Mirto Picchi
Mirto Picchi was an Italian dramatic tenor, particularly associated with the Italian repertory, and with contemporary works.
Picchi studied in Milan with Giulia Tess and Giuseppe Armani, and made his debut there as Radamès in Aïda, in 1946. Later, the tenor sang Radamès again at the Teatro alla Scala, Andrea Chénier, Fidelio, Boris Godounov, Raskolnikov, Lucrezia Borgia, The Rake's Progress, Proserpina y el Extranjero, Wozzeck, Cagliostro, Der Freischütz, La figlia di Iorio, Malipiero's I capricci di Callot, The Bassarids, Wozzeck, Morte dell'aria, and Le nozze di Figaro.
In 1946/47 he appeared in Vienna as Radamès in Aïda and as Don José in Carmen, and 1947 in London, at the Cambridge Theatre, as the Duca di Mantua in Rigoletto, Rodolfo in La bohème, Cavaradossi in Tosca. He sang Pollione in Norma, opposite Maria Callas, at Florence in 1948, Riccardo in Un ballo in maschera at Edinburgh in 1949 and Radamès in Naples in 1950. He made his debut at the Royal Opera House in 1952, as Pollione in Norma, again opposite Maria Callas. He also appeared in Rio de Janeiro in 1950 and in Chicago as Pollione in 1954.
However, the main part of his career was in Italy, notably in Milan, Rome, Naples and Florence.
He created roles in many contemporary works, notably Ildebrando Pizzetti's Cagliostro and La figlia di Iorio, and Juan José Castro's Proserpina y el Extranjero. In 1957, the tenor participated in a film of Il tabarro for Italian television.
One of the leading tenors of the post-war period, he had a fine voice and was an accomplished singing-actor. He retired from the stage in 1974, and published his autobiography, Un trono vicino al sol, in 1978.