Andrea Bocelli
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Andrea Bocelli | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Born | 22 September 1958 Lajatico, Tuscany, Italy |
| Genres | Adult contemporary, classical, easy listening, Latin pop, opera, operatic pop, pop, vocal |
| Occupations | Musician, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist |
| Instruments | Vocals, keyboards, flute, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, harp, harmonica, guitar, drums, melodica |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Labels | Universal, Philips, PolyGram, Decca, Sugar |
Since winning the Newcomers section of the Sanremo Music Festival in 1994,Bocelli has recorded thirteen solo studio albums, of both pop and classical music, two greatest hits albums, and eight complete operas, selling over 70 million copies worldwide.Thus, he is the biggest-selling solo artist in the history of classical music.
In 1998, he was named one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People. In 1999, his nomination for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards marked the first, and so far only time a classical artist had been nominated in the category, since Leontyne Price, in 1961. The Prayer, his duet with Celine Dion for the animated film, The Quest for Camelot, won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song and was nominated for an Academy Award in the same category.With the release of his classical album, Sacred Arias, Bocelli captured a listing in the Guinness Book of World Records, as he simultaneously held the top 3 positions on the U.S. classical albums charts.Five of his albums have since reached the Top 10 on the Billboard 200, and a record-setting 7, have topped the classical albums charts, in the United States.
With over 5 million units sold worldwide, Sacred Arias became the biggest-selling classical album by a solo artist of all time,and with just under 20 million units sold worldwide, his 1997 pop album, Romanza, became the best-selling album by an Italian artist ever, as well as the best-selling album by a foreign artist in Canada, and a number of other countries in Europe and Latin America.The album's first single, "Time to Say Goodbye", topped charts all over Europe, including Germany, where it stayed at the top of the charts for fourteen consecutive weeks, breaking the all-time sales record, with over 3 million copies sold in the country, and 12 million copies worldwide. He is widely regarded as the most popular Italian and classical singer in the world.
In 2006, Bocelli was made a Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic,and on March 2, 2010, he was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for his contribution to Live Theater.
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Early life
Childhood and Education
Bocelli was born in 1958 to Alessandro and Edi Bocelli. They lived on the family farm, selling farm machinery and making wine in the small village of La Sterza, a frazione of Lajatico, Tuscany, Italy, which is about 40 km south of Pisa. Bocelli's mother and younger brother Alberto still live in the family home. Bocelli's father died in 2000.As a young boy, Bocelli showed a great passion for music. His mother has said that music was the only thing that would comfort him. At the age of six he started piano lessons, and later also learned to play the flute, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, harp, guitar and drums.
Bocelli would also spend time singing during his childhood.At the age of 14 he won his first song competition, the Margherita d'Oro in Viareggio with O sole mio.
After finishing secondary school in 1980, he studied law at the University of Pisa.To earn money Bocelli performed evenings in piano bars. He completed law school and spent one year as a court-appointed lawyer. It was there, in 1987, that he met his future wife, Enrica.
Loss of sight
It was evident at birth that Bocelli had problems with his sight, and after visits to many doctors, he was diagnosed with congenital glaucoma. In 1970, at the age of 12, he completely lost his sight following an accident during a football game.While pregnant, Bocelli's mother, Edi, was mistakenly diagnosed with appendicitis and received a treatment of ice applied to her stomach. Doctors advised her to terminate the pregnancy with an abortion because of the high probability that the treatment would cause a disability in the child. Despite this advice, Bocelli's mother chose not to abort her son. (Bocelli's blindness is not believed to be related to this incident).
Voice
With the exception of the negative views of some Classical music critics, Bocelli is widely celebrated as a singer and is admired around the world. His voice's timbre is as recognisable as a signature, with a versatility ranging from the Bel canto to the furore of Verismo, from the sacred repertoire to popular ballads.Franco Corelli, one of the greatest Spinto tenors of the twentieth century, praised Bocelli's voice after hearing it for the first time during a Master class in 1986, in Turin, and would later give him private lessons. Another great Italian tenor who championed Bocelli's singing from the very beginning was Luciano Pavarotti. Pavarotti publicly admired Bocelli's voice and played an early part in the younger man's career.He reportedly stated that "There is no one finer," upon hearing his voice for the very first time.Bocelli would later sing during both his wedding ceremony, in 2003, and his funeral, in 2007.
After conducting Bocelli in the Verdi album, in 2000, Zubin Mehta commented that "Andrea's voice is special in many ways. 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, it's also very risky on the stage at the opera. 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." The interview where Mehta made those comments was featured in a BBC documentary about Bocelli, entitled the "Story Behind the Voice". Mehta also compared Bocelli's voice to the old Italian style of singers, such as Tito Schipa.
The same documentary also featured an interview with Spanish Catalan tenor, José Carreras. He commented that "The first time I had the possibility to listen to Andrea, he was a part of the Sanremo Festival. And I thought wow, that's a nice voice, very beautiful color, very tenor like." He proceeded by saying, "I always thought that he has a wonderful instrument, that he knows very much how to use it."
Lorin Maazel, who conducted Bocelli's 2002 Classical album, Sentimento, was also featured in the documentary. In the interview he says that "Andrea Bocelli has amazing Tessitura, almost three Octaves, I would think two and a half, has excellent and very easy top notes; but he can also fill out the lower register very successfully."Maazel also praised Bocelli's Musical talent and knowledge of music, and compared his voice to that of celebrated Irish tenor John McCormack, during an interview with Charlie Rose, in 2002.
Similarly, during a 1999 interview on The Charlie Rose show, American soprano Renée Fleming praised Bocelli's voice, by saying "first of all the sound is beautiful. There is something very soulful about the way he sings and it's captured the hearts of something like, the last I've heard eleven million fans."Grammy winning Puerto Rican soprano, Ana María Martínez, who performed with Bocelli on many occasions, also said that "More than anything, Andrea has something that is unique in that he brings this light that is always around him. And this purity of heart and beauty of sound just touches the listener. It can’t be described."
French Canadian singer Celine Dion famously said while introducing him during her Christmas Special for These Are Special Times, in 1998, that "if God would have a singing voice, he must sound a lot like Andrea Bocelli," and multiple Grammy Award winner David Foster, a producer of the album, often describes Bocelli's voice as the most beautiful in the world. Similarly, seven-time Grammy Award winning Jazz singer, Al Jarreau, who performed with Bocelli on the "Night of the Proms" tour in Europe, in 1995, described him as "the most beautiful voice in the world," and American talk show host, Oprah Winfrey, commented on her talk show that, "when I hear Andrea sing, I burst into tears."
After attending Bocelli's concert at the Hollywood Bowl in 2009, the first time she'd been out "in months", legendary American actress Elizabeth Taylor said, "My mind, my soul were transported by his beauty, his voice, his inner being. God has kissed this man and I thank God for it." Taylor had been a passionate fan of Bocelli's since the beginning of his music career in the mid-90's. Other fans include, Prince Albert of Monaco, Sarah, The Duchess of York, and actress Isabella Rossellini. Bocelli's voice was also a favorite of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, and Pope John Paul II, for whom he sang on many occasions, and released Credo, a DVD dedicated to his life, shortly after his death, in 2006.
Other world class artists from both the Pop and Opera worlds have also publicly expressed their admiration, including opera singers Plácido Domingo, and Cecilia Bartoli, who collaborated with Bocelli, and conductor Myung-whun Chung, who conducted Bocelli's 1999 allbum, Sacred Arias.
Criticism
Despite his worldwide popularity and praise, Bocelli's voice, more specifically his interpretation of Opera, has been regularly criticized by classical music critics. These include Bernard Holland of The New York Times, and Andrew Clement of The Guardian.Some point to his "poor phrasing, uneven tone and lack of technique."In 1999, The New York Times chief music critic Anthony Tommasini in his review of Bocelli's North American opera debut at the Detroit Opera House in the title role of Massenet's Werther commented, "The basic color of Mr. Bocelli's voice is warm and pleasant, but he lacks the technique to support and project his sound. His sustained notes wobble. His soft high notes are painfully weak. Inadequate breath control often forces him to clip off notes prematurely at the end of phrases."In December 2000 Tommasini again criticised Bocelli, this time for his La bohème album when he claimed that Bocelli "still has trouble with basic things, like breath support" and his voice had been "carefully recorded", "to help it match the trained voices of the other cast members in fullness and presence."
In describing Bocelli's singing, New York Times music critic Bernard Holland noted, "the tone is rasping, thin and, in general, poorly supported. Even the most modest upward movement thins it even more, signalling what appears to be the onset of strangulation. To his credit, Mr Bocelli sings mostly in tune. But his phrasing tends toward carelessness and rhythmic jumble... The diction is not clear." Furthermore, Holland observed that "The critic's duty is to report that Mr Bocelli is not a very good singer." The Associated Press reported "Passion? Yes. Power. No. Bocelli's voice – though robust in spirit and precisely in tune, even in the upper register – had a thin quality that never opened up." Similarly, classical music critic Andrew Clement found Bocelli's studio opera recordings consistently disappointing in quality: "Bocelli's profoundly unmusical contribution, with its unvaryingly coarse tone, wayward intonation and never a phrase properly shaped, fatally undermines all their contributions. Anne Midgette of The New York Times agreed, noting "a thinness of voice, oddly anemic phrasing (including shortchanging upper notes of phrases in a most untenorial manner), a curious lack of expression."
During a 2009 performance in New York, the music critic Steve Smith wrote "For cognoscenti of vocal artistry the risks involved in Mr. Bocelli’s undertakings, both then and now, need no explanation. Substantial technical shortcomings masked by amplification are laid bare in a more conventional classical setting. Mr. Bocelli’s tone can be pleasant, and his pitch is generally secure. But his voice is small and not well supported; his phrasing, wayward and oddly inexpressive."
Recognition
Honors
- Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Grande Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana) awarded in Rome, on March 4, 2006.
- Made a Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of Duarte, Sanchez and Mella by the President of the Dominican Republic, Leonel Fernandez in 2009, for his contributions to International art and culture.
- Honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for his contribution to live theater, at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard, in 2010.
Selected awards
- Winner of the 1994 Newcomers section of the Sanremo Music Festival.
- ECHO music award for "Best Single of the Year", for Time to Say Goodbye, in 1997.
- ECHO Klassik "Best seller of the year" award for his album, Viaggio Italiano in 1997.
- Bambi Award in 1997.
- Two World Music Awards, one in the category "Best Italian Singer", and one for "Best Classical Interpretation" in 1998.
- ECHO Klassik, for "Best selling classical album" with Aria - The Opera Album in 1998.
- ECHO Klassik for "Bestseller of the year" for Sacred Arias in 2000.
- Two 2000 Classical BRIT Awards for "Best selling classical album" and "Album of the year" for Sacred Arias in 2000.
- Goldene Europa for classical music in 2000.
- Goldene Kamera award in the "Music & Entertainment" category 2002.
- Two World Music Awards, for "World best selling classical artist" and for "Best selling Italian artist" in 2002.
- Telegatto award for the soundtrack of the series Cuore in 2002.
- 2002 Classical BRIT Award for "Outstanding Contribution to Music" in 2002.
- Two 2003 Classical BRIT Awards for "Best selling classical album" and "Album of the year" for Sentimento in 2003.
- Two World Music Awards for "Best Italian Artist" and "World's Best-selling Classical Artist" in 2006.
- Telegatto award in platinum for Italian music in the world in 2008.
- World Music Awards for "World's Best-selling Classical Artist" in 2010.
Personal life
On 30 April 2000, Bocelli's father, Sandro Bocelli, died. His mother encouraged him to honour his commitments, and so he sang for the Pope, in Rome, on May 1, and immediately returned home for the funeral. At his July 5 performance, filmed for PBS as American Dream—Andrea Bocelli's Statue of Liberty Concert, Bocelli dedicated the encore Sogno (Dream), from his 1999 album Sogno, to the memory of his father.
A section of the way along the beach in Jesolo, on the Italian Adriatic coast, was named after Bocelli on 11 August 2003.
Teatro del Silenzio
In 2006, Bocelli influenced the municipality of his hometown Lajatico to build an outdoor theatre, the "Teatro del Silenzio".Bocelli serves as its honorary president and performs for one night only, every July, the rest of the year, the theatre remains silent.Since the opening in 2006, Bocelli has held 5 concerts, in every July, with guests ranging from opera singers Plácido Domingo and José Carreras to classical crossover artists Sarah Brightman and Katherine Jenkins, as well as Italian rock and pop stars Zucchero, Laura Pausini, and Elisa. Bocelli's guests have also included instrumentalists Lang Lang, Chris Botti, and Kenny G. The 2007 edition of the "Teatro del Silenzio" was released on DVD in 2008.
Discography
Albums
Studio albums
Compilation albums
| Collaborative albums
Complete opera recordings
Digital albums
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Singles
Duet singles
| Solo singles
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Live albums & videos
- 1998: A Night in Tuscany
- 2000: Sacred Arias: The Home Video
- 2002: Tuscan Skies (Cieli di Toscana)
- 2006: Credo: John Paul II
- 2006: Under the Desert Sky
- 2008: Vivere Live in Tuscany
- 2008: Incanto The Documentary
- 2009: My Christmas Special
Bibliography
- 2000: The Music of Silence: A Memoir (La musica del silenzio) - Autobiography
- 2010: The Music of Silence: A Memoir - Reworked autobiography
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