Gino Bechi
Gino Bechi (born October 16, 1913 in Florence ; † February 2, 1993 ibid) was an Italian opera singer (baritone) and actor .
Life
Bechi began studying at the Istituto Industriale, but was discovered by Vito Frazzi as a baritone singer and introduced as Germont in La traviata . His clear voice led to immediate recognition and numerous engagements. In addition to the opera work, Bechi was also fond of light music and published numerous songs that were great successes. The film industry also took notice: from 1943 Bechi regularly made well-equipped and experienced films that showed him in friendly and jovial roles. His debut, the sentimental comedy with lots of music, Fuga a due voci , directed by Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia, is exemplary . After the war, Bechi u. a. as Alessandro Stradella in the dramatized biopic Amanti in fuga and the comedy Signorinella . In his films he performed both arias and entertainment songs. At the beginning of the 1950s, with a few exceptions, he concentrated again on the stage and on recordings.
In his opera work, Bechi was considered the leading Verdi interpreter of his time. After his debut in Empoli, Bechi was also involved in some world premieres; so in 1939 in Lodovico Roccas Monte Ivnor or Don Juan de Manara by Franco Alfano . In addition to Verdi, his repertoire also included Rossini and Richard Strauss . On the occasion of the reopening of Scala in 1946, Bechi could be heard in Nabucco . However, as early as 1950, on the occasion of his first visit to England after the war, critics attested him deficits. He was regularly heard at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma (1938–1952) and La Scala in Milan (1939–1953). In the 1950s he performed in San Francisco, Chicago, Lisbon, Buenos Aires and Cairo. In 1965 he gave up his active career and taught singing in his hometown.
Filmography (selection)
- 1943: Fuga a due voci
- 1946: Amanti in fuga
- 1966: La Traviata
Discography
- Cavalleria rusticana , with Lina Bruna Rasa, Beniamino Gigli , conductor Pietro Mascagni - EMI 1940
- Andrea Chénier , with Beniamino Gigli, Maria Caniglia , conductor Oliviero De Fabritiis - EMI 1941
- Un ballo in maschera , with Beniamino Gigli, Maria Caniglia, conductor Tullio Serafin - EMI 1943
- Aida , with Maria Caniglia, Beniamino Gigli, Ebe Stignani , conductor Tullio Serafin - EMI 1946
- Carmen , with Ebe Stignani, Beniamino Gigli, Rina Gigli, conductor Vincenzo Bellezza- EMI 1949
- Nabucco , with Maria Callas , Luciano Neroni, Gino Sinimberghi, conductor Vittorio Gui - live recording Naples 1949 ed. Cetra / Melodrama / Urania / GOP
- Otello , with Ramón Vinay, Renata Tebaldi , conductor Gabriele Santini - live recording Naples 1952 ed. Bongiovanni
- Il barbiere di Siviglia , with Cesare Valletti , Dora Gatta, conductor Victor De Sabata - live recording La Scala 1952 ed. GOP / Memories / Urania
- Il barbiere di Siviglia , with Victoria de los Angeles , Nicola Monti, conductor Tullio Serafin - HMV 1952
- La traviata , with Anna Moffo , Franco Bonisolli , conductor Bruno Bartoletti - Eurodisc 1966
Web links
- Gino Bechi in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Obituary in The Independent (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Enrico Lancia, Article Gino Bechi , in: Dizionario del cinema italiano. Gli attori. Gremese 1998, p. 46
- ↑ Bechi at allmusic
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Bechi, Gino |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Italian opera singer (baritone) and actor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 16, 1913 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Florence |
| DATE OF DEATH | 2nd February 1993 |
| Place of death | Florence |