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
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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