Andrea Bocelli: Verdi
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Music CD Cover Composer: Giuseppe Verdi Edition: Music CD CD Release Date: 2000-09-12 Music Label: Philips Soundtracks:
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Free Music Notes for Andrea Bocelli: Verdi Album
Free Music Review: A Warrior's Determination
Hit: 5 Stars
Andrea Bocelli sings out, without accompaniment, the first notes of Radamès' aria, "Celeste Aïda." He sings, "Se quell guerrier io fossi!" "If only that warrior were I!" It is powerful and compelling. Trumpets peal in a royal-sounding tribute, a call to arms. Andrea sings again, "Un esercito di prodi da me guidato, e la vittoria e il plauso." "An army of brave men led by me - victory and applause!" and finally the orchestra joins him. This is no romantic pop singer. I picture a defiant and victorious Radamès lifting his arm over his head, fist clenched, metal cuff flashing. The soft-focus cover of this CD belies the strong warrior. The voice reveals him. Andrea sings "E per te ho vinto," "I fought, I won for you," and his voice is perfect voice as it drops one full octave on "vinto." Even in the more tender part of the aria, he evidences a determined will. He hits his first wonderful high note during "Ergerti un trono vicino al sol," "A royal throne for you in the sun." He repeats the line, climbing the scale, "Un regal trono vicino al sol." And still higher again, "Un regal trono vicino al sol!" ending in a strong, high B-flat. It's breathtaking!
One critic writing for Amazon.com says, "For `Celeste Aïda'--Radames's great aria from Aida --Bocelli opens with fine, as-big-as-possible exclamation and sounds confident; the long diminuendo on the aria's final high B-flat is stunning (whether or not the engineers were twiddling with the knobs, we'll never know)."
But we do know about Andrea's ability to sing this difficult piece. Andrea sang this over and over in concert this past spring, live, in front of the world's critics. Commenting on Andrea's live performance, James Roos of the Miami Herald (April 3, 2000) said, "Actually, to sing Celesta Aïda the way he did, Bocelli has to possess a sweet, lyric tenor ... plus a ranging top-voice of genuine quality. ...And how many tenors follow Verdi's instructions to sing that climactic B-flat with a true diminuendo -- a fade-out -- as Bocelli did, to his credit?"
Further, we hear from conductor Zubin Mehta. "Andrea's voice is special in many ways," Mehta said. "First of all, he has a complete control from forte to pianissimo on any note. The end of 'Celeste Aida,' he attacks the high B flat full voice and then pulls it down to nothing - hardly anybody can do that... But it's not that we tried it 15 times and he got it once; he can do it every time. He can also, in the middle of a phrase, without breathing, change the color of a note, so it's a conductor's dream to ask and to get it because most people can't do that." (Universal) Mehta also said, "The album of Verdi arias allows the entire world to discover an artist that has the capacity to control every note and to instill emotion in music." (Translated from ANSA, August 31, 2000)
In "Di quella pira" from Il Trovatore, Andrea neatly runs through the sixteenth notes. It is sung with force and determination, not sweetness. Andrea's voice just gallops through its paces like the muscular racehorse, singing "O teco almen corro a morir..." The chorus backs him again and the end is a rousing exchange ending in a powerful ten second high C.
Andrea appreciates the inherent difficulty of the piece. He says, "But there was one [aria] that was a challenge for me from the start. That was 'Di quella pira' from Il Trovatore, an aria that requires 'agilita 'and 'forza' and that I always carefully avoided singing, but which was more or less a must for this album. Consequently, I had to study it, and I worked very hard."
The Boston Globe's Richard Dyer says, "Bocelli's delivery of the sound and intent of his own language is always remarkable... ''Di quella pira'' has a fair amount of punch and panache, and it is very unusual to hear it sung this accurately, and in the original key." (September 8, 2000)
Andrea's affection for this music is evident in every cut. "Verdi's arias ... have intrinsic power and communicate ideas that are eternal. Verdi is much more than a simple romantic. I think his music embraces feelings that go far beyond that." (Universal) "When we speak of Verdi, we speak of a genius that crossed Italian borders in order to conquer the world with the force of emotions. We bring him back to the attention of young people -- medicine in order to hope for a better future for our children." (Translated from ANSA, August 31, 2000)
Andrea's affection for music and recognition of its power underscores his appeal. As he says, "I believe that in a world of confusion, sensationalism and ethical turmoil, classical music can be a pure and wholesome medicine that gives us confidence in a better future for ourselves and for our children." (Universal) His voice communicates all this and more.
Reviewer Edwin Faust explains, "Bocelli pours his heart into his songs in so intense a manner that his music and his personality are fused... when Bocelli sings, all of him sings." (The Press of Atlantic City April 10, 2000)
We fell in love with a romantic pop singer, riding a white horse through the waves. Yet it is a very, very different image we get from this wonderful collection. The Andrea Bocelli I picture is an invincible young king, determined, serving up high note after magnificent high note, rollicking from one octave to another with a warrior's resolve.
The complete articles from which these quotes are taken can be found at the fans' website, bocelli.net.