De Candia, Giovanni Matteo (known as Mario), Italian opera singer (1810-1883). Autograph letter signed.

N. p. o. d.

8vo. 1½ pp. on bifolium.

 400,00

An answer to an invitation by Charles de Beauregard to perform at a concert. Candia tells him that it is one of his principles to never perform public concerts, for which reason he cannot fulfill his request: "Je ne puis vous exprimer toute la peine que j'éprouve d'être obligé de répondre par un refus au faible service que vous voulez bien daigner me demander. Je me suis donne pour règle de ne jamais chanter dans un concert Public. Jusqu'à présent je ne me suis pas écarté de cette règle une seule fois. Vous ne devez donc pas trouver un refus dans ma résponse, mais un impossibilité de ma parte. J'éspere, Monsieur, pouvoir vous montrer mon dévouement dans une autre occasion [...]".

De Candia was 12 years old when he moved from Cagliari to Turin, where he studied at the Royal Military Academy. While serving as a second-lieutenant in the King of Sardinia's Guards in Turin, he got into debt. His father refused to help him out, and he was expelled from the army in November 1834. He travelled to Paris and began to study with Giovanni Marco Bordogni at the Paris Conservatory. The young tenor made his debut in November 1838 as the hero of Meyerbeer's "Robert le diable". He was immediately successful, signed his contract simply "Mario", and was popularly known thereafter by that name. In 1839 Mario made a triumphant debut in London as Gennaro in Gaetano Donizetti's "Lucrezia Borgia" opposite Giulia Grisi, the famous Italian soprano who became his life-long companion. He made his Paris debut at the Théâtre-Italien as Nemorino in Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore". For the next 30 years he was a principal singer of romantic parts in Paris and London, also appearing in St. Petersburg, New York, and Madrid.

Art.-Nr.: BN#53983 Schlagwort: