[ LILLIAN PATACCHI / 1910-2004 ]
Opera legend had
a zest for life
When Lillian Patacchi sat to lunch at the Hawaii Kai Retirement Community, fellow diners would swoop in to occupy nearby chairs.
"She was one of the most personable individuals," said her son, Val, "even to the very end."
Sitting within earshot of Patacchi almost always meant a vibrant conversation, sprinkled with the colorful details of a mezzo-soprano who had taken on leading parts in the world's greatest operas -- "La Boheme," "Madame Butterfly" and "Carmen" among them -- in front of packed audiences around the globe.
A talk with the singer could start on the East Coast -- and a stint in the Young Stars Grand Opera Company -- and finish off in Milan with the world-famous La Scala Opera Company.
"She had such a zest for life," said her son. "She loved to talk to people."
Patacchi, who gained widespread acclaim during her more than 30 years on the opera circuit and was the first American mezzo-soprano to take the leading role in a professional production of "The Barber of Seville," died last Monday at her East Honolulu home. She was 93.
The opera legend grew up in Allentown, Pa., the daughter of an accomplished composer. In 1947, when a (by that time) well-known Patacchi returned to put on a benefit concert, her hometown newspaper marveled at the fact that the singer had only ever been a little-known member of her high school chorus.
In the late 1920s, Patacchi moved to New York City to study under the famous Adamo Gregoretti. By her mid-20s she was touring around the United States, Canada, Cuba and Italy singing prime parts in opera favorites -- "Tosca," "Lucia" and "La Gioconda."
For a short time in the 1930s, Patacchi even had a fling with famous hotelier Baron Hilton.
"She was very well sought after," said Patacchi's son. "She was very attractive. She had a very, very good voice, so she was kept very busy."
Over the next three decades, Patacchi would sing alongside the era's brightest opera stars. And so it was only a matter of time until she married one: Valrido Patacchi, a basso with the New York City Center Opera Company, met his future wife in 1948.
The marriage provided an opportunity for both artists to grow with the times. While still concentrating on her opera, Patacchi also sang alongside her husband in the Hallmark Hall of Fame broadcasts and telecasts of the 1950s.
They also moved to musicals.
In the 1970s both would perform opposite actress Betty White in Rogers & Hammerstein's "The King and I."
"They complimented each other in such a wonderful way," White said at a reception after the show, according to Patacchi's son. "Their talent is amazing. ... What a beautiful life they share."
The Patacchis retired in the mid-'70s and went on to work with the Brevard Music Center in North Carolina.
Lillian Patacchi also gave voice lessons, and the couple went on to become music instructors at Stephens College in Columbia, Mo. The couple moved to the islands eight years ago to be nearer to their son.
"They were certainly not introverts," Val said. "It was a childhood that I would never trade for anything."
Patacchi is survived by her son, sister Viola Marck, granddaughter Lia and grandson Cory. A memorial service is set for April 26 at Calvary by the Sea Lutheran Church at 6 p.m.