Bocelli sings Verdi - SOUNDS FAMILIAR by Baby Gil

Andrea Bocelli is now fondly referred to as "the fourth tenor." This means that in the hierarchy of popular opera singers, he comes after the hugely successful trio of Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti, who in some instances are known as "the three tenors." That is quite a tall order for any tenor although Bocelli does seem to grow in artistry and technique with every new recording. And it is in this case that he seems to have managed to put one over his older peers because he has been recording one popular album after another and selling well.

Bocelli’s latest is the simply titled Verdi. This album is his tribute to the great Italian composer, who is famous the world over for his immortal operas like Otello, La Traviata, Rigoletto, Aida, Il Trovatore and many others. Verdi wrote many of his best arias for tenors and these were what Bocelli had to choose from when he decided to record this album. Now, although he has performed in some operas, Bocelli’s blindness keeps him from doing many of the available roles for tenors on stage. But that does not mean he cannot record them and this is what he does in Verdi.

This album gives listeners a showcase of what Bocelli is capable of as far as Verdi is concerned. Recorded at the Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv with the renowned Zubin Mehta as conductor, Bocelli here is Rada- mes in Aida with Se Quel Guerrier Io Fossi!… Celeste Aida; Alfredo in La Traviata with Lunge Da Lei… De’ Miei Bollenti Spiriti and Oh Mio Rimorso; Manrico in Il Trovatore with Di Quella Pira and Ah Si, Ben Mio, Riccardo in Un Ballo in Maschera with Mas Se m’e Forza Perderti and Di tu se Fedele; the Duke in Rigoletto with La Donna e Mobile, Ella Mi Fu Rapita! and Pssente Amor Mi Chiama, Don Alvaro in La Forza del Destino with La Vita e Inferno All’infelice; the title roles in Don Carlo with Io L’ho Perduta… Io la Vidi e and Ernani with Merce Diletti Amici…, Rodolfo in Luisa Miller, Oronte in I Lombardi with La Mia Letizia Infondere Vorrei.

Verdi wrote lyrically easy-to-follow melodies for his operas. His style makes this classical genre less forbidding. But while listening to his work is always a pleasure, the real joy in Verdi is Bocelli’s singing that seems to have grown smoother and more expressive than before. The tenor steps into each role with ease and conveys the nuances of each character with his skillful interpretation. It is truly no exaggeration to refer to him as the fourth tenor.

Still on opera sounds but this time laced with a lot of pop, the soundtrack of Pavarotti & Friends is now available. This is a yearly event that the famous tenor stages every year in his hometown in Modena, Italy for the benefit of needy children in various parts of the world. This year’s proceeds from concert tickets and album and video sales were earmarked for children in Cambodia and Tibet and the artists performed in the presence of the revered Dalai Lama.

The best thing there is in live-recorded concerts is that these albums usually yield tracks that would never have made it to the final line-up of songs in regular albums. In the case of this year’s edition of Pavarotti & Friends this is hearing George Michael sing the Depression-Era plaint Brother, Can You Spare a Dime or Luciano Pavarotti in a duet of O Sole Mio with the Australian duo Savage Garden or with pop/folk diva Tracy Chapman in Baby, Can I Hold You Tonight.

Come to think of it, Pavarotti does not have a single solo cut in the album but instead has duets with his guests. He also sings Cielito Lindo with Enrique Iglesias, There Must Be An Angel with the Eurythmics; Guarda Che Luna with Irene Grandi, You’ll Follow Me Down with Skunk Anansie, Agnus Dei with Monica Naranjo, Funiculi, Funicula with Aqua, Se e Vero Che Si Sei with Biagio Antonacci and Manha de Carnaval with Caetano Veloso.

There are also solo tracks by Iglesias, Be with You, the Eurythmics, I Saved the World Today, Chapman Telling Stories, Veloso, Desde Que o Samba e Samba, Zucchero, A Wonderful World, Anansie, Tracy’s Flaw, Savage Garden I Knew I Loved You and Aqua, Around the World.