Mario Ancona, was a leading Italian baritone and master of bel canto singing. He appeared at some of the most important opera houses in Europe and America during what is commonly referred to as the "Golden Age of Opera".
Mario Ancona, circa 1896
Bel canto —with several similar constructions —is a term with several meanings that relate to Italian singing.
Bel canto–era composer Gioachino Rossini
Hand-written note by contralto Marietta Alboni about the decay of bel canto in the late 19th century. The French text reads: "The art of singing is going, and it will only revert with the sole real music of the future: that of Rossini. Paris, 8 February 1881." (signature)
Mathilde Marchesi (1821–1913), a leading Paris-based teacher of bel canto sopranos