Battistini, Mattia (1856-1928)

Italian baritone

Mattia Battistini, portrait and autograph

Mattia Battistini, nicknamed "La Gloria d'Italia", was one of the last representatives of the long bel canto tradition. He sang under some of the greatest conductors of the early 20th century: Franco Faccio, Edoardo Mascheron, Rodolfo Ferrari, Vittorio Gui.

From her debut in December 1878 at Rome's Teatro Argentina in La Favorite de Donizetti was a resounding success. He received a triumphant welcome on all European stages: Madrid, Barcelona, London, Vienna, Paris and Budapest.

However, it was in the Russian Empire that he decided to establish himself: he remained with the Tsar for 23 seasons. If he was the ambassador of bel canto in Russia, he was also the ambassador of Russian opera in Europe.

He continued his career until the age of 70, thanks to his prodigious technique and enviable artistic intelligence. He left numerous recordings testifying to the high quality of his vocal technique.

Discover the artist's world through various documents: each image opens the door to one of his interpretations, his portraits in civilian clothes, his autographs or press articles about him from the period