Mattia Battistini

Baritone Mattia Battistini was born on February 27, 1856, in Contigliano, near Rome. In Rome, he studied voice with Eugenio Terziani and later with Vencesleo Persichini. In 1878, he made his professional debut at the Teatro Argentina in Donizetti's La favorita on less than a day's notice. He was a great success, and over the next several years sang throughout northern Italy in Il Trovatore, La forza del destino, Rigoletto, Les Huguenots, L' Africaine, I Puritani, Lucia di Lammermoor, Ernani, and many other operas. In 1881, he traveled to South America and on his return stopped...