Gino Bechi (Firenze 1913 - ivi 1993) He took up music at the age of seventeen with maestri Frazzi and De Giorgi, making his debut in 1936 in Empoli as Germont in La traviata. He soon became one of Italy's most important opera singers, being called upon, among others, to sing at La Scala, the Rome Opera, Lisbon and in the major theatres of South America. His performances in Verdi's operas such as Otello, Rigoletto and Nabucco are memorable. He retired from the stage in 1965. In the following years, he ran a school for young opera singers in Florence. He was president of the Ettore Bastianini International Singing Competition in Siena. Bechi was one of the most famous opera singers of the 1940s and 1950s, and together with Maria Caniglia and Beniamino Gigli formed a trio of artists whose fame went beyond the opera public. He was cast several times in musical films, both based on operas and not, and his popularity with the general public remains particularly linked to Cesare Andrea Bixio's song 'La strada nel bosco'. Photograph of the Italian baritone with autographed dedication. Photography; 15x24 Excellent condition