Mario (tenor)

Mario (tenor)

Mario (October 18, 1810December 11, 1883) was an Italian opera singer, considered to be the most famous tenor of the 19th century. His real name and hereditary title was Cavaliere Giovanni Matteo de Candia, Marquis of Candia. Born in Cagliari, Sardinia, Mario came from the House of Candia, a Piedmont noble family which belonged to Italy's social elite. His family formed part of the Royal Court of Turin and his father was an army general.

In order to free himself from the burdensome ancestral traditions which he had inherited, and mitigate his father's opposition to a member of the high-born Candia family pursuing a 'lowly' musical career, the young singer disguised his aristocratic origins by adopting the stage name of "Mario", when aged in his 20s.

Mario's decision to become a professional singer was the result of accidental circumstances, however. While serving as an officer of the King of Sardinia's Guards, he had been imprisoned at Cagliari for a trifling offence. When his period of confinement was over, he resigned his commission and went to Paris in the company of a ballerina, with whom he had eloped. He took singing lessons from two teachers, Ponchard and Marco Bordogni, and his success as an amateur vocalist led to the offer of an engagement with the Opéra. He made his debut there in 1838, as the hero of Meyerbeer's "Robert le Diable".

Mario's success was immediate and complete but he did not stay long at the Paris Opéra. In 1839, he joined the Théâtre Italien, which included on its roster of artists such celebrated singers as Maria Malibran, Henriette Sontag, Fanny Persiani, Giulia Grisi, Giovanni Battista Rubini, Antonio Tamburini and Luigi Lablache. His initial appearance with this company was in the role of Nemorino in Donizetti's "L'Elisir d'Amore". London heard him for the first time during the course of that same year.

The acclaim that Mario achieved in Italian opera surpassed even that which he had won in French opera, and he soon acquired a Europe-wide reputation. He had a handsome face and a graceful figure, and his lyrical voice, though less powerful than that of his virtuoso tenor rival Rubini, or the baritone Tamburini, possessed a beguiling velvety softness that made it unique. Experience gave him ease as an actor, even though he never would excel in tragic parts. He was, nevertheless, an ideal stage lover, and he retained the grace and charm of youth long after his voice had begun to show signs of decay.

Mario was not a particularly adventurous singer. He created few operatic parts, that of Ernesto in "Don Pasquale" (1843) being perhaps the only one deserving of mention. Among the most successful of his other parts were Otello in Rossini's opera of that name, Gennaro in "Lucrezia Borgia", Alamviva in "Il Barbiere di Siviglia", Fernando in "La favorite", the Duke in "Rigoletto" and Manrico in "Il trovatore". The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, was the scene of many of his stage triumphs. He sang there in 1847–1867 and again during 1871, which would prove to be his last operatic season in London.

He also made occasional appearances in England in oratorio, singing for example at the Birmingham Festival of 1849 and at the Hereford Festival of 1855. He also undertook various concert tours in the United Kingdom, but his name is principally associated with triumphs in the theatre. Around 1849 he acquired the "Villa Salviati" in Florence and made it his home in Italy. Here he played host to many "grandi" art figures and, of course, members the European nobility. In 1854, he toured America. Two years later he married, in London, Giulia Grisi, the famous soprano, who had links to the patrician Colonna family and the Royal Houses of Greece and Russia. He and Grisi had five daughters and a son.

Mario bade farewell on the stage in 1871. His decision to retire followed the loss of his wife, who had died in Berlin a few years earlier while returning from engagements in Russia. Mario ended his singing career at the imperial Russian opera house in St Petersburg. During this time, his daughters were put under the care of tutors assigned by their Godmother, the Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaievna, Duchess of Leuchtenberg and president of the Imperial Academy of Arts in St Petersburg.

Mario returned to Italy and spent his last years composing music and writing; but he never fully recovered from the death of his spouse. A benefit concert was mounted for him in London in 1880. He died in Rome three years later in difficult financial circumstances.

One of his daughters was the writer Cecilia Maria de Candia, who married Godfrey Pearce (also spelt "Pearse").

References

*1911

External links

*" [http://www.archive.org/details/romanceofgreatsi00peariala The romance of a great singer; a memoir of Mario] " by Cecilia Maria de Candia Pearse and Frank Hird, 1910, from the Internet Archive


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Mario (disambiguation) — Mario is a fictional character in his eponymous video game series. Mario may also refer to: People Mario (entertainer) (born 1986), American singer and actor Mario (tenor) (1810–1883), Italian opera singer Other uses Mario (series), a series of… …   Wikipedia

  • Mario Frangoulis — Μάριος Φραγκούλης Background information Birth name Marios Frangoulis Born …   Wikipedia

  • Mario (given name) — Mario is the Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Greek form of the Roman name Marius. The Portuguese version of the name is spelt Mário, while the Greek version is spelt Marios. Many notable people and characters are named Mario: Mario (entertainer) …   Wikipedia

  • Mario Del Monaco — Naissance 27 juillet 1915 Florence  Italie Décès 16 octobre 1982 Mestre …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Mario del Monaco — Ténor italien, il est né à Florence le 27 juillet 1915 et mort à Mestre le 16 octobre 1982. Sommaire 1 Biographie 2 Écouter sa voix 3 Source …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Mario del monaco — Ténor italien, il est né à Florence le 27 juillet 1915 et mort à Mestre le 16 octobre 1982. Sommaire 1 Biographie 2 Écouter sa voix 3 Source …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Mario Del Monaco — (July 27, 1915 – October 16, 1982) was an Italian tenor who is regarded by his admirers as being one of the greatest dramatic tenors of the 20th century. Del Monaco was born in Florence to a musical upper class family. As a young boy he… …   Wikipedia

  • Mario Chamlee — (May 29, 1892 – November 13, 1966) was the lyric tenor who replaced Enrico Caruso at the Metropolitan Opera. His birth name was Archer Cholmondeley. Born in Los Angeles, California, he was the son of a minister. Contents 1 Early years 2 Singing… …   Wikipedia

  • Mario Lanza — Mario Lanza, interpretando a Otello de Verdi. Alfredo Arnoldo Cocozza, conocido como Mario Lanza, (Filadelfia, Estados Unidos, 31 de enero de 1921 Roma, Italia, 7 de octubre de 1959) fue un tenor y …   Wikipedia Español

  • Mario Frangoulis — (2009) Mario Frangoulis est aujourd hui (en 2010) le plus célèbre ténor grec. Sa chanson la plus connue est Vincero Perdero. Il est né en Rhodésie en 1967, mais il déménage en Grèce à l âge de quatre ans pour y être élevé par sa tante et son …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”