Picchi initally wanted to study economics; however following vocal training with Giulia Tess and Giacomo Armani in Milan it was clear that his destiny was to be a singer. He made his operatic stage debut in 1946 as Radamès / Aida at Milan’s Palazzo dello Sport and shortly afterwards, in 1947, made his first appearance at the Verona Arena, returning in 1952 and 1956. During 1947–1948 he sang in an opera season at London’s Cambridge Theatre, as the Duke / Rigoletto, Rodolfo / La Bohème and Cavaradossi / Tosca.

In 1949 Picchi made two significant appearances: at the Florence Maggio Musicale in Rossini’s L’assedio di Corinto and at the Edinburgh Festival as Riccardo in Un ballo in maschera (with the Glyndebourne Festival Opera opposite Ljuba Welitsch); and the following year sang the title role in Don Carlo at the San Carlo, Naples with Serafin conducting.

Picchi then began to appear frequently with Maria Callas: for instance as Radamès in Rome in 1950; as Pollione / Norma at the Royal Opera House, London in both 1952 and 1953; and as Giasone in Cherubini’s Medea in 1953 (Florence) and 1954 (Milan). He returned to La Scala frequently, appearing for example in Donizetti’s Lucrezia Borgia in 1957 and giving his farewell performance there in 1974 as Don Basilio / Le nozze di Figaro.

With the Chicago Lyric Opera Picchi sang Don José / Carmen in 1955 and in 1957 not only appeared opposite Leyla Gencer in a landmark production of Verdi’s I due Foscari at La Fenice, Venice but also sang the title part in Boito’s Nerone in Naples.

In addition to singing in mainstream repertoire, Picchi took part in numerous first performances. These included Juan José Castro’s Proserpina y el extranjero (Milan, 1952); Prokofiev’s War and Peace at the 1953 Maggio Musicale in Florence (Italian premiere); Pizzetti’s Cagliostro (Milan, 1953) and La figlia di Jorio (Naples, 1954); and Flavio Testi’s La celestina (Florence, 1963). Other significant parts in contemporary operas included the title parts in Peter Grimes and Oedipus Rex, Captain Vere / Billy Budd, the Drum Major / Wozzeck, Tom Rakewell / The Rake’s Progress and Tiresias in Hans Werner Henze’s The Bassarids.

Far more so than the stereotypical Italian tenor, Picchi was lithe and good-looking, acted naturally and possessed a sweet, mellifluous voice which he used with great musicality. He recorded Medea commercially with Callas in 1957.

© Naxos Rights International Ltd. — David Patmore (A–Z of Singers, Naxos 8.558097-100).