BocelliOnline

[Melodie]

From the NJ Star-Ledger:

Bocelli brings audience what it wants to hear

Tuesday, April 12, 2005
BY BRADLEY BAMBARGER
Star-Ledger Staff

Although Andrea Bocelli is an international pop star, the Italian tenor has literally put his money where his mouth is by investing in his love of opera. He has not only recorded discs of arias but, in an ebbing era for opera on CD, has used his clout to have complete opera sets cast around his voice.

That voice -- virtually paradigmatic of the Italian lyric tenor sound so beloved around the world -- is sweet but too small for the unamplified realm of the traditional opera house, and Bocelli's blindness makes stage movement difficult. His only experience in staged opera, a Detroit "Werther" a few years ago, was quickly aborted.

Yet in concert with a microphone, Bocelli can wield his sweet sounds to the delight of his audience, even in such an uncongenial space as Continental Airlines Arena. On Sunday there, the 45-year-old tenor performed a program of mostly classical arias, backed by the amplified Hartford Symphony & Chorus with conductor Steven Mercurio.

Bocelli -- who looks more youthful and handsome in person than he does in photos, which drove some of his mature female fans to distraction -- was a gracious, even endearing presence, lending the event its charm. Yet the show would have been far better set in a space like Radio City Music Hall, as Continental Arena was too cavernous not only for the music but for the crowd -- with whole sections of seats left unsold.

The audio mix was poor, with slap-back echo and a tinny, synthetic tone plaguing orchestra and chorus. Worse, Bocelli and his duet partner -- Italian soprano Patrizia Orciani -- were mixed far too loud. While this exacerbated Bocelli's tendency to never really sing quietly, it was a disaster for Orciani, who sounded harsh and ill-suited to a microphone.

Bocelli got the heroic high Cs of "Di Quella Pira" from Verdi's "Il Trovatore" out of the way early on and in virile fashion. (His complete recording of "Il Trovatore," issued last year, received good reviews from even the staunchest opera critics.) The bittersweet verismo of "In Tanto Amici Qua" from Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana" was even better.

As a preface to a pair of sacred arias, Franck's "Panis Angelicus" and Schubert's "Ave Maria," Bocelli dedicated the concert to "the Holy Father who recently passed away." Assisted by the choir, the tenor gave lovely performances (despite a bit of grandstanding toward the "Ave Maria's" end). As a secular coda to these pieces, Mercurio led the orchestra in his arrangement of Ennio Morricone's theme to "Cinema Paradiso," with the nostalgic tune accompanied by visuals to the film.

Singing Lehar's "You Are My Heart's Delight" in Italian rather than German was a fine idea, as the evergreen melody brought out Bocelli's most beautifully fluent singing of the night. By the time he got to Puccini's "Nessun Dorma," though, the tenor was unable to invest the long lines with the tension they demand, so that the big release at the end seemed unearned.

Famous duets from "Andrea Chenier" and "La Boheme" were scarred by Orciani's strained contribution, and the drinking song from "La Traviata" was hardly effervescent. The encores also brought "My Way," betraying Bocelli's inner lounge lizard. The rest, though, was a slew of Bocelli's Euro-pop hits, including "Time to Say Goodbye" and the new "Dell'Amore Non Si Sa." With these lilting romances, the heartthrob sounded the most like himself, comfortable and in command, if not challenged.

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/ledger/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-2/1113285270113060.xml

[Janice]

I know this isn't really a bad review. He said some complimentary things but OH! the misinformation gets me so ticked off! Do we let it go? Or do we tell him all about how Andrea has a GREAT DEAL MORE staged opera experience than the Detroit "Werther", which was NOT aborted but played all performances scheduled. Andrea's missed performance was because of voice trouble, nothing else. And do we tell him how Andrea's stage movement is done so well that people ABsolutely marvel at it? I personally only saw one lower level section completely unsold. The remaining unsold sections were behind the stage and I don't think anyone would have wanted to sit there anyway. Who knows if they were even offered? He further displayed his lack of information by implying "My Way" has some sort of "lounge lizard" quality. "My Way" IS Andrea's story! :slick So, what do we do???

[Fantom]

[Janice]

As you probably guessed from my post, the misinformation in that story had me more than a little ticked off. I mentioned it to some e-mailing friends of mine who are much better at getting to the point and not letting emotions get in the way. They each sent letters to the paper and the paper printed corrections on page two of this morning's paper! Let's hear it for teamwork!

[Fantom]