Signor Foli

Allan James Foley (Signor Foli) (7 August 1837 – 10 October 1899), distinguished 19th century Irish bass opera singer, was born at Cahir, Tipperary. In accordance with the prevailing preference for Italian artists, he changed the spelling (but not the pronunciation) of his name and was always known as 'Signor Foli.'

His family emigrated, and Foli spent much of his youth in Hartford, Connecticut. Originally a carpenter, he studied singing under Bisaccia at Naples and made his first appearance at Catania in 1862. From the Paris Opéra he was engaged by Mapleson for the season of 1865, and made his London debut as St Bris in Les Huguenots. In the absence of Antonio Giuglini the company toured in late 1865 with Mario as principal tenor in Manchester, Dublin, Belfast and Liverpool. In January–April 1866 Mapleson split the company into two parties for a very extensive British provincial tour, Foli joining the ensemble of Mario, Grisi and Lablache under Arditi.

In that year of 1866 he was introduced at the Royal Philharmonic Society. Thereafter he appeared regularly as principal basso for Mapleson, with much success in various parts. In 1866 he appeared in a short run of Il Seraglio with Therese Tietjens, Hans von Rokitansky and Clarice Sinico: and in 1868 he was with Clara Louise Kellogg, Zélia Trebelli, Bettini and Charles Santley in La Gazza Ladra (Il Podestà). In 1869, the season in which the Gye and Mapleson resources were combined, Foli was in the opening production of Norma with Tietjens, Sinico and Mongini, and in the Rigoletto which followed it. He took the role of Daland in the first performance of The Flying Dutchman in England in 1870 with Santley as Vanderdecken and Ilma de Murska as Senta.Herman Klein mentions his Bertramo in the 1872 Drury Lane production of Robert le Diable with Christine Nilsson, Italo Gardoni, Mongini and de Murska. He was famous for his Sparafucile (Rigoletto) and Commendatore (Don Giovanni), and had a repertoire of some 60 operas.

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