The baritone Gino Bechi (1913-1993) was born and studied in Florence before making his début in Empoli as Germont père in La traviata in 1936. He was then engaged by the Teatro Reale in Rome in 1938, appearing regularly until 1952, and at La Scala from 1939 to 1953. He became the leading Italian dramatic baritone during these years, especially in Verdi and verismo rôles, as can be witnessed by the complete recordings alongside Gigli in the 1940s.
Bechi’s London début was with the visiting La Scala Company in 1950 and he also appeared in the title-rôle of Rossini’s Guglielmo Tell in the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in 1958. The baritone’s American appearances were confined to Chicago and Buenos Aires. Sadly, much of the beauty of his voice had diminished by the 1950s and he then moved into films, making in all a total of ten. He retired in 1965, later teaching and also directing operas.
