
one performance. Married three times, her last husband was Baron Rolf
Cedarstrom. She is the owner of a castle at Craig-y-Nos, Wales. During
her last and most recent visit to this country, the American public
gave her ample proof that she still occupies a warm place in its
affection.
MARCELLA STENGEL SEMBRICH.
Marcella Stengel Sembrich is one of the several prima donnas to whom
the American music-loving public has remained loyal for many years.
As an artist she ranks with the foremost singers of to-day, while her
domestic life is of an ideal nature. As a rule, the law of compensation
takes greatly where it gives freely, and so the woman of talent who
devotes herself to the service of the public is apt to be the loser as
far as home life is concerned. In Mme. Sembrich’s case it is otherwise,
however, and her social popularity, too, is no less than is her vogue
on the operatic stage. The songstress was born at Lemberg, Galatia,
February 18, 1858. Her early musical education was obtained in the
Conservatory of Lemberg, after which she studied at Vienna and Milan.
Her marvelous vocal gifts assured the success of her début as Elvira,
in I Puritani, at the Royal theater, Athens. After a season spent
on the continent in opera she, in 1883, came to this country under
the management of Henry Abbey. Her reception here was of the warmest
nature, and from that time on she has been a constant favorite with the
American public. She has made a number of tours in the United States
and has been uniformly successful in connection therewith. In 1877 she
married Prof. Wilhelm Stengel, who had formerly been her teacher at
Lemberg.
ACTORS.
WILLIAM H. CRANE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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