PAOLO CIVIL
(BARCELONA, 20 NOVEMBER, 1899 – BARCELONA, 28 DECEMBER, 1987)
His real name was Pau Civil. Trained by José Sabater in Barcelona, who
transformed his voice from baritone to tenor, he made his debut in 1925 at the
Teatro del Casino in Masnou near Barcelona as the Duke in Rigoletto. After
touring Spain with a traveling opera company, he went to Italy, where he
appeared in numerous theaters from 1928 to 1931. In 1928, he sang Alfredo in La
Traviata in Cannes alongside Elvira de Hidalgo. From 1930 to 1933, he enjoyed
great success with the Italian Opera in Holland.
In 1933, he made his debut at the Teatro del Liceo in Barcelona as
Paco in de Falla’s La vida breve. His career in Spain was interrupted by the
Civil War, after which he resumed performing at major Italian opera houses,
including La Scala in Milan. He made his debut there in 1937 as Rodolfo in La
Bohème, returning in 1938 for Goyescas by Granados, in 1942 as Maurizio in
Adriana Lecouvreur by Cilea, and in 1949 for Khovantchina by Mussorgsky. At La
Scala, he also created roles in several premieres: Lucrezia by Ottorino
Respighi (February 24, 1937), La morte di Frine by Lodovico Rocca (April 24,
1937), and Proserpina by Renzo Bianchi (March 23, 1938).
He appeared as a guest artist at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples
(1938), the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (1938 as Gabriele Adorno in Simon
Boccanegra by Verdi), the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa (1937 in La fiamma and
1942 in Lucrezia by Respighi), in Piacenza (1939 as Alfredo), at the Teatro
Comunale in Bologna (1936 as Donello in Respighi’s La fiamma, 1938 as Gabriele
Adorno), and at the Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari. From 1938 to 1941, he was heard
at the Rome Opera as Dimitrij in Boris Godunov, as Arrigo in Verdi’s I vespri
siciliani, as Matteo in Zandonai’s Conchita, and as Walther von Stolzing in Die
Meistersinger von Nürnberg. In 1938, he also appeared at the Teatro Comunale in
Florence as Don José in Carmen.
In 1941, he returned to the Teatro del Liceo in Barcelona, where he
appeared again in 1953, creating a role in the premiere of Massana’s Canigó. In
1947, he undertook a major North American tour with the San Carlo Opera
Company, appearing 54 times as Don José in Carmen alone. His last appearance
took place in 1955 at the Teatro Calderón in Barcelona as Edgardo in Lucia di
Lammermoor.
He undoubtedly possessed one of the most beautiful lyric-dramatic
tenor voices of his generation, excelling in roles such as Don Ottavio in Don
Giovanni, Rodolfo in La Bohème, Faust in both Boito’s Mefistofele and Gounod’s
Faust, Ernesto in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, Alfredo in La Traviata, Nadir in
Bizet’s Les pêcheurs de perles, Maurizio in Adriana Lecouvreur, Cavaradossi in
Tosca, and even Lohengrin.
After retiring from the stage, he worked as a zarzuela producer, stage
director at the Teatro del Liceo, and from 1965 to 1985 as Professor of Vocal
Pedagogy at the Conservatorio del Liceo in Barcelona.
Recordings:
He made solo recordings for Columbia between 1929 and 1931, including
the complete garden scene from Boito’s Mefistofele. After a long silence, he
returned to the studio in 1953 for a complete recording of de Falla’s La vida
breve, again as Paco, opposite the celebrated soprano Victoria de los Ángeles.
He also recorded for Odeon and Fonotipia, as well as excerpts from Lehár’s The
Merry Widow.
Chronology
of some appearances
1925
Barcellona Teatro Bosque Rigoletto (Duca)
1929 Milano
Teatro Dal Verme Trovatore (Manrico)
1929 Palermo
Politeama Garibaldi Tosca (Cavaradossi)
1929 Palermo
Politeama Garibaldi Traviata (Alfredo)
1930
Barcellona Teatro Olimpia Rigoletto (Duca)
1930 Udine
Teatro Puccini Manon Lescaut (De Grieux)
1930
‘S-Gravenhage Gebouw Voor Kunsten en Wetenschappen Cavalleria Rusticana
(Turiddu)
1930
‘S-Gravenhage Gebouw Voor Kunsten en Wetenschappen Boheme (Rodolfo)
1930
‘S-Gravenhage Gebouw Voor Kunsten en Wetenschappen Rigoletto (Duca)
1931 Genova
Politeama Genovese Boheme (Rodolfo)
1931
Genova Politeama Genovese Cavalleria
Rusticana (Turiddu)
1931
Genova Politeama Genovese Manon Lescaut
(De Grieux)
1931
Genova Politeama Genovese Tosca
(Cavaradossi)
1931
Genova Politeama Genovese Traviata
(Alfredo)
1931
‘S-Gravenhage Gebouw Voor Kunsten en
Wetenschappen Boheme (Rodolfo)
1931
‘S-Gravenhage Gebouw Voor Kunsten en
Wetenschappen Cavalleria Rusticana (Turiddu)
1931
‘S-Gravenhage Gebouw Voor Kunsten en
Wetenschappen Madama Butterfly (Pinkerton)
1931
‘S-Gravenhage Gebouw Voor Kunsten en Wetenschappen
Tosca (Cavaradossi)
1931
‘S-Gravenhage Gebouw Voor Kunsten en Wetenschappen
Traviata (Alfredo)
1931
Rotterdam Groote Schouwburg Rigoletto
(Duca)
1931 Camerino Teatro Marchetti Madama Butterfly (Pinkerton)
1931
Galatina Teatro Comunale Rigoletto
(Duca)
1932
Amsterdam Teatro Carré Tosca
(Cavaradossi)
1932
Amsterdam Teatro Carré Traviata
(Alfredo)
1933
‘S-Gravenhage Gebouw Voor Kunsten en Wetenschappen Boheme (Rodolfo)
1933
‘S-Gravenhage Gebouw Voor Kunsten en Wetenschappen Cavalleria Rusticana
(Turiddu)
1933
‘S-Gravenhage Gebouw Voor Kunsten en
Wetenschappen Madama Butterfly (Pinkerton)
1933 La
Spezia Politeama Duca di Genova Boheme
(Rodolfo)
1933 La
Spezia Politeama Duca di Genova
Cavalleria Rusticana (Turiddu)
1934 Milano
Teatro Lirico Madama Butterfly (Pinkerton)
1935 Asti Teatro Alfieri Gioconda (Enzo)
1935
Piacenza Teatro Municipale Francesca da
Rimini Zandonai (Malatestino)
1935
Vicenza Teatro Eretenio Manon Lescaut
(De Grieux)
1935 Bari
Teatro Petruzzelli Tosca (Cavaradossi)
1935
Bari Teatro Petruzzelli Traviata
(Alfredo)
1936
Verona Teatro Filarmonico Tosca (Cavaradossi)
1936 Verona Teatro Filarmonico Traviata (Alfredo)
1938
Firenze Teatro Comunale Carmen (Don
Jose)
1939 Trieste
Teatro Verdi Boheme (Rodolfo)
1939
Trieste Teatro Verdi Cavalleria
Rusticana (Turiddu)
1939 Milano
Teatro La Scala Ballo in Maschera (Riccardo)
1939 Genova
Aperto della Foce Ballo in Maschera (Riccardo)
1939
Venezia Teatro La Fenice Carmen (Don
Jose)
1939 Palermo
Teatro Massimo Carmen (Don Jose)
1939 Bari
Teatro Petruzzelli Gioconda (Enzo)
1940 Roma
Eiar Gioconda (Enzo)
1941 Cosenza
Teatro Rendano Adriana Lecouvreur (Maurizio)
TRACKLIST
Manon
Lescaut (Puccini): Tra voi belle D6053 B2503 Columbia, Milano
Manon
Lescaut (Puccini): Donna non vidi mai D6053 B2504 Columbia, Milano
Manon
Lescaut (Puccini): Ah! Manon, mi tradisce D6054 B2507 Columbia, Milano
Andrea
Chenier (Giordano): Si, fui soldato D6064 B2683 Columbia, Milano
Mefistofele
(Boito): Giunto sul passo estremo D6064 B2681 Columbia, Milano
Boheme
(Boito): Nei cieli bigi with Gino Vanelli D6065 B2522 Columbia, Milano
Boheme
(Boito): O Mimi tu piu non torni with Gino Vanelli D6065 B2523 Columbia, Milano
Andrea
Chenier (Giordano): Come un bel di di maggio D6097 B2684 Columbia, Milano
Mefistofele
(Boito): Dai campi, dai prati D6097
D2682 Columbia, Milano
Mefistofele
(Boito): Cavaliere illustre e saggio with Gina Cigna,Tancredi Pasero and Ida
Mannarini D6064 B2681 Columbia, Milano
Faust
(Gounod): All’erta, all’erta with Gina Cigna and Tancredi Pasero D14582 BX 681
Columbia, Milano
Lucrezia
Borgia (Donizetti): Di pescatore ignobile CC322 70708 Cetra
Fedora
(Giordano): Amor ti vieta CB20277 2-70414 Cetra
Carmen
(Bizet): Il fior che avevi a me tu dato CB20777 2-70418 Cetra
Wally
(Catalani): Mai salvato with Maria
Vinciguerra CC2322 2-70707 Cetra
La Dolores
(Bretón) Jota Odeon M 15205 CKX 3742
La Dolores
(Bretón) Conclusión Odeon M 15205 CKX 3743
Luisa
Fernanda (Romero): De este apacible rincón Odeon PC 36020 XXS 10917
Doña Francisquita (Vives): Por el humo se sabe Odeon CKX 3753 M 15213
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