I decided to redo my posting of Gino Bechi because I found a duet with him and Giacomo Lauri-Volpi. Lauri-Volpi was a great Italian tenor.
Gino Bechi was a Verdi Baritone whose career mostly took place in Italy, post WWII. In his prime, he was a remarkable singer. It would be hard for me to think of a more resonant baritone voice than his.
Verdi, La Forza del destino, “Invano Alvaro ti celasti al mondo”
DON CARLO
Invano Alvaro ti celasti al mondo
e d’ipocrita veste scudo facesti alla viltà.
Del chiostro ove t’ascondi mi additò la via
l’odio e la sete di vendetta; alcuno
qui non sarà che ne divida.
Il sangue, solo il tuo sangue può lavar l’oltraggio
che macchiò l’onor mio:
e tutto il verserò, lo giuro a Dio.
(Entra Alvaro, in abito di frate.)
DON ALVARO
Fratello…
DON CARLO
Riconoscimi.
DON ALVARO
Don Carlo! Voi, vivente!
DON CARLO
Da un lustro ne vò in traccia,
ti trovo, ah! ti trovo finalmente…
Col sangue sol cancellasi
l’infamia ed il delitto.
Ch’io ti punisca è scritto
sul libro del destin.
Tu prode fosti, or monaco,
un’arma qui non hai…
Deggio il tuo sangue spargere,
scegli, due ne portai.
DON ALVARO
Vissi nel mondo, intendo;
or queste vesti, l’eremo,
dicon che i falli ammendo,
che penitente è il cor.
Lasciatemi, lasciatemi.
DON CARLO
Difendere quel sajo, né il deserto,
codardo, te non possono.
DON ALVARO (trasalendo)
Codardo! Tale asserto…
(fra sé)
No, no! Assistimi, Signore!
(a Don Carlo)
Le minaccie, i fieri accenti,
portin seco in preda i venti;
perdonatemi, pietà,
o fratel, pietà, pietà!
A che offendere cotanto
chi fu solo sventurato?
Deh, chiniam la fronte al fato,
o fratel, pietà, pietà.
DON CARLO
Tu contamini tal nome…
Ah! una suora mi lasciasti
che tradita abbandonasti,
all’infamia, al disonor.
DON ALVARO
No, non fu disonorata.
Ve lo giura un sacerdote!
Sulla terra l’ho adorata
come in cielo amar si puote.
L’amo ancor, e s’ella m’ama
più non brama questo cor.
DON CARLO
Non si placa il mio furore
per mendace e vile accento.
L’arme impugna, ed al cimento
scendi meco, o traditor.
DON ALVARO
Se i rimorsi, il pianto omai
non vi parlano per me
qual nessun mi vide mai,
io mi prostro al vostro piè!
(Si getta ai piedi di Don Carlo.)
DON CARLO
Ah! la macchia del tuo stemma
or provasti con quest’atto!
DON ALVARO (saltando in piedi arrabbiato)
Desso splende più che gemma.
DON CARLO
Sangue il tinge di mulatto.
DON ALVARO (non potendo più frenarsi)
Per la gola voi mentite!
A me un brando!
(Impugna una spada.)
Un brando, uscite!
DON CARLO
Finalmente!
DON ALVARO
No, l’inferno non trionfi.
Va, riparti.
(Getta la spada.)
DON CARLO
Ti fai dunque di me scherno?
DON ALVARO
Va.
DON CARLO
S’ora meco misurarti,
o vigliacco, non hai core,
ti consacro al disonore.
(Gli dà uno schiaffo.)
DON ALVARO (furente)
Ah, segnasti la tua sorte!
Morte!
(Raccoglie la spada.)
DON CARLO
Morte! A entrambi morte!
DON CARLO e
DON ALVARO
Ah! Vieni a morte, a morte andiam!
(Escono precipitosamente.)
Verdi, The force of destiny, “It was useless, Alvaro to hide from the world”
DON CARLO
It was useless, Alvaro, to hide from the world
and try to shield your villainy
in hypocritical robes. Hate and thirst for vengeance
showed me the road to this cloister where you hide;
no one here shall keep us apart; only blood,
your blood, can wash away the stain
which outraged my honour:
and I shall spill it all, I swear to God.
(Don Alvaro enters in monk’s robes.)
DON ALVARO
Brother –
DON CARLO
Recognise me!
DON ALVARO
Don Carlo! You – alive!
DON CARLO
For five years I have followed you,
at last ah! at last I’ve found you…
Blood alone can cancel
the infamy, your crime;
that I should punish you one day
was written in the book of Fate.
Once you were brave; now, as a monk,
you have no sword…
But I shall have your blood –
choose, for I have two.
DON ALVARO
Once I lived among men – so I understand;
but this monk’s habit – the cloister –
they bespeak my salvation from sin,
the repentance of my heart!
Leave me, leave me.
DON CARLO
Neither that garb nor the hermitage will be able
to defend you – coward!
DON ALVARO (infuriated)
Coward! What a word –
(to himself)
No, no. Help me, o my Lord!
(to Don Carlo)
Fierce words and threats,
be carried off by the wind.
Forgive, have pity, have pity,
brother, have pity, have pity!
Why offend in this way
a man who was only unfortunate?
Come, let us bow before fate,
brother, have pity, have pity.
DON CARLO
You soil the very name of pity…
Ah! When you went away, my sister remained,
abandoned and betrayed,
to infamy, to dishonour.
DON ALVARO
No, she was not dishonoured.
It is a monk who gives you his oath.
On earth, I adored her
as only one in heaven can love.
I love her still; if she still loves me,
my heart cannot ask for more.
DON CARLO
My anger will not be quieted
by base and cowardly words.
Take up you sword, and come.
do battle with me, o traitor!
DON ALVARO
If now it is too late for either remorse
or tears to speak for me.
You shall see me as none has ever seen me –
prostrate at your feet!
(He throws himself at Don Carlo’s feet.)
DON CARLO
Ah, the stain upon your crest
is proved by this act!
DON ALVARO (leaping to his feet in anger)
My crest shines brighter than a jewel.
DON CARLO
It is colored by your half-breed’s blood.
DON ALVARO (unable to restrain himself)
You lie in your throat! –
give me a sword!
(He takes a sword.)
A sword! Lead on!
DON CARLO
At last!
DON ALVARO
No, the devil shall not triumph.
Go, leave me.
(throwing down his sword)
DON CARLO
You mock me?
DON ALVARO
Go.
DON CARLO
If now, you coward, you lack courage
to measure swords with me,
I condemn you to dishonor.
(He slaps Don Alvaro’s face.)
DON ALVARO (furious)
Ah, now you have sealed your fate!
Death!
(He takes up the sword again.)
DON CARLO
Death to both!
DON CARLO and
DON ALVARO
Ah! Come to your death, come!
(They rush out.)
Verdi, Don Carlo, “Io morrò, ma lieto in core”
Rodrigo
O Carlo ascolta, la madre
T’aspetta a San Giusto doman;
Tutt ella sa.
Ah! la terra mi manca!
Carlo mio, a me porgi la man!
Io morrò, ma lieto in core,
Ché, potei così serbar
Allá Spagna un salvatore!
Ah! Di me non ti scordar !
Di me non ti scordar !
Regnare tu dovevi,
Ed io morir per te.
Ah ! morrò ma lieto in core,
Chè potei così serbar
Alla Spagna un salvatore !
Ah ! di me non ti scordar !
Ah ! la terra mi manca . . .
La mano a me, a me . . .
Ah! Salva la Fiandra
Carlo, addio, . . . ah! ah!
Verdi, Don Carlo, “I shall die, but happily”
Rodrigo
Carlos, listen, your mother
Will be waiting for you at San Yuste tomorrow;
She knows everything.
Oh, I am weakening!
Carlos, give me your hand!
I shall die, but happily,
For so I have been able
To preserve a savior for Spain!
Ah, do not forget me!
Do not forget me!
You were destined to reign
And I to die for you.
Ah! I shall die, but happily
For so I was able to preserve
For Spain a savior!
Ah, do not forget me!
Ah! I am weakening . . .
Your hand to me, to me . . .
Ah! Save Flanders
Carlos, farewell, . . .ah! ah!
Gino Bechi
October 16, 1913 – February 2, 1993
There is very little information about Bechi on the internet. Most of the information below was taken from obituaries.
Gino Bechi, like many singers of his generation, was denied a full international career because of the Second World war.
The Italian baritone, whose voice was at its splendid best during the 1940s, was not heard in London until September 1950, when he sang in Otello and Falstaff at Covent Garden during a visit – the first since the war – of La Scala from Milan. Although then only 37 years old, Bechi was accused by the critics of having little voice left. The audience, however, starved of the authentic sound of Italian voices in Italian opera, was less dismissive and greatly enjoyed the baritone’s Iago and Falstaff; Bechi was never a subtle artist, but there was a generosity in his singing that captivated the listener. Born and educated in Florence, Gino Bechi made his stage debut in 1936 at Empoli as Germont pere in La Traviata. The following year he was engaged at the Rome Opera, where in 1939 he sang Vladimir in the premiere of Monte Ivnor by Lodovico Rocca. He first sang at La Scala in January 1940, as Don Carlo in La Forza Del Destino, and appeared there throughout the war years. His repertory included Verdi roles such as Renato (Un Ballo in Maschera), Don Carlo (Ernani)and Rigoletto, but also Rossini’s Figaro, Severo in Poliuto, Sir Richard in I Puritani di Scozia and Jokanaan in Salome (in Italian). He sang in Florence, notably in the premiere of Alfano’s Don Juan de Manara in the Maggio musicale of 1941.
When La Scala reopened in 1946, Bechi sang the title-role of Nabucco, one of his finest roles, which he repeated at the San Carlo, Naples in 1949, with Maria Callas as Abigaille. After the visit to Covent Garden by La Scala, Bechi continued to sing with the company until 1953; his last appearance was as Alfonso in La Favorita.
He sang in San Francisco, Chicago, Lisbon, Buenos Aires and Cairo. On his retirement from the stage in the early 1960s, Bechi taught in Florence. He made many recordings and can he heard at the peak of his career, when his voice was in full bloom, as Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana, conducted by Mascagni; he also recorded Figaro, Renato and Gerard (Andrea Chenier), while the Naples Nabucco with Callas was captured ‘live’ on disc.