Gino Bechi

Gino Bechi (16 October 1913 – 2 February 1993) was an Italian operatic baritone, particularly associated with the Italian repertory, especially in Verdi roles.

Life and career

Bechi studied in his native Florence with Raul Frazzi and di Giorgio, and made his debut at Empoli, in 1936, as Germont in '' La traviata''.

He sang widely in Italy, appearing frequently at the Rome Opera from 1938 to 1952, and at La Scala from 1939 to 1953, where he sang the title role in ''Nabucco'' for its reopening in 1946.

He quickly established himself as the leading dramatic baritone of his time, in roles such as Rigoletto, Count de Luna, Renato, Carlo, Amonasro, Alfio, Gérard, but was also admired as Figaro and Hamlet.

Bechi sang relatively little outside Italy, but did appear in England and North and South America in the late 1950s, but by then he was past his best.

In his prime, Bechi possessed a dark and incisive voice and was a fine singing actor. He can be heard in a number of early recordings, opposite Beniamino Gigli, such as ''Un ballo in maschera'', ''Aida'', '' Andrea Chénier'', and ''Cavalleria rusticana'', conducted by Pietro Mascagni himself. He also recorded ''Il barbiere di Siviglia''. Also available is an unauthorized recording of ''Nabucco'', with Maria Callas, from 1949, and the Prologue from '' Pagliacci''.

Bechi retired from the stage in 1965, and taught in Siena. He died in Florence in 1993.

Selected filmography

* '' Be Seeing You, Father'' (1948)
* ''Mad About Opera'' (1948)

Videography

* Verdi – ''La traviata'' – Anna Moffo, Franco Bonisolli, Gino Bechi – Giuseppe Patanè (1968), VAI

Sources

* ''Le guide de l'opera, les indispensables de la musique'', R. Mancini & J-J. Rouvereux, (Fayard, 1986),

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bechi, Gino
Italian operatic baritones
1913 births
1993 deaths
Musicians from Florence
20th-century Italian male opera singers