Friday,
December 15, 2006
Andrea Bocelli
Concert Defies Categorization.
The
ANNOTICO Report
Bocelli's megawatt smile, mild, unpretentious stage
presence, and a personal warmth that radiates, helps
to entice more Non believers to Opera.
Italian
Star's Clear Emotion Stirs Crowd
The
By
Sabine Kortals
December 12, 2006
The phenom that is Andrea Bocelli defies categorization.
To the ears of
serious opera lovers, his tenor voice lacks consistent authority, substance and
subtlety. And in the realm of pop culture, his output is arguably limited to a
repertoire of crowd-pleasing romantic arias and ballads.
Yet -
notwithstanding ticket prices that reached upward of a whopping $400 - fans of
the 48-year-old Italian celebrity singer nevertheless filled several thousand
seats at the
How does he do
it? With his megawatt smile, a mild, unpretentious stage presence and a
personal warmth that radiates through his music. And let's not forget the audience's
deserved endearment for a man who has transcended the limitations of his
blindness since childhood.
Giving every
selection his best effort, Bocelli moved effortlessly
among languages and beyond matters of vocal technique and related criticisms (e.g.,
his use of amplification, a no-no in the opera tradition) to communicator of
honest emotion straight from the heart. Equally solid were his colleagues on
stage - under the energetic direction of Steven Mercurio, soprano Ailyn Perez and
baritone Luis Ledesma appeared alongside Bocelli.
If a Bocelli show - complete with fetching light displays of
blues, pinks, yellows and swirling whites - can garner a passionate response to
opera and orchestral music from a mainstream audience, the more power to it. Perhaps
the evening's blood-pumping rendition of the overture from Rossini's
"William Tell" or Mercurio's vigorous
reading of the overture from Verdi's "Luisa Miller" might inspire
some audience members to further explore a full-length opera or symphony concert.
Just so, the Bocelli-Ledesma rendition of Bizet's beautiful "Au
fond du temple saint" from Bizet's "The Pearl Fishers," or
Perez's wonderfully buoyant and animated delivery of "Je
veux vivre" from Gounod's "Romeo and
Juliet" might serve as prelude to overcoming misinformed stereotypes about
opera.
Indeed, the
nicely paced selections of tasty opera morsels, internationally known romantic
melodies, some sexy, jazzy numbers from Bocelli's
recent CD "Amore" and such orchestral gems as Ennio
Morricone's title score from the poignant film
"Cinema Paradiso" ensure a successful
formula for mass audience appeal.
In the end,
allowing yourself to indulge in Bocelli's
musical Schmalzerei does the soul good. You just
might find yourself wiping away a sentimental tear or two.
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