Mattia Battistini

Born Feb. 27, 1856, in Rome; died Nov. 7, 1928, in Contigliano (Rieti). Italian operatic artist (baritone).

After graduating from the medical faculty of the University of Rome, Battistini devoted himself wholly to vocal art. He studied singing with E. Terziani and V. Persichini. He made his debut in Rome in 1878 in the part of Alfonso (La Favorita by Donizetti). He sang in various theaters in Italy and toured Russia (for the first time in 1893), England, France, Germany, Austria, Argentina, Brazil, and other countries. In his many appearances in Russia, his parts included Onegin, the Demon, and Ruslan (Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky, The Demon by Rubinstein, and Ruslan and Liudmila by Glinka). Notable in his diverse repertoire were the parts of Don Giovanni (Don Giovanni by Mozart), Escamillo (Carmen by Bizet), Rigoletto and Iago (Rigoletto and Otello by Verdi), and Hamlet (Hamlet by Thomas). Battistini was a great master of bel canto.