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Tito Mattei

Tito Eduardo Achille Mattei (24 May 1839–30 March 1914) was an Italian pianist, composer, and conductor.

Born at Campobasso in Italy, he was educated in Naples where he studied with Sigismond Thalberg, Carlo Conti, and Michele Ruta. A musical prodigy, he gave his first concert in 1846 aged 5 afterwards touring Italy, France and Germany. At just 11 years-old in 1852 he was appointed Professor at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome. He gave his first performance in London in 1853 aged 12 and also in 1853 played before Pope Pius IX who gave him a gold medal; he was appointed pianist to Victor Emmanuel II, the King of Italy. In 1863 he moved to London where he became the conductor at Her Majesty's Theatre. Mattei was a Chevalier of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus and belonged to various important musical societies including the Societa Filarmonica of Florence. In 1870 he organised and conducted a season of Italian Opera in London. In 1871 he married Amalia Colombo (born 1845) at Kensington in London. Their daughter Marie Jeanette Mattei was born in London in 1875.

He wrote several hundred piano-pieces and songs which had a moderate success including the ballet The Spider and the Fly, 'For the Sake of the Past', 'Dear Heart', 'Non torno', 'Non è ver', and 'Oh! Oh! Hear the Wild Wind Blow'. His operas included Maria di Grand and the comic opera La Prima Donna. He contributed ballet music and the song "O Leave Me Not, Dear Heart" to the burlesque melodrama Monte Cristo Jr. (1886) which played at the Gaiety Theate in London and had a cast including Nellie Farren, Letty Lind and Marion Hood. A Freemason, in 1888 he joined the Rothesay Lodge No 1687 in London.

Mattei enjoyed driving fast cars — in 1909 the 68 year-old Mattei broke the speed limit while the American lawyer Rufus Applegarth was a passenger. Applegarth defended Mattei at the Police Court and despite the prosecution's objections that Applegarth could not defend his client in an English court, the American lawyer with 40 years experience successfully got his client off the charge.

Several of his works have been played during the BBC Proms including 'Non è ver' and 'Bianca'.

Although he was a successful musician the last period of his life was not affluent. He was declared bankrupt in 1883, 1890 and 1900 due to repeated Stock Exchange speculations that resulted in the forced sale of the copyright of his compositions; In 1901 he was living alone as a lodger at an address in Paddington in London and had apparently separated from his wife and child who were then living at a separate address Tito Mattei died in London in 1914 at the age of 74.

Birth and Death Data: Born May 24, 1841 (Campobasso), Died March 30, 1914 (London)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1896 - 1938

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 63 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor C-10216 12-in. 4/20/1911 Non è ver George Carré Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor C-10659 12-in. 6/29/1911 Dear heart Neapolitan Trio Instrumental trio composer  
Victor C-12146 12-in. 6/24/1912 'Tis not true Lambert Murphy Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-14067 10-in. 11/13/1913 'Tis not true Alan Turner Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-14348 10-in. 1/19/1914 Non è ver Michele Rinaldi Cornet solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor C-15368 12-in. 11/10/1914 Non è ver Emilio de Gogorza Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor C-17651 12-in. 5/9/1916 Non è ver John McCormack Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-21970 10-in. 6/6/1918 Dear heart Emilio de Gogorza Baritone vocal solo, with violin and orchestra composer  
Victor CVE-37622 12-in. 1/11/1927 Non è ver Francesco Marina Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor CVE-37623 12-in. 1/11/1927 Non tornó Francesco Marina Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor PCS-019297 10-in. 5/27/1938 Non é ver Carroll Hollister ; John Charles Thomas Baritone vocal solo, with piano composer  
Victor CS-022942 12-in. 4/28/1938 Non è ver Igor Gorin ; Wilfrid Pelletier Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 3 7-in. ca. 1901 Dear heart Artists vary Baritone vocal solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 3 10-in. ca. 1901-Sept. 1902 Dear heart Artists vary Baritone vocal solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 154 7-in. ca. 1901-Sept. 1902 Non è ver Artists vary Baritone vocal solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 154 10-in. ca. 1901 Non è ver Artists vary Baritone vocal solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 1231 10-in. ca. 1903 Non è ver Roberto Vanni Tenor vocal solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 1750 10-in. Jan.-Mar. 1904 Non è ver Ferruccio Giannini ; Royal Italian Marine Band Tenor vocal solo, with band composer  
Columbia 19119 10-in. 11/15/1910 Dear heart Clifford Wiley Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 19585 10-in. 10/3/1911 Dear heart Grace Kerns Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 47383 10-in. 2/16/1917 Non è ver Giuseppe Agostini Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 36794 12-in. ca. 1913 'Tis not true Mrs. A. Stewart Holt Female vocal solo, with violin and harp composer  
Columbia 48864 12-in. 7/12/1916 Dear heart Blanche Duffield Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 38063 12-in. between 1910 and 1917 Non e ver-Romanza [in Italian] Vicente Ballester Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 88882 10-in. approximately November 1922 Non tornò Raoul Romito Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
(Results 26-50 of 63 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Mattei, Tito," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103978.

Mattei, Tito. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103978.

"Mattei, Tito." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 26 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103978

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