A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Polonini, Entimio
POLONINI, Entimio, a singer who began his career in England April 13, 1847, at Covent Garden as Raimondo in 'Lucia,' with fair success, and displayed 'a very sonorous voice which told well in the concerted music.'[1] He next played, May 8, De Fiesque, on the production in England of Donizetti's 'Maria di Rohan,' Fiorello ('Il Barbiere'), Antonio ('Le Nozze') etc. 'He has a fine bass voice and sings like a thorough musician.'[2] For the space of 21 years he sang at the Royal Italian Opera, and proved of great service in small but not altogether unimportant parts, besides the above, such as, Masetto, Il Ministro (Fidelio), Melcthal, Mathisen (Prophète), Alberto (La Juive), Borella (Masaniello) etc., and occasionally in those of more importance, with success, viz. Orbazzano and Alidoro, on the revivals of 'Tancredi,' 'La Cenerentola,' Leporello, St. Bris, etc. The rest of the year he was engaged either at Paris, or St. Petersburg, etc. The enumeration of his parts is sufficient to show that Signer Polonini, in addition to his good qualities as a singer, was a versatile actor. He was characterised by Mr. Chorley as 'one of the most valuable artists of a second class ever possessed by a theatre.' He has for some years retired from public life. [App. p.750 "he died in the autumn of 1880."] A son of his, Alessandro]], a baritone, has appeared in Italy and elsewhere.
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