Opera Royalty Expects Royal Treatment

           

Adelina Patti was a wildly famous 19th C. Italian opera singer, commanding  huge sums, in both Europe and the United States, at the height of her career. — Public domain image of Adelina Patti on a carte de visite or visiting-card sized photograph. Carte de visites were popular collectible photo cards in the Gilded Age. They were often traded between collectors and special photo albums could be purchased for showing them off to friends and other collectors.

As an instance of the physical care that is bestowed upon Patti, it is related that once when she returned from her daily drive, she was exceedingly thirsty, and asked Nicolini to request some one of their long retinue to cause a glass of water to be brought to her by as quick stages as the comparatively Royal etiquette of the menage would permit. “Water?” shrieked Nicolini, in high B flat “ma mignonne, you know that you are going to sing to-morrow night, and that water will chill your blood. Oh, no; I forbid any water.” “Then give me a taste of wine,” pleaded thirsty Patti. “Wine” roared Nicolini, in his highest C. “Ma mignonne you are going to sing to-morrow night, and you know that wine will heat your blood. No, I can not permit wine.” “Please, can't I have something wet,” begged Patti, with trembling lip, as her palate clicked dryly in her throat, Nicolini pondered long and deeply, and at length, with his own hands, carefully prepared for the great singer a soothing draught of dissolved magnesia.— The Argonaut, 1885

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