BocelliOnline

[Melodie]

Breaking the Rules

Andrea Bocelli says he enjoys singing pop music because it's more freeing than the strict regimen of opera

By DOUG ELFMAN
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Friday, November 12, 2004

Andrea Bocelli sings both opera and pop. So certain music critics have called him "pop-opera" and "classic-lite," which could be construed as either descriptive or derisive. But Bocelli doesn't mind tags, as long as they don't fully define him.

"When I do opera, I do opera. When I do pop, I do pop," he says in Italian, through an interpreter, in a phone interview. "As far as labels are concerned, they're a little bit like the labels on a wine bottle. They can tell you everything you want, but you still have to taste the wine to know what it is all about."

Bocelli, 45, enjoys singing pop music, he says, because it frees his imagination from the strict purity of opera.

"Opera has precise rules. When, for instance, this summer, I sang 'Tosca' in Torre del Lago (in Italy) in front of the villa where Puccini used to live, I think if I didn't sing the music the way the music had been written, they would have chased me all the way home."

Bocelli got serious validation this year when Luciano Pavarotti asked him to sing "Ave Maria" at Pavarotti's wedding.

"I was extremely happy to be called to sing there, because it proved that Pavarotti keeps me in high esteem, and that's very important to me."

In Las Vegas, Bocelli will be accompanied by the Las Vegas Philharmonic. He prefers using American orchestras, because they're more unified, precise and brassy than orchestras in other countries.

"American orchestras are probably the best orchestras, in general, in the world," Bocelli says in English. (The blind tenor speaks English well, but more often he uses an interpreter to understand a question.)

"In Italy, for example, nobody wants to play in the orchestra. Everyone would like to play like a soloist," he says. "There is also a big tradition of brass (in America), absolutely the best brass in the world."

The repertoire he's touring on is his usual song list of solos and duets "and at the end, some surprises," he says, again in English. "I still haven't decided every detail."

He says his voice, like other singers' voices, reflects personality.

"I think it's important for a singer to sing as sincerely as possible in order to reflect what the singer himself is, not to wear any masks, not to project anything that is not real," he says in Italian. "I try to do it with all of my strength."

Bocelli still gets stage fright. When asked if being beloved by his fans relieves some of that anxiety, he says no.

"To have stage fright is something that comes with your character, your personality. You can't really change that. But I have to add that the more fans that you have out there, the more you feel the responsibility to deliver a good performance. And if anything, that increases" one's anxiety.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2004/Nov-12-Fri-2004/weekly/25049804.html

[si]

[jo]

[si]

One thing that really pleased me lately was his quote saying "never say never" in regards to a pop concert one day. Jo, seriously, can you imagine the herds of people that would flock to see one of those?

Not joking, I think people would probably pay to sit in the isle. Personally, this would work beautifully for me, no problemo. I would flip right out to see him sing the songs that touch Angelo and I so very much these last 7 years.

And yes, I think it would be extremely free-ing for his spirit to indulge in such a fun type of event. Italians are known to enjoy their fun. Imagine "the fun" for him and us. Well.... he did say "never say never" so I am sticking to that hope.

WHOA! A BIG smile to you. Sin Tu Amore *just* came on! Cin Cin, Jo!

ps.... like you said, 50-50 concert - aria's then pop would be very cool too, actually!

[Bocellifan4ever]

[JustLaura]

[Bocellifan4ever]

[westsider]

[JustLaura]

Thanks, Claire and Nellie, for the info about Serenade! I could imagine Andrea singing this, for sure -- it's got that soaring action that he does so well.

Put in a suggestion to him! He is always complaining how hard it is to find good songs for his voice...

Laura

[Bocellifan4ever]

[Bocellifan4ever]

[Em]

I think one of the most endearing and captivating qualities of Andrea is having the courage to do it his way..We all are captured by a person who beleives in himself and dares to be different..otherwise, they become rather boring....I have never liked labels nor do I like traditions and the older I become, these have become more important..I think its so important to be who you are..Thats one of the reasons I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Andrea so much..and I think that is one of the reasons Andrea is so powerful...because he believes in himself but at the same time,he is very humble and sincere...This is why he glows, as Sandi has commented on
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