Mario

(mär´yō), 1810–83, stage name of Giovanni Matteo, Cavaliere di Candia, Italian tenor. An officer of the Piedmontese guard, he went to Paris in 1836 and studied at the Paris Conservatory, making his debut (1838) at the Paris Opera in Robert le Diable. He sang with great success in Paris, London, and St. Petersburg, appearing often with his wife, Giulia Grisi. Mario had a very beautiful voice, which, united with personal grace and charm, made him the idol of his public. He retired in 1867.