Adelina Patti ~ Casta Diva ~ ( Restored by MARSTON )

My hat is off to Mr. Ward Marston, who did the restoration of Patti’s voice. He has restored this recording in the key of E. It is very likely that this is a reasonable indication of what Patti’s voice may in fact have sounded like! There is so much magic that comes from the recording. It helps make it possible to render an educated guess as to why she was sometimes treated better than the Queen. It also helps explain why she was beloved and praised by every major composer and singer of her time! Patti’s recording of “Casta diva,“ although she did not sing Norma on stage, is a link in a chain leading back directly to Bellini and Giuditta Pasta. She studied it with Maurice Strakosch, accompanist to Giuditta Pasta, who created Norma; the embellishments she employs are almost certainly those of Pasta. Patti is of course not in her prime here, and she does take breaths in places where she probably should not, but what more could one ask for at age 63? Many singers’ prime lasts only 15 or so years. When analyzing Patti’s voice, status, or singing technique, it is wise to recall that she had a career spanning 63 years. She was beloved by her huge audience, other major singers, important composers, famous and important people such as Queen Victoria , Abraham Lincoln the Czar Of Russia, and others. She earned more money than any other singer of her day, and even the great Verdi, when asked “ Maestro, would you please name the three greatest voices of your time,“ replied “Patti, Patti and Patti! “ Bellini’s composition has been sung by many voices, some better than others, but I would contend that Patti’s stands out from them all; we are so lucky to have this recording! In this video, I have put photos of her which date from approximately the time that she recorded. Notice the photo where she is comforting a wounded WW1 Belgian soldier in 1914. She had a kind heart and a giving soul, and that constituted a significant part of her greatness. The last photo in the video is from her final public appearance at The Royal Albert Hall, in 1914 A special thank you to EdmundStAustell!