GIOVANNI MARIO

One of the best singers of the XIX century, Mario had a clear and sonorous voice, velvety timbre, impeccable musicianship, beautiful scenic data. He was an outstanding lyric opera actor.

Giovanni Mario (real name Giovanni Matteo de Candia) was born October 18, 1810 in Cagliari, Sardinia that. As an ardent patriot and an equally passionate devotee of the art of man, in his younger years he abandoned the family titles and land, becoming a member of the national liberation movement. In the end, Giovanni was forced to flee from his native Sardinia, chased by gendarmes.

In Paris, his sheltered Giacomo Meyerbeer, who prepared him to enter the Paris Conservatoire. Here, he studied singing with L. Popshara and M. Bordoni. After graduating from the conservatory, the young prince under the alias Mario began performing on stage.

On the advice of Meyerbeer in 1838, he played the lead role in the opera "Robert-Devil" at the Theater Grand Opera. Since 1839, Mario sings with great success on the stage of the Italian theater, becoming the first performer of the major parties in the operas of Donizetti: Charles ( "Linda di Chamoun, 1842), Ernesto (Don Pasquale, 1843).

In the early 40-ies, Mario appeared in England, where he sang in the theater "Covent Garden". It combines the fate of the singer Giulia Grisi and Mario, who fervently love one another. Lovers artists were inseparable, not only in life but also on the scene.

Quickly becoming famous, Mario has traveled all over Europe and much of their huge fees gave the Italian patriots.

"Mario was an artist of refined culture - writes AA Gozenpud - man, are vitally related to the progressive ideas of the era, and above all an ardent patriot, the adherent Mazzini. Not only that, Mario generously helped the fighters for the independence of Italy. Artist-Citizen, he was in his work vividly embodied the theme of liberation, although opportunities for this were limited to a repertoire, and above all the character voices: lyric tenor at the Opera typically appears as a lover. Heroism is not his sphere. Heine, witness the first performances of Mario and Grisi, said only lyric poetry in their performance. His opinion was written in 1842 and described one side of creativity of singers.

Of course, the lyrics and later stayed close Grisi and Mario, but it did not cover the entire scope of the performing arts. Roubini did not appear in the operas of Meyerbeer and the young Verdi, his aesthetic tastes defined by the triad Rossini - Bellini - Donizetti. Mario - the representative of another era, although it has experienced the impact of Rubini.

An outstanding interpreter of parties Edgar (Lucia di Lammermoor), Count Almaviva (Barber of Seville "), Arthur (" The Puritans "), Nemorino (L′elisir d′amore"), Ernesto (Don Pasquale), and many other, he with the same skill performed by Robert, Raoul and John in operas Meyerbeer, the Duke in Rigoletto, Manrico in "Il Trovatore", Alfred in "La Traviata".

Dargomyzhsky, hearing Mario in the early years of his performances on stage, in 1844, said: ". . . Mario, tenor, in the best leek, with a nice, fresh voice, but not strong, so good, that reminded me a lot of Rubin, who However, he clearly seeks to emulate. He had not yet consummated an artist, but I think that he should go up very high. "

In the same year, Russian composer and critic AN Serov wrote: "The Italians By this winter, happened the same brilliant fiasco, as in Grand Opera. Similarly, there is a lot of the audience complained about the singers, the only difference that the Italian vocal virtuosos sometimes do not want to sing, and French - can not sing. A couple of expensive Italian nightingales, Signor Mario and Signor Grisi were, however, is always at his post in the hall Vantadur and trills its takes us to the very blossoming spring, while in Paris raging cold, snow and wind that raged piano concerts, debates in the Chambers Deputies and polkomaniya.

Photo — «Giovanni Mario»

Yes, it′s happy, charming, nightingales, an Italian opera - always singing grove, where I am saved, when the winter depression otumanit me, when life′s cold for me to become unbearable. There, in a semi-pleasant corner of the box, get warm again excellent, melodic charms turn hard reality in poetry, longing lost in floral arabesques, and the heart will once again be smiling. What a pleasure, when Mario sings, and in the sight of Grisi amorous nightingale sounds are recorded, though the visible echoes. What a joy when Grisi sang, and her voice opens melodically gentle look and a happy smile, Mario! A lovely couple! The Persian poet, who called the nightingale rozoyu among birds, and the rose - a nightingale among the flowers, there would be quite confused and bewildered in the comparisons, because both he and she, Mario and Grisi, shine, not only singing, but also beauty. "

In 1849-1853 years, Mario and his wife Giulia Grisi appeared on the scene of the Italian Opera in St. Petersburg. Fascination tone, intimacy and charm of sound, according to contemporaries, conquered the audience. Impressed by the performance of Mario Party Arthur in "Puritans" Botkin wrote: "The Voice of Mario is that the most delicate sounds of the cello seem dry, rough, when they escorted him singing: it pours some kind of electric heat, which penetrates instantly in you, it is encouraging flows along the nerves and causes all the feelings of deep emotion, it is not sadness, not psychic anxiety, not passionate emotion, namely, emotion. "

Mario′s talent allowed him with the same depth and strength to pass the other senses - not only tenderness and yearning, but also anger, resentment, despair. In the scene of the curse in "Lucia" actor with a hero grieves, doubts and suffering. Serov wrote about the last scene: "This is a dramatic true, if taken to its zenith. With the utmost sincerity and the scene of Mario holds a meeting with Leonora Manrico in "Il Trovatore", moving from "a naive, childish joy, forget everything in the world" to the "jealous suspicions, the bitter recriminations, the tone of utter despair of an abandoned lover . . . - "That is true poetry, the real drama" - wrote admiring Serov.

"He was a consummate performer of Arnold′s" William Tell ", - notes Gozenpud. - In St. Petersburg it is usually sung Tamberlik, but in concerts, which often sounded a trio from the opera, falls in the performances, it participated Mario. "In his frenzied performance sobs Arnold and his thunderous" Alarmi! "filled, shaken and inspired all the great hall. " With a powerful dramatic game he played Raoul in "Les Huguenots" and John "The Prophet" ( "The Siege of Leyden" ;), where his partner was Pauline Viardot.

With a rare scenic charm, beauty, plasticity, the ability to wear a suit, Mario in each of the roles they performed the whole thing in a new way. Serov wrote about the Castilian pride Mario - Ferdinand′s "favorite" of his deep melancholy passion in the role of the unhappy lover, Lucia, the nobility and courage of his Raoult. Defending the nobility and purity, Mario condemned meanness, cynicism and lust. It seemed that nothing changed in the scenic appearance of the hero, just as captivating voice was, but unnoticed by the listener-viewer actor revealed the cruelty and emptiness of heart character. Such was his Duke in "Rigoletto. "

Here, the singer created the image of an immoral man, a cynic, for which there is only one purpose - pleasure. His Duke asserts its right to stand above any laws. Mario - Duke bottomless terrible bareness of the soul.

Stakhovich wrote: "All the famous tenor, which I′ve heard since Mario in this opera, from Tamberlika inclusive to Mazini . . . sang . . . romance (Duke) with a roulade, nightingales and with different gadgets, which caused the . . . delighted the audience . . . Tamberlik is poured in this aria all binge and contentment soldier in anticipation of an easy victory.

Photo — «Giovanni Mario»

Not so sang the outworn even hurdy-gurdy tune Mario. In recognition of his singing could be heard the king, spoiled with love all of the proud beauties in his court and satiated success . . . Strikingly sounded in the mouths of Mario was the last time this song, when, as a tiger, goading their prey, snarling clown over the body . . . This moment in the opera above all the high-sounding monologues Triboulet in the drama by Victor Hugo. But this terrible time, giving so much space to talent gifted actor in the role of Rigoletto, was full of horror and the public at a backstage singing Mario. Quietly, almost solemnly poured, rang his voice gradually dying away in the fresh dawn of the morning - the day comes, and go a succession of many, many such days, and with impunity, carelessly, but with the same innocent amusement would flow nice life "hero king". Indeed, when Mario was singing this song, the tragedy . . . of chilled blood and Rigoletto, and the public. "

Defining features of the creative personality Mario as a singer of romantic, a critic of "Notes of the Fatherland, wrote that he" belongs to the school Roubini and Ivanov, the chief character of which are . . . tenderness, intimacy, Cantabile. This tender has had some very original and attractive impression of the nebula: a deepening of the voice of the many Mario Romanticism, which dominated the sound valdgorna - voice quality invaluable and very happy. Sharing the general character tenors of this school, he has the voice of the extremely high (top si-bemol him overweening and falsetto reaches fa). One Roubini was impalpable to the ears of the transition from thoracic to the sounds of fistula, of all tenors, after he had heard, Mario went up more than others to this perfection: his falsetto is full, soft, gentle and easy to shades of piano . . . He uses very cleverly rubinievsky reception sharp transition from forte to piano . . . Grace and rousing passages from Mario elegant, like all the singers, formed the French public . . . All songs imbued with dramatic flair of, say even, Mario sometimes too keen on them . . . Singing it is permeated with genuine warmth . . . Mario game is beautiful. "

Serov, high tsenivshy art Mario, said "the musical talent of the actor paramount power," "grace, charm, ease, high taste and stylistic flair. Serov wrote that Mario in "Les Huguenots" showed "a magnificent actor, who is currently and there is no equal", is emphasized by its dramatic expressiveness. "This game is on the opera stage something completely unprecedented.

Much attention is paid to Mario staging aside, the historical accuracy of costume. Thus, creating an image of Duke, Mario bringing nearer the hero of opera to the character drama of Victor Hugo. In appearance, in makeup, costume artist reproduced the features of genuine Francis I. According Serov, it was revived a historical portrait.

However, not only Mario appreciated the historical accuracy of costume. An interesting incident occurred during a production of "Prophet" Meyerbeer in St. Petersburg in the 50′s. Most recently, in Europe, a wave of revolutionary action. At The opera is the death of the impostor who has dared to assume the crown, was to show that a similar fate awaits all who encroach on the legitimate authority. Himself the Emperor of Russia Nicholas I, with special attention the preparation of the performance, paying attention even to details kostyumirovki. Crown worn by John, surmounted by a cross. Rubinstein says that, passing behind the scenes, the king appealed to the Executive (Mario) to lift the crown. Then Nikolai Pavlovich broke off a cross from the crown and returns it shocked the singer. Cross could not embower head rebel.

In the years 1855/68 singer on tour in Paris, London, Madrid, and in the 1872/73 year, been in the United States.

In 1870, Mario was the last time was made in St. Petersburg, and three years later left the scene.

Mario died Dec. 11, 1883 in Rome.