Article on Mazzoleni's biography

“A recent number of L’Eco d’Italia contains an interesting sketch of the career of the tenor Mazzoleni, who has recently met with such marked success at our Academy of Music in ‘Ione,’ the ‘Ballo,’ ‘Norma,’ ‘Trovatore,’ and other operas. From this we learn that he comes from an illustrious Lombard family, and was born on the 28th of September, 1830, in Sebenico, a little town in Dalmatia, the birthplace of Nicolo Tomasso. When young he decided to follow his father’s profession of lawyer, and in 1854, having completed a course of study in Dalmatia, went to study the science of the law at the University of Vienna. One evening, after hearing the Italian opera, his rich voice singing with a group of students the airs heard during the evening, attracted the earnest attention of two passers-by, one of whom was the celebrated Basadonna, the other the baritone De Bassini. They spoke to Mazzoleni, invited him to their house, and Basadonna gave him five months’ tuition in the lyric art, and Ronzani, an eminent impresario, engaged him as first tenor for the theatre at Trieste, where he made his first appearance in ‘I Lombardi.’ His success was most happy, and the maestro Traversari wrote for him an opera, ‘Don Cæsar de Bazan.’ Balfe selected him to appear in ‘La Zingara,’ the Italian version of ‘The Bohemian Girl.’ Under Ronzani’s management Mazzoleni appeared in the most prominent theatres of Italy, particularly at San Carlo at Naples.

            Mazzoleni was next engaged by Maretzek for Havana and the United States. Here his success has been most brilliant, and his originality, voice, histrionic ability and vocal skill, are fully appreciated and heartily applauded. Mazzoleni has already created an impression which not more than one or two of his predecessors have ever formed with a New York public.”