ICILIO CALLEJA (CORFU, GREECE, 25 JUNE 1882 – ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT, 18 NOVEMBER 1941)
He was born in Corfù but was raised by his banker father in Alexandria. Initially studying law at the Paris Sorbonne, he ultimately turned to singing. He took vocal lessons from M. Foà in Milan and made his debut in 1906 at the Teatro Verdi in Firenze as Canio in Pagliacci. In 1907, he performed at La Scala in La Wally under the baton of Arturo Toscanini. The following year, in 1908, he returned to La Scala as Don Alvaro in La Forza del Destino and came back again in 1913 to perform as Otello.
In 1914, he repeated the role of Otello at the Teatro Regio in Parma. He also guested at the Teatro Comunale in Bologna as Radames in Aida in 1908, and at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo. His international career included appearances in Chicago in 1912, where he performed in Aida, I Gioielli della Madonna, and Pagliacci. In 1913, he sang in the Italian premiere of I Gioielli della Madonna at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa. He guested at the Teatro Liceo in Barcelona in 1914, and at the Teatro Real in Madrid as Otello in 1915. In 1914, he performed at La Scala in the premiere of A. Smareglia’s opera Abisso.
In 1916, he returned to La Scala to sing in G. Spontini’s opera Fernando Cortez. His favorite role, Otello, was performed again in 1915 at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome and the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. For a brief period in 1917, he transitioned to baritone roles, singing Tonio in Pagliacci and Gérard in Andrea Chénier at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome, but soon returned to his tenor repertoire. During the 1922-23 season at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, he appeared as Tristan in Tristano e Isotta. In 1923, he performed as Siegfried in the première of the opera at the Teatro Donizetti in Bergamo and later appeared in Walkiria at the Teatro Comunale in Bologna.
His final role was Siegfried, which he sang in 1929 at the Teatro Regio in Parma. After retiring, he returned to Alexandria, where he spent his final years with his family, passing away peacefully in his sleep. Notably, Calleja was the first to sing Otello at La Scala since Tamagno had performed the role 26 years earlier.
Chronology of some appearances
1908 Ferrara Teatro Comunale Siberia (Vassili)
1908 Palermo Teatro Massimo Ballo in maschera (Riccardo)
1910 Bari Teatro Petruzzelli Ballo in maschera (Riccardo)
1910 Firenze Teatro Verdi Loreley (Walter)
1911 Genova Teatro Carlo Felice Germania (Federico)
1912 Chicago Civic Opera House Pagliacci (Canio)
1912 Philadelphia Teatro Metropolitan Pagliacci (Canio)
1913 Milano Teatro La Scala Otello (Otello)
1914 Madrid Teatro Reale Norma (Pollione)
1914 Parma Teatro Regio Otello (Otello)
1915 Brescia Teatro Grande Otello (Otello)
1915 Barcellona Teatro Liceo Otello (Otello)
1916 Napoli Teatro San Carlo Otello (Otello)
1917 Roma Teatro Costanzi Otello (Otello)
1917 Brescia Teatro Sociale Pagliacci (Canio)
1919 Catania Teatro Bellini Otello (Otello)
1921 Reggio Emilia Teatro Municipale Tristano e Isotta (Tristano)
1922 Firenze Politeama Fiorentino Tristano e Isotta (Tristano)
1923 Napoli Teatro San Carlo Otello (Otello)
1923 Bergamo Teatro Donizetti Tristano e Isotta (Tristano)
1923 La Valletta/Malta Teatro Reale Otello (Otello)
1924 Trieste Teatro Verdi Tristano e Isotta (Tristano)
TRACKLIST
Icilio Calleja recorded 22 acoustic sides, between 1909 and 1918, for the Fonotipia, Pathé and Columbia
- Aida (Verdi) Di Napata Le gole with Domenico Viglione Borghese, Ester Mazzoleni and Laura del Lungo 92673 XPh 4366 Fonotipia, Milano 1910-10-10
- Aida (Verdi) Già i sacerdoti, pt 1 and pt 2 (w. Frascani) 12564, 5287, 12564, 5287 Pathé, Milano 1918
- Aida (Verdi): Gran Concertato Finale Atto II with Armida Parsi-Pettinella, Lina Pasini-Vitale, Antonio Magini-Coletti, Ferruccio Corradetti and Oreste Luppi 69022 XXXPh 4036 Fonotipia, Milano 1909-07-02
- Andrea Chénier (Giordano) Come un bel dì S60 41919 Columbia, Milano 1913
- Andrea Chénier (Giordano) Improvviso S60 41917 Columbia, Milano 1913
- Germania (Franchetti) Non chiuder S57 41915 Columbia, Milano 1913
- Germania (Franchetti) Studenti udite S57 41918 Columbia, Milano 1913
- Isabeau (Mascagni) Canzone del Falco D9328 41925 Columbia, Milano 1913
- La Fanciulla del West (Puccini) My father died D9710 91923 Columbia, Milano 1913
- La Fanciulla del West (Puccini) Let her believe D9710 91920 Columbia, Milano 1913
- La Fanciulla di West (Puccini) Or son sei mesi 42188 D9345 Columbia, Milano
- Otello (Verdi) Ora e per sempre addio 92674 XPh 4124 Fonotipia, Milano 1909-10-30
- Otello (Verdi) Ora e per sempre addio D9329 41916 Columbia, Milano 1913
- Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) No Pagliaccio non sono D9328 41922 Columbia, Milano 1913
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