Part II - Your Favorites: GINO BECHI

THIS PART IS FOR YOUR FAVORITES!
Italian Baritone Gino Bechi in this favorite-collection? What do you feel? Please let us know!

Gino Bechi, Baritone (1913-1993)

Giuseppe Verdi - Un Ballo in Maschera
Eri tu che macchiavi quell'anima
(Recorded 1943 )

My personal opinion: Perhaps the nightmare of every singer: To stand in the shadow of another, less talented colleague. For approximately twenty years, Domingo, Carreras and Pavarotti blocked the rise of other great tenors. One of them was Peter Dvorsky, a wonderful spinto, who never made a real first class-career (Unbelievable, but for this second part he received not a single nomination!) 50 years back in time, even many baritones stood in the shadow of Tito Gobbi - and some played in the same upper-league. One of them was Florentine Gino Bechi, a Baritone in a class of it´s own. There were only a few baritones with such a powerful, strenght and voluminous voice as that of Bechi. Therefore many admirers compared him with the legendary Titta Ruffo. It´s been said, once Rossini was asked what a singer really needs, and the composer´s answer was easy: "Voice, voice, voice!"
If there ever was a Baritone who fulfilled this demanding, it was Bechi. But be careful, it was Richard Osborne who wrote: "In his cavatine he sounds like Scarpia, dressed in the robe of Figaro!"
"Voce, voce, voce!" - is that all? What about the ease of a charming rendition? In the 1950s, the great labels reflected on Gobbi, Bastianini and even the young Panerai. It seems, Gino Bechi was exhausted. At "Wikipedia" you can read: "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." Too bad due to the fact that his (recording-)career began in bright promising. In 1940, 27 years old Bechi was Alfio in "Cavalleria Rusticana" alongside Gigli and Lina Bruna Rasa - under the baton of Mascagni himself! With Gigli he recorded also "Andrea Chenier", "Ballo" (my choosen performance) and "Aida". Lauri-Volpi was his partner in several duet-recordings (Kesting wrote, Bechi matched Lauri-Volpi who had become short of breath), and when the LP-era began, he sang his famous Figaro alongside a shy Victoria de los Angeles. But then Callas came - and with her Gobbi, her amazing Scarpia in 1953s "Tosca".
Every recording Bechi left us was amazing - in its own way. He was qualified to projected sorrow (Rigoletto) and demonic attitudes (Jago) in his renditions, frequently with disturbing vocal discharge. Altogether his singing combined sound-gestures you can´t forget quickly. It was the tragedy of life (or other unknown reasons) that Bechi obviously never had the chance to work with "the right" producers (and conductors) to preserve his fame in a way he deserves. But the friends of 100 Singers didn´t forget him, and with 24 nominations you can find him on place position 29 - together with Emmy Destinn.

THE COMPLETE OVERVIEW: GO TO ALL SINGERS IN THIS LIST
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBsScnQWVlU

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Gina
• Bechi
• Baritone
• Tito
• Gobbi
• Pietro
• Mascagni
• Giuseppe
• Verdi
• Cavalleria
• Rusticana
• Gigli
• Ballo
• Maschera

[latraviata69]

You ask what I feel hearing such perfect voice placement? Rage and hate against the ignorance of good voices and technic by modern theaters, audience, agencies who don'r recognize this quality and specially against Labels, which push mediocre singers with nice legs, who shout pressing their breast voice in the acutes or changing voices sinteticly digitally like the artificial product Netrebko and the REAL singers are sitting in the Jobcenters disoccupated.

[100Singers]

A very brave and truthfully statement. Thanks for this! Mike

[andyrawn]

MIKE ~

I had the pleasure of studying with Corelli ~ both in Milan & New York ~ and one day (following an hour's vocal lesson) I asked him: "So Franco, who is YOUR favorite singer?"

Pausing only a moment to be sure, the great tenor answered: "Gino Bechi." This is a truly excellent recording of Bechi's you have posted on YouTube ~ sehr shoen gemacht!

~ ANDY

[H20fanno1]

its funny that my friend is a relative of Gino bechi! i think shes his great great grandaughter!! x

[CharlotteinWeimar]

Gino Bechi is the favourite baritone of Virginia Zeani, who is likewise in the very top flight of singers, but less well known due to making few commercial recordings.

[rsnerd1111]

His voice brings back memorys of my father. <3 the songs

[Pawelp]

@caribolas And I love that snarl!

[WCarbide]

Thank you for posting this. Of all the great baritones of the mid 20th century, Bechi's voice sounded the most effortless. Just enough, and no more. This ease comes through beautifully in his recordings of Italian and Sicilian songs.

[AulicExclusiva]

The voice is a bit thick and gruff, not the liquid gorgeousness of a Battistini or a Stracciari, but he was an excellent dramatic baritone and we could certainly use him today!!

[caribolas]

Bechi is the ideal of a Verdi baritone. He got everything: phrasing, volume, range, correct placement, mezza voce and the "snarl".

[stevevandien]

Bechi was a true Italian dramatic baritone. He brings excellent technique and passion to this rendition. His thrust and power resemble Gobbi's, but Bechi has much more freedom and ring on top, if perhaps a little less weight in the low notes, which he takes an octave higher --

[Fairpavel]

Very simple and very elegant, has all the drama. Heard his Renato for the first time. For now this is the best performance in 100greatestsingers part 2

[sospello]

Yes he also said this, at least for baritones, in some interviews I have heard, like the radio program with Zucker about 15 years ago.