Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 2.djvu/685

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
PATON.
PATTI.
673

Freischütz,' then first produced in England. In the same year she was married in Scotland to Lord William Pitt Lennox, a younger son of the 4th Duke of Richmond, but continued her professional appearances under her maiden name. On April 12, 1836, on the production of Weber's 'Oberon,' she sustained the arduous part of Reiza to the entire satisfaction as well of the composer as the audience. Weber had previously written to his wife, 'Miss Paton is a singer of the very first rank, and will play Reiza divinely.' In the same letter he describes a concert in which Velluti and all the first Italians sang, at which 'she beat them all.' From that time she was at the head of her profession, alike in the theatre, the concert-room, and the oratorio orchestra. Her marriage was unfortunately not a happy one, and in June 1830 she separated from her husband, and on Feb. 26, 1831, obtained a decree of the Court of Session in Scotland dissolving the marriage. Shortly afterwards she was married to Mr. Joseph Wood, the tenor singer, and in the same year reappeared at Covent Garden and afterwards at the King's Theatre in 'La Cenerentola.' She was next engaged at Drury Lane, and appeared as Alice in an English version of Meyerbeer's 'Robert le Diable,' produced Feb. 20, 1832. She also sustained at various times the principal parts in the 'Sonnambula,' Barnett's 'Mountain Sylph,' etc., etc. In 1833 Mr. and Mrs. Wood began to reside at Woolley Moor, Yorkshire, an estate belonging to Mr. Wood, sen., and this remained their permanent home till 1854. In 1834 they paid a visit to the United States, and repeated it twice within the next few years. In April 1837 Mrs. Wood reappeared in London, and continued to perform until Feb. 1843, when she embraced the Roman Catholic religion, and took up her residence in the convent by Micklegate Bar, York. The change however was of short duration, and in July she quitted the convent. In 1844 she was engaged at the Princess's Theatre. She soon afterwards retired from her profession, and settled with her husband at Woolley Moor. Here she took a warm interest in the Anglican service at Chapelthorpe. She composed for it, formed and trained a choir, in which she herself took the leading part. In 1854 they left Yorkshire and went abroad. In 1863 they returned to Bulcliffe Hall, in the neighbourhood of Chapelthorpe, and there Mrs. Wood died, July 21, 1864, leaving a son (born at Woolley Moor in 1838) as the only representative of her family. Mrs. Wood's voice was a pure soprano, of extensive compass (A below the staff to D or E above), powerful, sweet-toned, and brilliant. She was mistress of the florid style, and had great powers of expression. She was renowned for her beauty, both of feature and expression, inherited from her mother, Miss Crawford of Cameron Bank; and the portraits of her are numerous, including those by Sir Thos. Lawrence, Sir W. Newton, Wageman, and others. Her younger sisters were both singers; Isabella appeared at Drury Lane about 1825, and Eliza at the Haymarket as Mandane in 1833.

PATRICK, Richard (sometimes called Nathan or Nathaniel), [App. p.745 "Omit the words (sometimes called Nathan or Nathaniel). That name belongs to a composer whose 'Songs of sundry natures' were printed by Este in 1597"] lay vicar of Westminster Abbey from 1616 until about 1625, composed a fine service in G minor, which is printed in vol. i. of Arnold's Cathedral Music.

PATROCINIUM MUSICES. A splendid collection of church music in 10 volumes, published between 1573 and 1598 by Adam Berg of Munich under the patronage of the Duke of Bavaria, whence its quaint title, 'the protection of music.' For the list of contents see this Dictionary, i. 230. It is printed from types, not in score, but so that all the parts can be read at once from the two open pages, which are of immense folio size. There is a copy in the British Museum.

[ G. ]

PATTER-SONG. 'Patter' is the technical—or rather, slang—name for the kind of gabbling speech with which a cheap-jack extols his wares, or a conjuror distracts the attention of the audience while performing his tricks. It is used in music to denote a kind of song, the humour of which consists in getting the greatest number of words to fit the smallest number of notes. Instances of this form of composition are Haydn's 'Durch Italien, Frankreich, Preussen,' from 'Der Ritter Roland'; Grétry's syllabic duet in 'La fausse Magie' [see vol. i. p. 628b]; Dulcamara's song in Donizetti's 'L'Elisir d'amore,' etc. Mozart and many other composers often introduce bits of 'patter' into buffo solos, as for instance the middle of 'Madamina' in 'Don Juan,' etc. This form of song has for long been popular with 'entertainers' from Albert Smith to Corney Grain, and probably owes its name to a song sung by Charles Mathews in 'Patter versus Clatter.' Its latest development is in the operettas of Messrs. Burnand, Gilbert, and Sullivan, in all of which patter-songs fill an important place. Excellent instances are 'My aged Employer' in 'Cox and Box,' and 'My name is John Wellington Wells' in 'The Sorcerer.'

PATTI, Adelina (Adela or Adèle Juaña Maria), born Feb. 19 [App. p.745 "Feb. 10"], 1843, at Madrid, was the youngest daughter of Salvatore Patti, an Italian singer, who died in 1869, and a Spanish mother, also a singer, well known in Spain and Italy, before her marriage with Patti, as Signora Barili. [App. p.745 "Both parents of Mme. A. Patti were Italians, her father having been born at Catania, Sicily, and her mother at Rome. The latter's maiden name was Chiesa, and before her marriage with Signor Patti she had married a certain Signor Barilli. Their son, Antonio Barilli, a musician, died at Naples, aged 50, June 15, 1876. (Pougin, Supplement to Fétis.)"] The parents of Adelina went to America, and she was taken there as a child. Having shown great aptitude for music, Mlle. Patti received instruction in singing from Maurice Strakosch, who married her elder sister Amelia; she appeared in public in America at a very early age, and was well received; but was wisely withdrawn for some years for the purpose of further study. She reappeared Nov. 24, 1859, at New York, as Lucia, and played other parts, in all of which she was highly successful. Mlle. Patti made her début in England May 14, 1861, at the Royal Italian Opera, as Amina, with wonderful success, and from that time became famous, though quite unknown before. She repeated that part no less than eight times, and confirmed her success by her performance of Lucia, Violetta, Zerlina ('Don