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Scan 84
Grove's Dictionary of music and musicians, 1910
34 lines. Read by computer on 12 September 2026. Printed page 58. See the scan on archive.org.
11871, Maria ('La Figlia'), Rosina, Norina, and Astrifiammante. She made at first a great success solely on account of her beautiful voice, her brilliant execution and certainty of intonation. She did not maintain the hopes excited at her début, since it was discovered that she was a very mechanical actress, and totally devoid of charm. The only part she really played well was Maria. Nevertheless she became a very useful singer at Covent Garden, 1874-77, in all the above parts, Donna Elvira, Margaret of Valois, etc.; at Her Majesty's in 1878 and 1880, in Dinorah, etc.; at the Lyceum in 1881. She sang with success in the English provinces, Holland, Russia, America, and elsewhere. She reappeared in Paris at the Lyrique as Giralda, Oct. 21, 1876; as Suzanne in Gautier's unsuccessful 'La Clé d'Or,' Sept. 14, 1877, and Martha, and at the Italian Opera in the last part Jan. 3, 1884. Soon afterwards she retired and settled in Paris as a teacher of singing, where she now resides. A. C.
3MARINI, BIAGIO, born at Brescia, was employed as a violinist in Venice in 1617, was director of the music at Sant' Eufemia in Brescia in 1620; in 1622 he entered the service of Ferdinand Gonzaga at Parma, and in 1626 was maestro della musica to the Duke of Bavaria. He was at Düsseldorf about 1640, and in 1653 was maestro to the Accademia della Morte at Ferrara, and in the following year to Santa Maria della Scala at Milan. He is said by Fétis to have died at Padua, where he was a member of the Academy of the Occulti; the date of his death is given in Cozzando's Libreria Bresciana as 1660. He was the earliest of those Italian violinists who wrote music, and his works are considered as being among the earliest concerted instrumental compositions in existence. The following is a list of the most important:—
5Op.
61. Affetti musicali… Symfonie, Canzon, Sonate, Balletti, Arie, Brandi, Gagliarde e Corenti, a 1, 2, 3 (for violins, cornets, and other sorts of instruments). Venice, 1617.
72. Madrigale et Symfonie, a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Venice, 1618.
83. Arie, Madrigali e Corenti, a 1, 2, 3. Venice, 1620. (These two books contain vocal as well as instrumental pieces.)
95. Scherzi e Canzonette a 1 e 2 voci. Parma, 1622.
106. Le Lagrime d' Erminia in stile recitativo. Parma, 1623.
117. Canto per le musiche di camera concerti, a 4-6 voci, ed instrumenti. Venice, 1634.
128. Sonate Symphonie Canzoni Pass' emezzi, Baletti, Corenti, Gagliarde, e Ritornelli a 1-6 voci, per ogni sorte d' instrumenti… con altre curiose e moderne inventioni. Venice, 1626.
139. Madrigaletti, a 1-4 voci. Venice, 1635. (The only known copies of this and of 7 are in the Christ Church Library, Oxford.)
1413. Compositioni varie per musica di camera, a 2-5 voci. Venice, 1641.
1515. Corona melodica ex diversis sacrae musices floribus concinnata, 2-6 voc. ac instrumentis. Antwerp, 1644.
1616. Concerto terzo delle musiche da camera a 3-6 e più voci. Milan, 1649.
1718. Salmi per tutti le solennità dell' anno… ad. 1-3 voci. Venice, 1653.
1820. Vespri per tutte le festività dell' anno, a 4 voci. Venice, 1654.
1921. Lacrime di Davide sparse nel Miserere concertato in diversi modi a 2-4 e più voci. Venice, 1655.
2022. Per ogni sorte d' istromento musicale diversi generi di Sonate da chiesa e da camera, a 2-4. Venice, 1655.
22(Quellen-Lexikon, etc.)
24M.
25MARINO FALIERO. Opera seria, in two acts; music by Donizetti. Produced at the Théâtre Italien, in 1835; in London, King's Theatre, May 14, 1835.
27G.
29MARIO, CAVALIERE DI CANDIA, the greatest operatic tenor of his generation, was of an old and noble family. [Authorities differ as to the place and date of birth, but while Cagliari is generally accepted for the former (as against Genoa and Turin), the latter must be considered unsettled as yet. The earliest date, 1808, is supported in Riemann's Lexikon; the latest, 1812, appeared in the original edition of this work; and as Baker's Biog. Dict. of Musicians is the only book that gives the day, Oct. 17, the year there given, 1810, seems likely to be correct.] His father had been a general in the Piedmontese army; and he himself [after ten years in the Turin Military Academy] was an officer in the Piedmontese Guard, when he first came to Paris in 1836, and immediately became a great favourite in society. Never was youth more richly gifted for the operatic stage; beauty of voice, face, and figure, with the most winning grace of Italian manner, were all his. But he was then only an amateur, and as yet all unfitted for public singing, which his friends constantly suggested to him, even if he could reconcile his pride with the taking of such a step. Tempted as he was by the offers made to him by Duponchel, the director of the Opera,—which are said to have reached the sum of frs. 1500 a month, a large sum for a beginning,—and pressed by the embarrassments created by expensive tastes, he still hesitated to sign his father's name to such a contract; but was finally persuaded to do so at the house of the Comtesse de Merlin, where he was dining one evening with Prince Belgiojoso and other well-known amateurs; and he compromised the matter with his family pride by signing only the Christian name, under which he became afterwards so famous,—Mario.
31He is said to have spent some time in study, directed by the advice of Michelet, Ponchard, and the great singing-master, Bordogni; but it cannot have been very long nor the study very deep, for there is no doubt that he was a very incomplete singer when he made his first appearance. This was on Nov. 30, 1838, in the rôle of 'Robert le Diable.' Notwithstanding his lack of preparation and want of habit of the stage, his success was assured from the first moment when his delicious voice and graceful figure were first presented to the French public. Mario remained at the Académie during that year, but in 1840 he passed to the Italian Opera, for which his native tongue and manner better fitted him.
33In the meantime, he had made his first appearance in London, where he continued to sing through many years of a long and brilliant career. His début here was in 'Lucrezia Borgia,' June 6, 1839: but, as a critic of the time observed, 'the vocal command which he afterwards gained was unthought of; his acting did not then get beyond that of a southern man with a strong feeling for
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