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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 1-25 of 63 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Berliner 1604 7-in. 11/17/1896 Non è ver Ferruccio Giannini Tenor vocal solo composer  
Berliner 0599 7-in. 10/3/1899 Non e ver Ferruccio Giannini Tenor vocal solo composer  
Berliner 0781 7-in. Dec. 1899 Non è ver George Schweinfest Piccolo solo composer  
Berliner 0979 7-in. Before June 1900 Non è ver E. Francisco Baritone vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]239 7-in. 10/13/1900 Non è ver George Schweinfest Flute solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]442 7-in. 10/19/1900 Non è ver Sig. Carlos Francisco Baritone vocal solo, with piano composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]559 7-in. 12/4/1900 Dear heart Rosalia Chalia ; Jane Frankel Vocal duet (soprano and contralto) composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]782 7-in. either 1901 or 1902 Dear heart Herbert Goddard Baritone vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]782 10-in. either 1901 or 1902 Dear heart Herbert Goddard Baritone vocal solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1055 7-in. 10/24/1901 Non è ver Jules Levy Cornet solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1055 10-in. 10/24/1901 Non è ver Jules Levy Cornet solo composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]3327 10-in. 5/6/1901 Dear heart Herbert Goddard Baritone vocal solo composer  
Victor A-488 7-in. 10/5/1903 Non è ver Jules Levy Cornet solo composer  
Victor B-488 10-in. 10/5/1903 Non è ver Jules Levy Cornet solo composer  
Victor A-1434 7-in. 6/7/1904 Non è ver Sig. Carlos Francisco Baritone vocal solo composer  
Victor A-1470 7-in. 6/10/1904 Dear heart Herbert Goddard Baritone vocal solo, with piano composer  
Victor B-1470 10-in. 6/10/1904 Dear heart Herbert Goddard Baritone vocal solo, with piano composer  
Victor B-2134 10-in. 1/11/1905 Dear heart Arthur Pryor's Orchestra Orchestra, with trombone solo composer  
Victor B-2330 10-in. 2/24/1905 Non è ver Arthur Pryor Trombone solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-2375 10-in. 3/14/1905 Dear heart Mina Hickman Female vocal solo composer  
Victor B-4922 10-in. 11/12/1907 The sailor's prayer Percy Hemus Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-6162 10-in. 4/30/1908 Through sunny Spain Elise Stevenson Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-6163 10-in. 4/30/1908 Dear heart Elise Stevenson Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-6483 10-in. 9/29/1908 Non è ver Paul Volkmann Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor C-7004 12-in. 4/16/1909 Dear heart George Hamlin Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
(Results 1-25 of 63 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Mattei, Tito," accessed March 29, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103978.

Mattei, Tito. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103978.

"Mattei, Tito." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 29 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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