Allan James Foley
Allan James Foley (7 August 1837 – 10 October 1899) was an Irish bass opera singer known as Signor Foli. He was born in Cahir, County Tipperary. His family moved abroad and he spent much of his youth in Hartford, Connecticut. He started as a carpenter, then studied singing in Naples and gave his first stage appearance in Catania in 1862. From the Paris Opéra he joined Mapleson’s company for a season in 1865 and made his London debut as St Bris in Les Huguenots. While Antonio Giuglini was away, the company toured Britain with Mario as the principal tenor.
In 1866 Mapleson split the company for a long British tour, and Foli joined the ensemble with Mario, Grisi and Lablache under Arditi. He was introduced to the Royal Philharmonic Society that year and soon became Mapleson’s regular principal basso, earning praise in many roles. He appeared in Il Seraglio (1866) and La Gazza Ladra (1868) with notable colleagues, and in 1869 he took part in the opening Norma with Tietjens, Sinico and Mongini, followed by Rigoletto. He sang Daland in the first English performance of The Flying Dutchman in 1870, with Santley and Ilma de Murska. He also performed Bertramo in Robert le Diable (1872) at Drury Lane. Foli was famous for Sparafucile in Rigoletto and the Commendatore in Don Giovanni, and his repertoire numbered around 60 operas.
Beyond the operatic stage, Foli grew a strong concert and oratorio career. He sang Israel in Egypt in 1866, The Creation in 1867, and shared Handel Festival concerts with Santley. He played Jacob in Macfarren’s Joseph (Leeds, 1877) and Herod in L’Enfance du Christ (Manchester 1880; London 1881). He appeared in the first performance of Gounod’s La Rédemption (1882). In 1873 he toured Russia, achieving success in Israel in Egypt and Pietro in Masaniello. Mapleson’s American tour in 1878 featured Foli in notable performances, including I Puritani with Gerster and Campanini. He visited America several times and also toured Vienna, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. He regularly performed at the Royal Albert Hall’s Grand Operatic Concerts and took part in charity and benefit concerts.
Foli’s concert repertoire included many songs and arias that remained popular well into the 20th century. His voice was a powerful bass, extending from the low bass notes up to F above middle C, with a straightforward, hearty delivery. He was among the early classical figures to make a phonograph recording, at the Crystal Palace in 1878, though no recording is known to have survived. He was reputed to have a quick temper and a fondness for gambling, including Monte Carlo visits.
He died suddenly in October 1899 at Southport, while preparing to see Miss Clara Butt off to America. He left his wife Rosita and other relatives well provided for, though his estate led to a lawsuit. The Irish tenor John McCormack later used the stage name Giovanni Foli for his operatic debut in 1906.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 19:02 (CET).