- Washington, DC: Just Another
Concert?
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- At
some point, any fan who has followed Andrea Bocelli for a length
of time might question the necessity (and expense) of seeing yet
another live concert. The venues are vast, the acoustics less than
perfect, the repertoire seems somewhat predictable, people mill
about annoyingly with overstuffed bags of popcorn or gooey trays
of nachos, and ballcap-clad vendors hawk their wares with
bellowing shouts of (I swear) “Five minutes to get your cold
wine here!” What’s the point? Yet, somehow we seem incapable
of resisting still another opportunity to hear this man reach out
to us with a tangible presence, and at that inevitable ultimate
moment of glory when Andrea sings the last victorious note of his
final encore, the roar of applause is making your ears ring, and
you glow with the electric exuberance of knowing him through the
singular power and beauty of his voice LIVE—all doubts about why
you came—yet again—melt away.
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- With
the exception of Central Park, the audience for the December 2
concert in Washington, DC, was as diverse as I have ever seen—young
and old; singles, couples, families; many nationalities and races.
Hey, even my Italian teacher Vanna, born in Napoli was there,
along with two of my classmates with their spouses. The moment he
appeared, the throng greeted Andrea with warmth and enthusiasm,
and throughout the performance the men grinned and applauded madly
as often as the women. Andrea seemed to feel the affection and
responded frequently with beaming smiles.
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- The
concert was a triumph from beginning to end. As usual, the first
half showcased Andrea’s classical side. Eugene Kohn, the
conductor for this tour, has formed a solid and amicable musical
partnership with Andrea. He kept the pace of the Washington
Festival Orchestra and the Choral Arts Society of Washington sharp,
disciplined, and crisp throughout. The triumphal march from Aida
set the celebratory tone of the evening, and the
William Tell
“Overture finale” was a playful interlude that I think kept
the guys in the audience happy.
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- A
new entry to Andrea’s classical concert repertoire this time was
Verdi’s “La mia letizia infondere,” remembered from his CD
of Verdi’s opera arias. The tried and true arias that form the
classical staple of his concerts are a bellwether of Andrea’s
vocal growth and well-being, and both “La donna è mobile” and
“Di quella pira,” challenging arias that hardly seemed taxing
to him in the least, revealed an easy agility and level of mastery
(e.g., wonderfully executed trills) that were a pleasure to hear.
He was in fine form. In fact, I’m convinced the tenor keeps
spare impressive high notes in the pocket of his tux—that
exceptionally classy and perfectly tailored one he debuted on this
tour, with the elegant and fashionably daring frog closure and
just a touch of satin at the cuffs. Said notes were liberally
sprinkled throughout the evening’s classical offerings and had
the appropriately intended thrilling effect.
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- Gounod’s
Romeo et Juliette obviously
looms large on Andrea’s horizon, and if the duet he sang with
Ana Maria Martinez is any indication, this will be an opera
performance to be treasured. “Nuit d’hymenée” communicates
the emotional intensity of young lovers and the despair of their
parting. Even before the final dramatic high notes of the aria
faded, they had ignited an ardent reaction from the audience. Ana
Maria is a vocal partner of long standing with Andrea and one with
obvious affection for him. The tenderness between them during the
duet “O soave fanciulla” was a delight to see, and the sweet
and close blend of their voices was an outright gift to us. She
shone in her solos—a wonderful “Bolero ‘Siciliana’ ”
from Verdi’s I Lombardi, filled with graceful trills that seemed effortless to
her, and a dramatic Spanish tango “El dia que me quieras” that
she delivered with flair. Moreover, my vote for best partner for
that inescapable encore “Con te partiro” is Ana Maria.
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- This
December 2011 tour covers five cities and partly reprises a taste
of the singular sensation of the Concert at Central Park. No fewer
than six of the songs in the program were drawn from this
repertoire, solidifying Andrea’s growing effort to communicate
in English to his American audiences. A particularly dynamic
element of this tour was the newly configured video backdrop
crafted by Ivano Berti and Paolo Marchetti. The giant screen that
hangs above the stage behind the performers is a new sort of
see-through technology that gives a dimensional quality to the
film sequences. Though it can sometimes cause momentary
schizophrenia to make the decision of whether to watch the
backdrop or the real deal, for me, it enhanced both the meaning
and the entertainment factor of the songs being performed. For
example, who could resist the appeal of seeing clips of the shaggy
young Andrea in la Bohème while
the currently suave 53-year-old duets with Ana Maria in “O soave
fanciulla”?! Other successful moments—the flames that licked
at the margins of mood-setting castle images during “Di quella
pira,” a collage of clips from the classic Zeffirelli production
of the movie of the famous star-crossed lovers that enlivened the
duet from Romeo and Juliet, charming vintage black-and-white
street scenes from old Napoli that brought “Funiculì, funiculà”
to life, highlights of AB in New York and that now historic
star-studded Central Park concert, and the shimmering rainbow
colors that brought extra magic to Heather Headley’s rendition
of “Over the Rainbow.” But most spectacular was the sequence
of images accompanying “Volare” (Italian for “to fly” in
case anyone in the audience missed the obvious connection to the
filmed backdrop) that ranged from John F. Kennedy’s announcement
to begin the race to the moon, to the first steps of a man on said
lunar landscape, to old-time stunt flying, and a grand finale of
the stupefying, death-defying escapade of that handsome daredevil
from Lajatico himself, Andrea’s sky-dive!
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- Opening
the program’s second half was the lively orchestral interlude of
Von Suppé’s “Poet and Peasant Overture.” But when Andrea
took center stage once more, the orchestra sounded a single note
to accompany the clarion ring of his powerfully simple opening
melodic line: “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound…” Andrea
and this song are a match made in heaven. Hearing from him the
words “I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind but now I
see,” somehow clarifies what sight truly means. He sings what he
believes, and the urgency of his faith infused in that simple and
compelling melody washed over us like a blessing. The emotional
power of his voice triggered an irresistible response in the more
than 12,000 listeners who instantly surged as one to their feet in
grateful applause when he had finished. It was a moment for
keeping.
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- At
Andrea’s concerts, it isn’t surprising to hear the crowd
respond to the first familiar strains of a beloved melody with
gusto, but it did seem a bit odd this time when that song was
Schubert’s sacred aria “Ave Maria,” which I somehow never
thought of as an oldie but goodie. This piece and “Adeste
fidelis” were the tenor’s nod to the Christmas season. When
Andrea offers this sacred music, his reverently erect stance
reflects the ardent fervor he seals within the gift of his song.
No matter that we have heard him sing them before—each time we
feel and benefit from the honesty of his prayerful offering, this
time underscored by the added treat of his own flute accompaniment.
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- Midway
through the evening’s second half, Andrea took the mike to note,
first, that he was shy and then to add that he
didn’t have enough words in his English vocabulary to thank his
audiences in the U.S. for all the affection that they gave to him
and that if he tried to do it in Italian, it would then be
difficult for us (impish
smile). But, he said,
he could sing, and would
do his best. His gesture to communicate was warmly acknowledged by
the audience.
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- We
learned at this concert that Andrea has been holding out on us. It
turns out he could have been a contender in the hallowed annals of
the “spaghetti westerns”! Picture this. The set is dark. Enter
Andrea, stage right. Slowly, step by step, he dramatically makes
his way, alone, to a rendezvous with destiny at center stage . . .
showdown at the Verizon corral. Behind him on the big screen, the
same action is mirrored in iconic scenes with Charles Bronson from
the movie Once Upon a Time in the West, while the orchestra plays the first
haunting notes of Ennio Morricone’s score that introduce one of
the most melting love songs I have ever heard. It is an inspired
and irresistible Bocelli moment! Clearly, the tenor’s heart is
in the tender lyric of “Your Love”: “Your
strength has made me strong, Though life tore us apart. And now
when the night seems long, your love shines in my heart”—and
his voice shines in ours.
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- Heather
Headley is a two-time Tony Award winner, and her charismatic
presence coupled with a powerful and broad vocal range and
extraordinary improvisational gift tell you why. For this concert,
her duets with Andrea were “Canto della terra” and “Vivo per
lei” (as an encore). Between these two, there is a symbiotic
energy that conveys directly to the audience. I still marvel that
the master of “Di quella pira” can belt out a pop jewel like
“Vivo per lei” with such ease and command of the style, but I
think Heather contributes a share of inspiration to the chemistry.
Undeniably one of the high points of the show was her distinctive
signature rendition of “Over the Rainbow.” Though it has been
sung by countless voices for decades, I guarantee you have never
heard it sung with both the passion and the unique improvisational
vocal flourishes she summons while maintaining the true heart of
this classic. She justly earned a decidedly enthusiastic ovation
for her performance.
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- Toward
the evening’s end, Maestro Kohn orchestrated a unique
Washington, DC, surprise for Andrea. He was given the pleasant
task of reading a declaration proposed by Congressman Robert A.
Brady of Pennsylvania from the floor of the House of
Representatives to honor Andrea’s artistic accomplishments and
contributions to Italian–American relations. The reading brought
a broad smile to Andrea’s face but also a predictable gesture of
humble protest for something that seemed to him too much of a
boast on his behalf. Leave it to our tenor to manage to inspire
our woefully gridlocked legislative branch to achieve one of the
rare instances of positive action for the year!
- Wonderful
big band arrangements of “More” and “Volare” showcased
Andrea’s growing mastery of English lyrics and increasing claim
to the title “showman.” The entire ensemble seemed to enjoy
the relaxing pace of these standard tunes. The sunny “O sole mio”
always makes me feel as if I am basking in the warm embrace of
Italian heritage. I never tire of hearing Andrea’s beautiful
tenor voice warp itself around this traditional melody. Too soon,
“Canto della terra” signaled the evening’s “official”
final song. But no one was even close to being ready to say
good-bye, including Andrea. There were four encores: the true
oldie but goodie “Vivo per lei,” the raucously joyful
“Funiculì, funiculà,” an
exuberant “New York, New York” (which Andrea claims more
certainly for his own every time he sings it!), and the essential
“Time to say good-bye.” And then? Only God knows—seriously—from
what mysterious well of reserves Andrea summoned the energy to
sing the challenging “Nessun Dorma” after the vocal
pyrotechnics he had already shot into the stratosphere in the
course of the evening. But he reserved this last brilliantly
shimmering burst of tenorial glory for last. After the steadily
increasing volume of each succeeding ovation from the audience
begging for just one more
parting gift from Andrea, it would seem impossible to open the
floodgates any louder, but the response to his final victorious
“vincero” was deafening, our ears were ringing, the persistent
whoops and hollers and whistles were ear-splitting, and the
gratitude for having this brilliant moment to share was written on
the thousands of grinning faces surrounding us.
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- So,
another concert was over. Since that very first one, at this same
arena in 1998, we have stopped counting the times we have shared
with Andrea. Do we really
need to go again? … Does the heart need music? Does the soul
need beauty? For as long as you are singing, Maestro, we hope we
will have the singular joy of being there to hear you.
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- by
Cami McNamee
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