Andrea Bocelli - Verdi

A fascinating release of this remarkable voice in some of the great operatic repertoire

View record and artist details

Record and Artist Details

Composer or Director: Giuseppe Verdi

Genre:

Vocal

Label: Philips

Magazine Review Date: 11/2000

Media Format: CD or Download

Media Runtime: 61

Mastering:

Stereo
DDD

Catalogue Number: 464 600-2PH

Tracks:

Composition	Artist Credit
(Il) trovatore, Movement: ~	Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Andrea Bocelli, Tenor Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Zubin Mehta, Conductor
Rigoletto, Movement: ~	Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Andrea Bocelli, Tenor Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Zubin Mehta, Conductor
Rigoletto, Movement: La donna è mobile	Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Andrea Bocelli, Tenor Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Zubin Mehta, Conductor
(Un) ballo in maschera, '(A) masked ball', Movement: ~	Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Andrea Bocelli, Tenor Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Zubin Mehta, Conductor
Aida, Movement: ~	Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Andrea Bocelli, Tenor Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Zubin Mehta, Conductor
(La) traviata, Movement: ~	Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Andrea Bocelli, Tenor Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Zubin Mehta, Conductor
(I) Lombardi alla prima crociata, Movement: ~	Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Andrea Bocelli, Tenor Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Zubin Mehta, Conductor
Ernani, Movement: ~	Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Andrea Bocelli, Tenor Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Zubin Mehta, Conductor
Don Carlo, Movement: ~	Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Andrea Bocelli, Tenor Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Zubin Mehta, Conductor
Luisa Miller, Movement: ~	Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Andrea Bocelli, Tenor Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Zubin Mehta, Conductor
(La) forza del destino, '(The) force of destiny', Movement: ~	Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Andrea Bocelli, Tenor Giuseppe Verdi, Composer Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Zubin Mehta, Conductor

Author: John Steane

The lirico-spinto repertoire of the tenor in Verdi is well represented here, the lirico part by arias from La traviata and Rigoletto, the spinto by (for instance) Manrico’s call to arms and the recitatives before ‘Quando le sere’ in Luisa Miller and ‘Io la vidi’ in Don Carlo. They are somewhat oddly ordered – the stretta in Il trovatore preceding its aria, the Duke’s famous song in Rigoletto separated from his aria and cabaletta by items from Un ballo in maschera, with no attention to chronology throughout – but it doesn’t greatly matter. The point is that we have some of the best singing within this repertoire recorded in recent years. Actually, the order does matter in as far as it probably supposes the tenor to be shown to best advantage in the opening number (which is the ‘Di quella pira’), whereas that is far from being so. In fact, the last item, the solo from La forza del destino, would have done that job far better. This shows well the individuality of timbre, the cleanness of style and the attentiveness to words and feeling, all of these qualities being present in a degree which clearly establishes the singer as an artist, one with a particular affinity for the Verdi line and its intensity of emotion.
To be sure, there are limits. In La forza he hardly makes a real and truly addressed prayer out of the ‘Leonora mia, soccorrimi’. His recitative, expressive as it is, doesn’t quite put the words to work (‘O rimembranza’). In La traviata it takes time before affection enters his voice, and when it does it hardly brings a smile with it. He sometimes gives the impression of having learnt a lesson too well, or of applying it too rigidly (the unvarying quavers in ‘Di tu se fedele’). But he has learnt. He lightens gracefully in both the Traviata and Ballo. He phrases well and often with remarkable breadth (as in ‘Celeste Aida’). Remarkably, too, his voice remains flexible (‘Celeste Aida’ again), although the characteristic tone is of that concentrated kind which can become rigid. The quality, timbre and power are still something of a puzzle and will probably remain so until one has had the experience of his singing live and unamplified. But the individuality of tone is welcome, as is its fine, unwavering definition. Orchestra and chorus perform well under Mehta, who quite probably strikes just the right balance of sympathy and authority to help Bocelli in this extension of his repertoire. It would be good to think that, in it, he has found his rightful artistic centre.'