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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 51-63 of 63 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 88890 10-in. approximately November 1922 Mariannina Raoul Romito Tenor vocal solo and vocal chorus, with orchestra composer  
Brunswick 8073-8074 10-in. approximately May 1922 Non è ver Theo Karle Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 598 Not documented approximately Apr. 1911 Dear heart Venetian Instrumental Trio Instrumental trio composer  
Edison 1027 10-in. 5/14/1912 Dear heart Venetian Instrumental Trio Violin, flute, and harp composer  
Edison 2636 10-in. 12/16/1913 Grande valse de concert Reed Orchestra Reed orchestra composer  
Edison 2662 10-in. 12/26/1913 Song of the coquette Mary Carson Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 2791 10-in. Jan.-Feb. 1914 Dear heart Venetian Instrumental Trio Instrumental trio composer  
Edison 3463 10-in. Nov.-Dec. 1914 or later Espoir Sodero's Band Band composer  
Edison 4746 10-in. 5/25/1916 Dear heart Thomas Chalmers Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 6840 10-in. 6/19/1919 The chase Arthur Middleton Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 7321 10-in. 4/26/1920 Ce n'est pas vrai Torcom Bézazian Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 7903 10-in. 4/11/1921 Dear heart Torcom Bézazian Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 7934 10-in. 4/22/1921 'Tis not true Mario Laurenti Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
(Results 51-63 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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