Antonio Paolí
Encyclopedia
Antonio Paoli was a Puerto Rican
tenor
. He was known at the height of his fame as "The King of Tenors and The Tenor of Kings." He is considered to be the first Puerto Rican to reach international fame in the musical arts. Paoli has been recognized as "one of the most outstanding opera singers of all time," and as one who had "one of the most lyric and powerful voices...superior even to his contemporary rival, Enrico Caruso."
After spending his childhood in his birth town of Ponce
, Paoli moved to Spain where, with the assistance of his well-connected sister Amalia
, he obtained a Royal scholarship
to take singing lessons in Italy. After singing to standing ovation
crowds in both Spain and Italy, Paoli made his grand debut in Paris, France, where he was enouraged to perform on the highest levels of the world stage. Before the end of the 19th century and while Paoli was still in his twenties, he went on a tour of Europe that earned him both popular acclaim, and imperial honors from princes, kings, and emperors.
Between 1900 and 1914 his career sky-rocketed, with performances not only in Europe but also in the Americas, the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia.
When World War I forced the closure of all European opera house
s, Paoli made his living as a professional boxer. Unfortunately, he also lost his singing voice during this period. After the War ended, following medical advice and performing vocal exercises, Paoli regained his voice and returned to the international stage, in all the glory of days past. He performed in Europe, North and South America, and finally settled with his sister Amalia in San Juan, Puerto Rico
, where she had opened a singing school.
Paoli spent the last 20 years of his life teaching voice and singing in San Juan, while also working for the establishment of a music conservatory in that city. He would not see this last dream come true, because he developed cancer
and died at age 75. He was buried in San Juan, but his remains were later transferred to a mausoleum
in his birth town of Ponce.
. He was the son of Amalia Marcano Intriago, from the island of Margarita, Venezuela and of Domingo Paoli Marcatentti, from Corsica
. Paoli's maternal grandfather, a rich landlord, was opposed to the relationship, therefore the young couple escaped to the Dominican Republic without getting married and later returned to Puerto Rico. The couple established themselves in the city of Yauco, but later moved into a house, given to them by Amalia's aunt, Teresa Intriago, located at one of the main arteries in the city of Ponce's urban core, Calle Mayor (Mayor Street), House #14. Ponce at the time was the financial and cultural capital of the island, thereby the ideal place for the initial cultural development of Paoli.
When Paoli was young, his parents would often take him to opera
s at Ponce's La Perla Theater
located a block away from Paoli's residence. There, on one occasion he saw a performance of Giuseppe Verdi's Il Trovatore by Italian tenor
, Pietro Baccei, and at that moment knew what he wanted to do as an adult. His parents were very supportive of his ambition and guided him on this route during his youth, enrolling him in a school of "voice" directed by Ramon Marin. His sister Amalia was a soprano who performed at La Perla in Emilio Arrieta
's opera, Marina. In 1883, when Paoli was only 12 years old, both his parents died and he went to live in Spain
with his sister Amalia.
, Queen Regent of Spain. Paoli started his studies at the Royal Monastery of El Escorial
. Paoli entered the Toledo's Military Academy and in 1892, graduated with honors. He was assigned to the Queen's escort and named personal custodian and guard of the child King Alfonso XIII. Paoli desired to continue singing and in 1897, went to study at the Academia de Canto La Scala in Milan, Italy. On April 26, 1899, he made his debut in Gioacchino Rossini
's opera William Tell
in Paris, France. Paris newspapers commented on Paoli's success and stated "we should declare Paoli the Tenor of France."
Between 1900 and 1914, Paoli performed in Europe, America, Africa, and Asia. He performed in Italy, Luxembourg
and in the United Kingdom, with performances in London
, Scotland
, Edinburgh
, and Brighton
, closing the year with concerts in Corsica
(his father's homeland) and Turkey
. In 1900, he married Josephine Vetiska, an Austrian, in Vienna
. From 1901-1902, Paoli performed in the following countries: Argentina
, Brazil
, Canada
, Chile
, Colombia
, Cuba
, Haiti
, Puerto Rico, Venezuela
and the United States
. Paoli purchased a villa in Porto Cereso, Lugano, Italy, where his son Antonio Arnaldo was born. After singing for King Alfonso XII and the Royal family in Spain, he returned to the United States and sang in various cities, among them New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Albany, Providence, Grand Rapids, New London, Detroit, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Buffalo, Pittsburg, Syracuse and Chicago.
In 1905, Paoli performed at the Grand Theatre du Conservatoire in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Czar of Russia
Nicholas II
was present during one of the performances and after inviting Paoli to perform at the Royal winter palace, awarded Paoli The Cross of St. Mauricio medal and bestowed upon him the title Cammer Sanger (Chamber Singer).
On September 5, 1907, Paoli held a private recital for Pope Pius X
at the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican
. That same year he was named as a "Singer of the Royal Court" by William II of Germany. Paoli was also the first operatic artist to record an entire opera when he participated in a performance of Pagliacci
by Ruggiero Leoncavallo in Milan, Italy. He was selected in 1907, as the First Tenor in the main character by a team of engineers and musicians which included Leoncavallo. The recording was arranged in the following manner; the musicians were placed at the end of the recording room and the cack up singers in a semi-arc in front of the gramophone while Paoli stood alone 20 feet (6.1 m) away from the gramophone.
Paoli continued to perform around the world with performances in Greece, Palestine, Poland, Egypt, Spain and Italy, where he established his permanent residence. In 1910, the singer was signed as the First Tenor by La Scala
, Milan, the most prestigious opera company in the world at the time. Paoli received a contract to inaugurate Teatro Colón, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he sang Otello and Di quella pira. He also performed in Russia, Poland, Egypt, Hungary, Belgium, Cuba, Chile, Haiti, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Canada, and the United States.
, Paoli lost his voice and all of the major opera houses in Europe were shut down. Paoli moved to Spain, a neutral country in the conflict, leaving all his properties unattended in Italy. By 1915, Paoli found himself without economic means as a result of his bad investments.
In order to make a living, Paoli became a professional boxer and after a period of training in Spain, he moved to England to start his new "career." He was undefeated in his first five fights. He broke his right wrist on his sixth challenge, which ended his boxing career.
Paoli sold his properties in Italy and acquired a small country house in Spain. He stayed for a few months with his brother Carlos in the Philippines
. Paoli was medically treating his vocal cords, and it was commented that his career was over, but he continued his singing exercises with his sister Amalia, who moved into his house in Spain.
at the Constanzi Theater in Rome. Elvira de Hidalgo
, who later became the singing coach of Maria Callas
, remembered that:
Paoli kept busy performing in Italy, South America and the United States. He returned to Puerto Rico in 1923. At the time, Amalia Paoli was residing in San Juan (in the ward of Santurce
) where she was running a singing school (Academia Paoli). Antonio conducted a few performances around the island and then departed to sing at the Brooklyn Academy of Music
, the Manhattan Opera House and the Metropolitan Opera House
in Philadelphia. He had wanted to sing in the Metropolitan Opera House
in New York, but apparently his competitor Enrico Caruso opposed this. Some attribute this to the fact that Caruso was a shareholder of the renowned opera house. From the U.S., the tenor would visit Curaçao
, Cuba, Colombia, Haiti and Ecuador
.
Even with this busy agenda, Paoli's financial situation remained strained. After living in New York City for almost the entire year of 1927, Paoli decided to come back to Puerto Rico to live and work with his sister Amalia, giving voice lessons at the Academia Paoli. Paoli also helped produce Othello
at the Municipal Theater in San Juan
. For the next two decades Paoli's main concern would be teaching at the Paoli Academy with Amalia. In 1928, the tenor performed Verdi's Otello
entirely for the last time in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This was his last performance on stage. It took place at the San Juan Municipal Theater, known today as the Tapia Theater
. In 1935, the government of Puerto Rico named the San Juan Municipal Theater in his honor, changing its name to Teatro Paoli. In 1929, his wife Josephine died and a year later he married Adelaida Bonini, from Rimini
, Italy, and whom he affectionately called "Adina". He gave his last singing performance in 1942, while commemorating the one-year anniversary of the death of his sister, Amalia Paoli. The service was conducted at the Chapel of the University of the Sacred Heart (Santurce
).
Paoli died of prostate cancer in San Juan on August 24, 1946, and was buried in the Puerto Rico Memorial Cemetery in Carolina, Puerto Rico
. On April 13, 2005, Paoli's remains, and those of his (second) wife Adina Bonini (who had died in May, 1978) were exhumed and transferred to Ponce's Román Baldorioty de Castro National Pantheon
and buried by the base of his statue.
by Ruggiero Leoncavallo in Italy in 1907.
As early as 1904, Paoli was awarded The Cross of St. Mauricio medal by the Czar of Russia
Nicholas II
, and Maria Cristina de Habsburgo, Queen of Spain, declared Paoli Cantante de Camara de la Corte (Chamber Singer of the Court) and gave him La Gran Cruz de Isabel la Catolica (The Cross of Isabella the Catholic), while Carlos de Braganza, Prince of Portugal, named him Caballero Comendador del Cristo de Portugal y Cantante de Camara. Just two short years later, in 1906, the same title of Cammer Sanger (Chamber Singer of the Court) was given to Paoli by Franz Joseph
, Emperor of Austria
, and in 1907 he was decorated by Carlos I of Braganza
.
In 1909, Paoli received La Cruz de Alfonso II from Alfonso XIII, King of Spain, and was declared ’’Honor Singer of the Vatican’’ by Pope Pius X
. In 1910, he was honored with the title of Hijo Predilecto de Espana (Favorite Son of Spain), while in 1911, Wilhelm II, Kaiser of Germany
, declared Paoli ’’Kammer Sanger of the Empire’’, and in 1912, Paoli received a protocol-breaking standing ovation
from the Austro-Hungarian Emperor
Franz Joseph when Paoli sang Lohengrin
in Vienna
. In 1920, the tenor was knighted by Vittorio Emmanuelle III
, King of Italy
, making him Cavaliere De La Corona Italiana and Commendatore Dell Popolo Romano (Knight of the Italian Crown and Commandant of the Roman People).
Though he did not see it happen during his lifetime, Puerto Rico also built the Music Conservatory
, something for which Paoli had worked so hard to establish. This dream was finally realized shortly after his death. In San Juan's "Centro de Bellas Artes" there is also a 1,883-seat "Antonio Paoli Festival Hall." San Juan's Municipal Theater
was also renamed Teatro Paoli in his hjonor in 1935. In recognition of his fame and talent, the government of Puerto Rico
also awarded Paoli a pension in 1934.
In 1983, the non-profit "Paoli Award" was created. This award honors the effort, work, and success of outstanding professionals in the various arts and media, including music and recording, television, radio, written communication, fashion, and beauty. Originally designated to recognize the outstanding achievements of Puerto Ricans, the Paoli Award has branched out internationally, and since 1992 it also includes Hispanics and Latin Americans around the world.
On October 9, 2009, the Government of the United States listed Casa Paoli
in Antonio Paoli's hometown of Ponce, Puerto Rico, in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
. The house, Antonio's childhood house in Puerto Rico, is Paoli's only remaining residencial structure in Puerto Rico.
Among other honors bestowed on Paoli after his death are a music school named in his honor ("Escuela Libre de Musica Antonio Paoli"), in the city of Caguas, Puerto Rico
, and in his hometown of Ponce, there is a theater at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, Ponce
named in his memory, Teatro Paoli.
Paoli has also been the subject of many books written about his life and influence. Included is the work by Emilio J. Pasarell
titled "Orígenes y desarrollo de la afición teatral en Puerto Rico" (Origins and development of the theatrical pursuit in Puerto Rico) where he describes the life of Paoli in detail.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
. He was known at the height of his fame as "The King of Tenors and The Tenor of Kings." He is considered to be the first Puerto Rican to reach international fame in the musical arts. Paoli has been recognized as "one of the most outstanding opera singers of all time," and as one who had "one of the most lyric and powerful voices...superior even to his contemporary rival, Enrico Caruso."
After spending his childhood in his birth town of Ponce
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
, Paoli moved to Spain where, with the assistance of his well-connected sister Amalia
Amalia Paoli
Amalia Paoli was a Puerto Rican soprano. She was the sister of the prominent Puerto Rican tenor Antonio Paoli, but was herself a recognized musician in her own right.-First years:Amalia Paoli was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico...
, he obtained a Royal scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
to take singing lessons in Italy. After singing to standing ovation
Standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim...
crowds in both Spain and Italy, Paoli made his grand debut in Paris, France, where he was enouraged to perform on the highest levels of the world stage. Before the end of the 19th century and while Paoli was still in his twenties, he went on a tour of Europe that earned him both popular acclaim, and imperial honors from princes, kings, and emperors.
Between 1900 and 1914 his career sky-rocketed, with performances not only in Europe but also in the Americas, the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia.
When World War I forced the closure of all European opera house
Opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
s, Paoli made his living as a professional boxer. Unfortunately, he also lost his singing voice during this period. After the War ended, following medical advice and performing vocal exercises, Paoli regained his voice and returned to the international stage, in all the glory of days past. He performed in Europe, North and South America, and finally settled with his sister Amalia in San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, where she had opened a singing school.
Paoli spent the last 20 years of his life teaching voice and singing in San Juan, while also working for the establishment of a music conservatory in that city. He would not see this last dream come true, because he developed cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
and died at age 75. He was buried in San Juan, but his remains were later transferred to a mausoleum
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
in his birth town of Ponce.
Early years
Paoli (birth name: Antonio Emilio Paoli y Marcano) was born in Ponce, Puerto RicoPonce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
. He was the son of Amalia Marcano Intriago, from the island of Margarita, Venezuela and of Domingo Paoli Marcatentti, from Corsica
Corsican immigration to Puerto Rico
Corsican immigration to Puerto Rico came about as a result of various economic and political changes in the mid-19th century Europe; among those factors were the social-economic changes which came about in Europe as a result of the Second Industrial Revolution, political discontent and widespread...
. Paoli's maternal grandfather, a rich landlord, was opposed to the relationship, therefore the young couple escaped to the Dominican Republic without getting married and later returned to Puerto Rico. The couple established themselves in the city of Yauco, but later moved into a house, given to them by Amalia's aunt, Teresa Intriago, located at one of the main arteries in the city of Ponce's urban core, Calle Mayor (Mayor Street), House #14. Ponce at the time was the financial and cultural capital of the island, thereby the ideal place for the initial cultural development of Paoli.
When Paoli was young, his parents would often take him to opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s at Ponce's La Perla Theater
La Perla Theater
Teatro La Perla is a historic theater in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Inaugurated in 1864, it is the second oldest theater of its kind in Puerto Rico, but "the largest and most historic in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean." The theater was named La Perla in honor ofthe Virgin of Montserrat ,...
located a block away from Paoli's residence. There, on one occasion he saw a performance of Giuseppe Verdi's Il Trovatore by Italian tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
, Pietro Baccei, and at that moment knew what he wanted to do as an adult. His parents were very supportive of his ambition and guided him on this route during his youth, enrolling him in a school of "voice" directed by Ramon Marin. His sister Amalia was a soprano who performed at La Perla in Emilio Arrieta
Emilio Arrieta
Pascual Juan Emilio Arrieta Corera was a Spanish composer.Arrieta was born in Puente la Reina, Navarre, and died in Madrid...
's opera, Marina. In 1883, when Paoli was only 12 years old, both his parents died and he went to live in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
with his sister Amalia.
Debut
Amalia, who at that time was under the protective wing of Isabel de Borbon, Princess of Asturias, and sister of the King of Spain, Alfonso XII, was taking singing classes under Napoleon Verger. In 1884, Amalia helped Paoli to obtain two scholarships from her Majesty Queen Maria ChristinaMaria Christina of Austria
Maria Christina of Austria was Queen consort of Spain as the second wife of King Alfonso XII of Spain...
, Queen Regent of Spain. Paoli started his studies at the Royal Monastery of El Escorial
El Escorial
The Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a historical residence of the king of Spain, in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, about 45 kilometres northwest of the capital, Madrid, in Spain. It is one of the Spanish royal sites and functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum, and...
. Paoli entered the Toledo's Military Academy and in 1892, graduated with honors. He was assigned to the Queen's escort and named personal custodian and guard of the child King Alfonso XIII. Paoli desired to continue singing and in 1897, went to study at the Academia de Canto La Scala in Milan, Italy. On April 26, 1899, he made his debut in Gioacchino Rossini
Gioacchino Rossini
Gioachino Antonio Rossini was an Italian composer who wrote 39 operas as well as sacred music, chamber music, songs, and some instrumental and piano pieces...
's opera William Tell
William Tell (opera)
Guillaume Tell is an opera in four acts by Gioachino Rossini to a French libretto by Etienne de Jouy and Hippolyte Bis, based on Friedrich Schiller's play Wilhelm Tell. Based on the legend of William Tell, this opera was Rossini's last, even though the composer lived for nearly forty more years...
in Paris, France. Paris newspapers commented on Paoli's success and stated "we should declare Paoli the Tenor of France."
World tours
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
and in the United Kingdom, with performances in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, and Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, closing the year with concerts in Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
(his father's homeland) and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. In 1900, he married Josephine Vetiska, an Austrian, in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. From 1901-1902, Paoli performed in the following countries: Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, Puerto Rico, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Paoli purchased a villa in Porto Cereso, Lugano, Italy, where his son Antonio Arnaldo was born. After singing for King Alfonso XII and the Royal family in Spain, he returned to the United States and sang in various cities, among them New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Albany, Providence, Grand Rapids, New London, Detroit, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Buffalo, Pittsburg, Syracuse and Chicago.
In 1905, Paoli performed at the Grand Theatre du Conservatoire in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Czar of Russia
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Nicholas II
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
was present during one of the performances and after inviting Paoli to perform at the Royal winter palace, awarded Paoli The Cross of St. Mauricio medal and bestowed upon him the title Cammer Sanger (Chamber Singer).
On September 5, 1907, Paoli held a private recital for Pope Pius X
Pope Pius X
Pope Saint Pius X , born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was the 257th Pope of the Catholic Church, serving from 1903 to 1914. He was the first pope since Pope Pius V to be canonized. Pius X rejected modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting traditional devotional practices and orthodox...
at the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
. That same year he was named as a "Singer of the Royal Court" by William II of Germany. Paoli was also the first operatic artist to record an entire opera when he participated in a performance of Pagliacci
Pagliacci
Pagliacci , sometimes incorrectly rendered with a definite article as I Pagliacci, is an opera consisting of a prologue and two acts written and composed by Ruggero Leoncavallo. It recounts the tragedy of a jealous husband in a commedia dell'arte troupe...
by Ruggiero Leoncavallo in Milan, Italy. He was selected in 1907, as the First Tenor in the main character by a team of engineers and musicians which included Leoncavallo. The recording was arranged in the following manner; the musicians were placed at the end of the recording room and the cack up singers in a semi-arc in front of the gramophone while Paoli stood alone 20 feet (6.1 m) away from the gramophone.
Paoli continued to perform around the world with performances in Greece, Palestine, Poland, Egypt, Spain and Italy, where he established his permanent residence. In 1910, the singer was signed as the First Tenor by La Scala
La Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
, Milan, the most prestigious opera company in the world at the time. Paoli received a contract to inaugurate Teatro Colón, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he sang Otello and Di quella pira. He also performed in Russia, Poland, Egypt, Hungary, Belgium, Cuba, Chile, Haiti, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Canada, and the United States.
Boxing career
By 1914, just before the start of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Paoli lost his voice and all of the major opera houses in Europe were shut down. Paoli moved to Spain, a neutral country in the conflict, leaving all his properties unattended in Italy. By 1915, Paoli found himself without economic means as a result of his bad investments.
In order to make a living, Paoli became a professional boxer and after a period of training in Spain, he moved to England to start his new "career." He was undefeated in his first five fights. He broke his right wrist on his sixth challenge, which ended his boxing career.
Paoli sold his properties in Italy and acquired a small country house in Spain. He stayed for a few months with his brother Carlos in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Paoli was medically treating his vocal cords, and it was commented that his career was over, but he continued his singing exercises with his sister Amalia, who moved into his house in Spain.
Comeback
In January 1917, Paoli returned to the stage and performed the opera Samson and DelilahSamson and Delilah (opera)
Samson and Delilah , Op. 47, is a grand opera in three acts and four scenes by Camille Saint-Saëns to a French libretto by Ferdinand Lemaire...
at the Constanzi Theater in Rome. Elvira de Hidalgo
Elvira de Hidalgo
Elvira de Hidalgo was a prominent Spanish coloratura soprano, who later became a pedagogue...
, who later became the singing coach of Maria Callas
Maria Callas
Maria Callas was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century. She combined an impressive bel canto technique, a wide-ranging voice and great dramatic gifts...
, remembered that:
"No one suspected that Paoli was coming back to the stage; we all knew that he had lost his voice. People were there to see him fail; I saw some guys with tomatoes and rotten eggs, ready to throw them as soon as Paoli made his first mistake. But when he came out singing his initial aria, the public went crazy and stood up in a standing ovation. Paoli's voice sounded like one of those trumpets that you expect to hear in the day of the final judgmentLast JudgmentThe Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, or The Day of the Lord in Christian theology, is the final and eternal judgment by God of every nation. The concept is found in all the Canonical gospels, particularly the Gospel of Matthew. It will purportedly take place after the...
. His debut was tremendous. He had to repeat twice every single aria that he performed that night, because the public furiously demanded it. He performed for seven consecutive nights with the theater at its maximum capacity. I attended every single function. Every night he sang better than the night before. I always dreamed to sing with Paoli, but I don't think my voice was good or strong enough to sing with him. I think he was the greatest tenor ever."
Paoli kept busy performing in Italy, South America and the United States. He returned to Puerto Rico in 1923. At the time, Amalia Paoli was residing in San Juan (in the ward of Santurce
Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Santurce is a district of San Juan, Puerto Rico.-Summary:Santurce is one of the top ten most populated areas of the island holding Miramar, Loíza, Isla Grande, Barrio Obrero, and Condado as main cultural hot spots for art, music, cuisine, fashion, hotels, technology, multimedia, film, textile and...
) where she was running a singing school (Academia Paoli). Antonio conducted a few performances around the island and then departed to sing at the Brooklyn Academy of Music
Brooklyn Academy of Music
Brooklyn Academy of Music is a major performing arts venue in Brooklyn, a borough of New York City, United States, known as a center for progressive and avant garde performance....
, the Manhattan Opera House and the Metropolitan Opera House
Metropolitan Opera House (Philadelphia)
The Metropolitan Opera House is a historic opera house located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 858 North Broad Street. Built over the course of just a few months in 1908, it was the ninth opera house built by impresario Oscar Hammerstein I. It was initially the home of Hammerstein's Philadelphia...
in Philadelphia. He had wanted to sing in the Metropolitan Opera House
Metropolitan Opera House (39th St)
The Metropolitan Opera House was an opera house located at 1411 Broadway in New York City. Opened in 1883 and demolished in 1967, it was the first home of the Metropolitan Opera Company.-History:...
in New York, but apparently his competitor Enrico Caruso opposed this. Some attribute this to the fact that Caruso was a shareholder of the renowned opera house. From the U.S., the tenor would visit Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, Cuba, Colombia, Haiti and Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
.
Last years
Othello
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
at the Municipal Theater in San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
. For the next two decades Paoli's main concern would be teaching at the Paoli Academy with Amalia. In 1928, the tenor performed Verdi's Otello
Otello
Otello is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare's play Othello. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, and was first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on February 5, 1887....
entirely for the last time in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This was his last performance on stage. It took place at the San Juan Municipal Theater, known today as the Tapia Theater
Teatro Tapia
The Teatro Tapia, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is presumed to be the oldest free-standing drama stage building still in use in the United States. It is named after the poet and dramatist Alejandro Tapia y Rivera .-Location:...
. In 1935, the government of Puerto Rico named the San Juan Municipal Theater in his honor, changing its name to Teatro Paoli. In 1929, his wife Josephine died and a year later he married Adelaida Bonini, from Rimini
Rimini
Rimini is a medium-sized city of 142,579 inhabitants in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia and Ausa...
, Italy, and whom he affectionately called "Adina". He gave his last singing performance in 1942, while commemorating the one-year anniversary of the death of his sister, Amalia Paoli. The service was conducted at the Chapel of the University of the Sacred Heart (Santurce
Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Santurce is a district of San Juan, Puerto Rico.-Summary:Santurce is one of the top ten most populated areas of the island holding Miramar, Loíza, Isla Grande, Barrio Obrero, and Condado as main cultural hot spots for art, music, cuisine, fashion, hotels, technology, multimedia, film, textile and...
).
Paoli died of prostate cancer in San Juan on August 24, 1946, and was buried in the Puerto Rico Memorial Cemetery in Carolina, Puerto Rico
Carolina, Puerto Rico
Carolina is a city located in the northern part of Puerto Rico, bordering the Atlantic Ocean; it lies north of Gurabo and Juncos; east of Trujillo Alto and San Juan; and west of Canóvanas and Loíza. Carolina is spread over 12 wards plus Carolina Pueblo...
. On April 13, 2005, Paoli's remains, and those of his (second) wife Adina Bonini (who had died in May, 1978) were exhumed and transferred to Ponce's Román Baldorioty de Castro National Pantheon
Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro
The Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro is a tract of land in Barrio Segundo of the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico, originally designed as the city's cemetery, but later converted into what has come to be a famous burial place. Established in 1842, it is Puerto Rico's first national pantheon...
and buried by the base of his statue.
Honors, accolades, and legacy
In Antonio Paoli, Puerto Rico had the first Puerto Rican to reach international recognition in the performing arts. He gave 1,725 performances between 1888 and 1942 and interpreted Verdi's Otello 575 times. To his credit, Paoli was also the first opera singer in the world to record an entire opera when he participated in a performance of PagliacciPagliacci
Pagliacci , sometimes incorrectly rendered with a definite article as I Pagliacci, is an opera consisting of a prologue and two acts written and composed by Ruggero Leoncavallo. It recounts the tragedy of a jealous husband in a commedia dell'arte troupe...
by Ruggiero Leoncavallo in Italy in 1907.
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Nicholas II
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
, and Maria Cristina de Habsburgo, Queen of Spain, declared Paoli Cantante de Camara de la Corte (Chamber Singer of the Court) and gave him La Gran Cruz de Isabel la Catolica (The Cross of Isabella the Catholic), while Carlos de Braganza, Prince of Portugal, named him Caballero Comendador del Cristo de Portugal y Cantante de Camara. Just two short years later, in 1906, the same title of Cammer Sanger (Chamber Singer of the Court) was given to Paoli by Franz Joseph
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
, Emperor of Austria
Emperor of Austria
The Emperor of Austria was a hereditary imperial title and position proclaimed in 1804 by the Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, and continually held by him and his heirs until the last emperor relinquished power in 1918. The emperors retained the title of...
, and in 1907 he was decorated by Carlos I of Braganza
Carlos I of Portugal
-Assassination:On 1 February 1908 the royal family returned from the palace of Vila Viçosa to Lisbon. They travelled by train to Barreiro and, from there, they took a steamer to cross the Tagus River and disembarked at Cais do Sodré in central Lisbon. On their way to the royal palace, the open...
.
In 1909, Paoli received La Cruz de Alfonso II from Alfonso XIII, King of Spain, and was declared ’’Honor Singer of the Vatican’’ by Pope Pius X
Pope Pius X
Pope Saint Pius X , born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was the 257th Pope of the Catholic Church, serving from 1903 to 1914. He was the first pope since Pope Pius V to be canonized. Pius X rejected modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting traditional devotional practices and orthodox...
. In 1910, he was honored with the title of Hijo Predilecto de Espana (Favorite Son of Spain), while in 1911, Wilhelm II, Kaiser of Germany
Kaiser
Kaiser is the German title meaning "Emperor", with Kaiserin being the female equivalent, "Empress". Like the Russian Czar it is directly derived from the Latin Emperors' title of Caesar, which in turn is derived from the personal name of a branch of the gens Julia, to which Gaius Julius Caesar,...
, declared Paoli ’’Kammer Sanger of the Empire’’, and in 1912, Paoli received a protocol-breaking standing ovation
Standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim...
from the Austro-Hungarian Emperor
Emperor of Austria
The Emperor of Austria was a hereditary imperial title and position proclaimed in 1804 by the Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, and continually held by him and his heirs until the last emperor relinquished power in 1918. The emperors retained the title of...
Franz Joseph when Paoli sang Lohengrin
Lohengrin (opera)
Lohengrin is a romantic opera in three acts composed and written by Richard Wagner, first performed in 1850. The story of the eponymous character is taken from medieval German romance, notably the Parzival of Wolfram von Eschenbach and its sequel, Lohengrin, written by a different author, itself...
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. In 1920, the tenor was knighted by Vittorio Emmanuelle III
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III was a member of the House of Savoy and King of Italy . In addition, he claimed the crowns of Ethiopia and Albania and claimed the titles Emperor of Ethiopia and King of Albania , which were unrecognised by the Great Powers...
, King of Italy
King of Italy
King of Italy is a title adopted by many rulers of the Italian peninsula after the fall of the Roman Empire...
, making him Cavaliere De La Corona Italiana and Commendatore Dell Popolo Romano (Knight of the Italian Crown and Commandant of the Roman People).
Though he did not see it happen during his lifetime, Puerto Rico also built the Music Conservatory
Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico
The Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico is a public institution of higher learning located in the historic Miramar a town in San Juan, Puerto Rico...
, something for which Paoli had worked so hard to establish. This dream was finally realized shortly after his death. In San Juan's "Centro de Bellas Artes" there is also a 1,883-seat "Antonio Paoli Festival Hall." San Juan's Municipal Theater
Teatro Tapia
The Teatro Tapia, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is presumed to be the oldest free-standing drama stage building still in use in the United States. It is named after the poet and dramatist Alejandro Tapia y Rivera .-Location:...
was also renamed Teatro Paoli in his hjonor in 1935. In recognition of his fame and talent, the government of Puerto Rico
Government of Puerto Rico
The Government of Puerto Rico is a republican form of government subject to U.S. jurisdiction and sovereignty. Its current powers are all delegated by the United States Congress and lack full protection under the United States Constitution...
also awarded Paoli a pension in 1934.
In 1983, the non-profit "Paoli Award" was created. This award honors the effort, work, and success of outstanding professionals in the various arts and media, including music and recording, television, radio, written communication, fashion, and beauty. Originally designated to recognize the outstanding achievements of Puerto Ricans, the Paoli Award has branched out internationally, and since 1992 it also includes Hispanics and Latin Americans around the world.
On October 9, 2009, the Government of the United States listed Casa Paoli
Casa Paoli
Casa Paoli on 2648 Mayor Street, Ponce, Puerto Rico, is nationally significant as the birthplace of Antonio Emilio Paoli y Marcano , a tenor who was the "first Puerto Rican to reach international recognition in the performing arts" and one of the most outstanding opera singers of all times...
in Antonio Paoli's hometown of Ponce, Puerto Rico, in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The house, Antonio's childhood house in Puerto Rico, is Paoli's only remaining residencial structure in Puerto Rico.
Among other honors bestowed on Paoli after his death are a music school named in his honor ("Escuela Libre de Musica Antonio Paoli"), in the city of Caguas, Puerto Rico
Caguas, Puerto Rico
Caguas , founded in 1775, is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo, east of Aguas Buenas, Cidra, and Cayey....
, and in his hometown of Ponce, there is a theater at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, Ponce
Interamerican University of Puerto Rico
The Inter American University of Puerto Rico —or Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico in Spanish, and often referred as "Inter"— is a private university system in Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1912 in San German, Puerto Rico. The University has campuses in Aguadilla, Arecibo, Barranquitas,...
named in his memory, Teatro Paoli.
Paoli has also been the subject of many books written about his life and influence. Included is the work by Emilio J. Pasarell
Emilio J. Pasarell
Emilio J. Pasarell was a Puerto Rican short-story writer, novelist, and essayist. He was also an accomplished historian.-Origin:...
titled "Orígenes y desarrollo de la afición teatral en Puerto Rico" (Origins and development of the theatrical pursuit in Puerto Rico) where he describes the life of Paoli in detail.
Discography
The following are part of Antonio Paoli's discography:- Antonio Paoli. (2000)
- Great Voices. (1999)
- Antonio Paoli in arias from Otello. (1998)
- Leoncavallo: Pagliacci. (1996)
- Serie Artistas Celebres No. 1: Edicion del Centenario del Tenor Antonio Paoli. Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña (1971)
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- Corsican immigration to Puerto RicoCorsican immigration to Puerto RicoCorsican immigration to Puerto Rico came about as a result of various economic and political changes in the mid-19th century Europe; among those factors were the social-economic changes which came about in Europe as a result of the Second Industrial Revolution, political discontent and widespread...
- Casa PaoliCasa PaoliCasa Paoli on 2648 Mayor Street, Ponce, Puerto Rico, is nationally significant as the birthplace of Antonio Emilio Paoli y Marcano , a tenor who was the "first Puerto Rican to reach international recognition in the performing arts" and one of the most outstanding opera singers of all times...