BocelliOnline

[Melodie]

From MANCHESTER ONLINE, Feb. 25, 2005:

Andrea Bocelli @ M.E.N. Arena
Ben Rooth

THE tender voice of Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli sometimes soothes, often exhilarates but always captivates.

It is these qualities which have won him worldwide recognition and which also thrilled the audience at the M.E.N. Arena last night.

The operatic favourites were all sung in their original Italian. While the meaning of the words was lost on many of us, their beauty was made apparent to us all by this virtuoso.

The excellent Czech National Symphony Orchestra opened with an instantly recognisable rendition of the Overture to Bizet's Carmen.

Delight

But the audience were there for the tenor from Pisa and his opening performances of Leoncavallo's Mattinata and Rodrigo's Aranjuez could not fail to delight.

When Bocelli left the stage so that soprano, Paola Sanguinetti, could perform, a member of the audience was heard to exclaim: "I've not paid all this money to see the support act." But their discontent gave way to rapturous applause after her first-class performance.

Bocelli saved his best until last and his renditions of O Sole Mio by Di Capua and Brindisi from Verdi's La Traviata brought the house down.

It's rare to see an opera singer pack a venue as if he were a rock star. And it's fantastic to see a performer able to make opera appeal to the masses in the way it was originally intended.

http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/entertainment/music/livereviews/s/147/147415_andrea_bocelli__men_arena.html

[Tina]

What a day, where do i start?
Well, firstly, all the snow that was forecast didnt happen, so the journey to Manchester was trouble free, no traffic until we reached Manchester City Centre. After driving round for an hour, we eventually found the street, trouble was, it was a one way system, and we had to drive round for another 20 mins just to get into the street!
We eventually parked up and booked into the Hotel and unpacked. Lorna had rang me, she had met up with Dodona and they were enjoying a few drinks in the city. We all met up in the hotel bar. It was SO brilliant eventually meeting Dodona after all this time! And seeing Lorna again was wonderfull!
Needless to say we opened a bottle of Bocelli wine. Well, what else can you drink before a Bocelli concert!
Lorna was asking me how we were getting to the MEN arena. What she or Do didnt know, was that DJ Tez, from Radio Active and myself had a little secret!
It had been a nightmare trying to keep this from them for weeks! You see, Tez had arranged for a white stretch limousine to take us on a tour of Manchester before dropping us at the arena! LOL
Well, we demolished the Bocelli wine pronto, but Do was feeling a bit poorly, must have been that 3rd Cinzano!
So, as we werent due to eat until 5pm, which ended up being 6pm due to an oversight by the hotel management Do and Lorna went to their rooms to get ready. Tez phoned me, and he turned up around 5.30pm. Lorna had met him and was keeping him entertained at the bar while i got ready.
Still there was no sign of an appearence by Do!
Chris and i met Tez, it was SO great to meet him in the flesh! He is such a lovely man! Well we only had 1 hour to eat before the limo turned up, so we ordered in Do's abscence, drinking another 2 bottles of Bocelli wine! . Well, there was 7 of us! HIc...
Tez had another surprise for us, he had arranged for a friend of his to take some special photographs! Still no Do!
She eventually appeared at 6.30, and she said she felt a bit better.
Anna from New York had sent me 3 parcels in the post, with the instructions that me, Lorna, and Do would open them together at the meal.
They were all packaged beautifully with little individual notes for each of us! They turned out to be gorgeous badges, with pics of Andrea on them, 2 each! Thank you SO much Anna, what a lovely thought, and a lovely thing for you to do for us. we were made up!
It was fast approaching 7pm, time for Tez's surprise!
Tez said, all outside for the photographs! So off we all pop into the cold, posed for pics, and in the background stood a pure white stretch limoisine, chauffeur and all! Lorna said, are we walking or getting Taxi's? Tez said, ladies, your transport awaits! LOL!
You should have seen the look on everyones faces! LOL!
We all pile in, and Tez opens a bottle of champagne, which we sip as we go round the sights of Manchester. It was just wonderfull, thank you Tez! Didn't we feel like VIP's!
And we got some interesting looks from people as we got out of it at the arena!
More pics were taken, then we entered the arena, all a bit tiddly, but very excited now!
We found our seats, and met Suzan and Sally too! They were in row 7 with Lorna!
We said hi and more pics were taken
Then the moment we had been waiting for, lights go down, orchestra tunes up, and Mo.Marcello Rota takes the stage. Silence ensues.
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La tua voce e come un dolce dolores nel mio cuore! Non c'e nessuno migliore di te!!

[Sally]

That was a great review, Tina but I'm waiting for your second installment -the actual performance.

We arrived at the MEN Arena in a blue and grey stretch limo. It's called a tram, not quite the style that you lucky girls arrived in. I thought you both looked exceptionally happy. Now I know it was a heady combination of Bocelli wine and Bocelli himself!

Once again Andrea didn't let anyone down. Although the programme was much the same as at Wembley last year I thoroughly enjoyed the whole evening. Andrea looked very, very handsome in a black tux and a white shirt and bowtie. His hair was long and grey, but combed fairly neatly. He looks more and more a real Maestro, and his face didn't look "pinched" as it did last time I saw him. What good seats we had! You could almost feel his breath on your cheek!

But the highlight must have been when he was singing "O suave fanciulla." He edged closer and closer to soprano Paula Sanguinetti "for a kiss" and she jokingly "pushed him away"! Who else in their right mind would - and what a wicked grin he then gave to the audience, which made everybody laugh. And he gave his farewell bouquet to a lucky young lady in the orchestra as he went off stage? If I were her I'd press those flowers and keep them for ever. I had a really good night.

Lucky Lorna, you still have another treat to come! And now we want to see your photos, Tina. And please tell me what you all thought of Manchester (leaving bad weather aside).
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"Where are we REALLY going? Always home."

[Tina]

Overture from Bizet's Carmen, i like this to start off a concert, it gets you in a great frame of mind, but all i was thinking was, hurry up! Go get the MAN!!
Rota leads Andrea onstage to rapturous applause! I had great seats, no heads in my way, and Andrea seemed that close i could have reached out and touched him! No need for the big screens for me!
Andrea looked very nervous tonight, left fist tightly clenched at his side, swallowing hard.
He looked so handsome in his Armani black Tux, with white shirt and white bow tie.Hair very long and stylishly grey. He looked and sounded amazing!
Some people mentioned they didnt care for the Czech symphony orchestra, but i thought they did a good job, the lead violin and cello were very impressive.
I was a bit disappointed with the same old selection of songs, mostly from Sentimento. Not that i didnt enjoy them, but after 3 concerts in a row with the same songs, well, i just wish he would do a more varied selection, after all, think of all the great songs in his repertoire he could use!
I do love the old favourites like torna a surriento, and o sole mio, and he just couldnt leave out E Lucevan or id have a fit! LOL
Paola Sanguinetti was in top form, and her rendition of O mio babbino caro was excuisite.
And she also sang my fave aria from Tosca, Visi d'arte!
The duet with Andrea, O soave fanciulla, was brilliant! Andrea really getting into the role of Rodolfo! At one piont, just before he sings E ritorno? He had such a funny, devilish look on his face, the audience had to laugh! It made him smile too!
One song, and i cant remember what one now, he held the last note for such a long time it was unbelievable! And he just stood there, both eyes wide open, staring at the crowd, blue lights twinkling in his eyes, carrying this beautiful heavenly note on and on and on. It gave me goose bumps i can tell you!
Interval time, and we met up with Tez in the bar. He said one of the songs had really moved him, and he could now see what us Bocelli Nuts were going on about! LOL
The 2nd half, and Andrea was a lot calmer, fist no longer clenched, more relaxed and happy, you could see it in his demeanor. He was beginning to enjoy himself. Again more of the old favourites, and a rather strange addition to the programme! Rota did an instrumental dance/swing number, i didnt know what it was, or what it was doing here! It seemed really srtange and it didnt fit in at all with the ambience of the concert?? Maybe it was a composition by him? If anyone knows what it was please let me know!
Andrea spoke to the house, he said how wonderfull an audience we were in Manchester, and he was pleased to come back here.
He sand dell'amore non si sa, then sempre o mai from his new cd, which received thunderous applause, whistles, shouts of Bravo Andrea. He was smiling fit to bust, bless him!
He left the stage, and returned with Paola for time to say goodbye, which was very emotional as it always is. The crowd went mad, and it was hard for him to leave the stage. When he eventually did, the cheering and clapping just went on and on, never stopped! So much so that he had to come out again!
He couldnt get a word in for the noise, and eventually in a small decrease in sound level, he found a gap, and shouted, 'THANK YHOUUUUUUU!!!!'.
and nodded, and left the stage. He was gone.
What a great concert, the man just gets better and better if thats possible.
We didnt see MichaelS, which was a pity, so we walked back to the hotel with Tez, resumed our places at the bar, and talked and talked!
It was midnight, and Lorna's birthday! We gave Lorna cards and gifts, had 1 last drink, and went to our rooms, all exhausted but very happy! What a day!
I didnt get to sleep till gone 3am, too busy yapping about the day!
So much had happened, all wonderfull, and a BIG thanks to DJ Tez for our lovely surprises! I cant wait to see the pics now!
Now i wonder when i will see Andrea again??? Theres just gotta be a next time!
Pics to follow asap! Ciao a tutti, Tina xxx
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La tua voce e come un dolce dolores nel mio cuore! Non c'e nessuno migliore di te!!

[TuscanTenor]

WOW, Tina! What a great review. Sounds like your night was magical with all the little surprises and then the wonderful concert! Reminds me of the time we all went to Manchester together and that unforgettable ride to the venue! Thanks for sharing your report and the great photos. Hope you post more when you get the ones from the limo!

Karen

[Lorna]

Great report Tina!

The meeting with Do came first and I have to say here that she is a beautiful lady, full of fun, always smiling and just has that twinkle in her eye at all times. She was great company. That was our first meeting and there could have been no better place than at Manchester!!
Tina my dear friend, who I have been lucky enough to meet 3 times now, is just the tops!! They are both such fantastic girls!
Tez is a wonderful, wonderful guy! He is just the same as when he is presenting on Radioactive, a really super guy.
Words cannot describe the thrill he presented to us in Manchester....a stretched limosuine to take us to the venue, along with champagne and the great company of all my friends. I was totally shocked when I saw the limosuine parked outside the hotel and all I could hear Tez saying was ''your taxi awaits girls''....it was a very special moment! We arrived in true style to the MEN and that is thanks to such a great guy LOL!!
Tez also arranged for his boss to attend our dinner and take photos for the site...gulp I hope they turn out ok LOL!

The day flew by. Plenty of drinks, including 3 bottles of Bocelli wine were drank, lots of excited chatter, hugs and laughs all round...it was fantastic!
During our meal Tina presented 3 small boxes, beautifully wrapped and tied with different coloured ribbons...these were from Anna. We were asked to open them together before the concert and oh what a lovely surprise it was. I cannot thank you enough Anna...two badges of Andrea Bocelli were inside. Anna that was so thoughtful of you and I am most grateful!! They will be going to Oxford with me too

Sally I only briefly met you but I am so pleased that we did. Tina took a photo of us but I haven't received it yet, as soon as I do I will forward it on to you. One thing played on my mind Sally, I never shook hands with Clive!! I can remember you mentioning his name and I feel so awful now. Please tell him that I am not ususally like that, I think the whole event was becoming too much!!
I met Suzan after the concert, we exchanged a few words and I took her photo, will post that soon. It was just wonderful meeting with everybody.

It was a very long day but a very, very happy one and I am still taking it all in.
I was sat in the same row as Sally and Suzan and Tina was immediately infront of me. We could not have asked for better seats. Do did not have such a good view although she paid the same price as us. I believe that she didn't see Andrea too clearly and had to rely on the big screens.

My favourite of all had to be when Andrea sang Della Amore non si sa....absolutely fabulous!! I enjoyed many of the arias but like Tina and I said...it was very similiar to his Sentimento concert. We definitely need more variety from Andrea.

He looked very well, terrifically handsome and he relaxed as the concert progressed. Paulo Sanguinetti was a delight! She is very beautiful and her performance was faultless.

We met Tez during the interval and he informed us that he was really enjoying the show. I remember him saying that a particular song 'done it for him' LOL and I can't remember which one.

The whole evening went very by very quickly and in no time at all we were back at our hotel bar to enjoy more time in the company of our new friends!! Tez stayed with us until approx 11.45 pm and then we had to say our farewells.

At midnight I was reminded by Tina that it was my birthday and she sang Buon Compleanno to me LOL!! Poor Do had to leave our company just before as she was slightly under the weather....due to lunchtime drinking LOL!! They both had small gifts for me and birthday cards....how lovely was that?

We finally made our way to bed at 1.00 am...totally shattered...but blissfully happy!
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Andrea is Life, the rest is mere detail

[Bocellifan4ever]

[admgroov]

Lorna and Tina....I loved your concert reports - could visualize your whole evening. Lordy, how I wish I could have been there too. Your pictures are fabulous - you were so close. If I'd of known that you were that close I probably should have sent you my eyelash catcher!!
What absolutely precious memories you all have. And a limo too!!!
Dorris

[admgroov]

Sally....so sorry - I didn't mean to slight you as I truly enjoyed your addition to the MEN concert events. Dorris

[rosied]

Lorna, Sally and Tina.....I just had a great time reading your reviews of Andrea's Manchester concert and I could FEEL your excitement.......... so much so that I almost felt like I WAS THERE!!! I love to see him open his eyes...he rarely does so. Are they really blue?? Rochelle says they are.

I, too, would like to hear a little change in the program as we all know he knows MANY. MANY other songs. I'm sure he feels there are always people in the audience who haven't heard the ones he's so famous for now.

We will attend the Worcester and Philadelphia concerts and I'm hoping the two programs will be a LITTLE different.....but REALLY I would listen to him recite the telephone directory, as the saying goes!!!!

I'm so happy that you all got SO CLOSE to him....that really made it very special too!

Ciao
Rosie

[Tina]

Thank you Dorris and Rosie! It was a truly wonderfull evening!! I hope your concerts are just as much enjoyable for you!! Let us know here! Ciao amici, Tina xx
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La tua voce e come un dolce dolores nel mio cuore! Non c'e nessuno migliore di te!!

[admgroov]

Tina....unfortunately Andrea has no concerts scheduled west of the Mississippi! Soooo, I guess Maureen and I will just have to continue saving up for another trip to Italy - again. And to top it off, the only PBS station we get here apparently won't be showing Tribute on Ice. I'm fighting mad - and will call them first thing next week. Dorris

[emjay]

Tina,& Lorna, Thank you so much for taking us on your journey, i said it before no one writes a report like you do, i always have the fealing of being there, i am so happy that the evening was so wanderfull for you.
hugs m.j
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" HAVE A BOCELLI DAY FULL OF SUNSHINE AND SMILES"

[dodona]

Hello everybody
1’m sorry I am bit late putting my two pen’orth on the forum. I have so much to say about our Manchester experience I really haven’t known where to start. I have some serious thank you’s as well, to some of the sweetest kindest people I have ever known.
My photographs are really second rate duplications of Lorna s and Tinas, since we were there together looking at the same things at the same time. Except at the concert ,which I will mention again further down.
But first, I have to put the record straight.
I don’t know WHAT you would call it, but I definitely wasn’t drunk. lol.
A slight miscalculation in the size of the glass maybe? but definitely not drunk! lol
Here is my story, which is one of a series of little mishaps now and again, but of total happiness. It was a very happy day for us all, we had a great time together and at the concert and everything.
My day started when I went to get a train at 10.30 am and it was due to be late so I went for a coffee in the café on the station. My coffee tried to escape, but I caught it in my lap and got pretty wet doing it. lol Not to worry I had a heater near my seat on the train and a carriage to myself so I dried myself and my clothes on that.
During the trip I had a text from Tina who said she was on her way to Manchester as well. So Knowing she didn’t live too far away, I was sure she would arrive at the same time as us. Hahaha That is tina who managed to miss Birmingham altogether last year. lol
The train made up lost time and I arrived in Manchester to meet my partner Jim…so happy and excited.
Me and Jim arrived at the hotel and there was darling Lorna waiting in reception.
She recognized us straight away and after all this time as internet buddies we were actually hugging !
The hotel Sachas was well plush, and I thought yes! I could get used to this!
But as the hotel bar was closed we dropped our cases and went to a bar in the town to wait for Tina. I was also a bit hungry by now. However doing much about that was not an option as yet. We would all be eating together before long…I thought.
That’s when I had a cinzano and coke…well two! It was great sitting with Lorna and Geoff, chatting away and having such a laugh. That’s what made me tiddly… not the cinzano!
Evenually we went back to hotel Sachas to meet Tina and Chris. And again it was fantastic to actually meet. We have been good friends for ages and this was IT! And HERE she WAS! The little tiddler! Still, what she lacks in height she more than makes up for in ….personality! She is wonderful.
But the meal has been put back an hour and I am even hungrier . And the bar is closed… so then I remembered my Bocelli wine! lol.
Tina sent me that as a present last year when she came back from Torre Del Lago and I had kept it for this very special day. So Jim went up to fetch it from our room and we unplugged it at last!
Now we found it to be a really GOOD bottle you know! And it helped to pass the time.
lol
Now it was time to go get ready for dinner at 6 pm and the next exciting event which was to meet Tez our dear friend and DJ from Radioactive . I know you have all heard about Tez. (He is lovely) and the concert at 8. so we dispersed for a while.
That’s when I realized that I hadn’t done myself any favours drinking that wine on an empty tum. ooooops!! I have to say that I felt dreadful. and had to miss dinner. :puke
I had to make a very concentrated effort to get up and get dressed for the concert., and eventually I managed to make my entrance downstairs. With all the grace I could muster. I don’t think anyone noticed though. lol
So still no food. And past caring….here we all were …Tina Lorna Me and Tez .
And hello…. a present! ?? Oh what a lovely surprise….a present from Anna ! Our sweet BOL friend. She had sent us a pre- concert present, two bocelli Badges each inside a little box . Well, we were thrilled to bits with them, and I would like to say thank you dear Anna for that extremely kind deed. I think we all sent a little prayer to thank Anna for that, it was like she was there with us. Thank you Anna.
Now, it was nearly concert time. And as you have read already, we had the next biggest surprise of all…..our ride to the concert. The stretch Limo waiting outside to take us to the Manchester Evening News Arena. WOW. This was something ELSE !
An experience and a half! It was smashing. You couldn’t imagine the fun we were having. We piled in and it was like a mini cocktail bar inside and very beautiful. Tez had arranged this as you know, and we could NEVER thank him enough. What a wonderful thing to do eh? I was still feeling very deicate myself, but VERY happy. And I did have a sip or two of champagne which came as another surprise. Can you imagine the kindness of the man. Tezza! Jim and me think you a great chap…thanks.
The M.E.N was a BIG place indeed. People arriving by the thousand…not in the same style as us though! HA. And at this point we had to part company with Tina n Chris Lorna n Geoff (erado) and make our way to a different seating area.
Once sat down I was scanning the arena for the others and we actually did pick them out in the sea of heads. We even managed to catch their eye and we were able to wave.
That was funny.
Then the lights lowered and the music began. I suddenly felt very clear headed and much better. And from the moment OFT began singing I never again thought of how hungry I was and how fragile I had been feeling. Here was ANDREA. Oh bliss. His singing was wonderful and the orchestra was superb. Tina has already done a very thorough report on the contents so all I need to add is that each item was as thrilling as ever. His voice has lost none of the magic and both Jim and I thought it was a wonderful wonderful performance. All of it.
My only disappointment was that I was too far away and couldn’t get ANY photos.
And not once did Andrea turn to face our direction, and we really did have to rely on the big screen for visual appreciation. When I look at the beautiful pictures that Tina and Lorna were able to take (and I am so grateful they did…) I feel that my ticket price should have reflected the huge difference in the arrangements. As it was, our tickets were the same price as Tina’s and at £197 for two, were not cheap eh?
but musically..we were sated. It was brilliant..
So that’s my story folks! I feel a lot better now, and wish I could go back and do it all again.! It was an event of a lifetime and I am sure I speak for the others when I say how happy we all were, and how beautiful my two friends really are. Tina and Lorna.
Hope I haven’t missed anything ? lol
Love to you all
Do
xx
Ps The next day I missed breakfast as well, so I was a stone lighter by the time we got home.! hahaha

[Tina]

Brilliant Do!! You do make me laugh amica!!
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La tua voce e come un dolce dolores nel mio cuore! Non c'e nessuno migliore di te!!