Andrea Bocelli Conquers St. Paul
Where do I begin. I'd just seen the Chicago concert the night
before! With hardly any sleep, I wondered if I'd be alert enough
to enjoy a concert I'd just seen the night before. Then the
concert began, and all my doubts were laid to rest. He was every
bit as fabulous as in Chicago. I knew he wasn't feeling his best
(at the Chicago reception, he told us he had "the bronchitis"),
but the power in that voice just leads me to wonder just how
spectacular he'd have been if he was feeling perfectly well! He
did omit 2 songs from the first half, but they didn't explain
why. Maybe they thought the show ran too long in Chicago, or
maybe he just wasn't up to doing the whole thing. But, he left
in the best ones, so I couldn't have been happier.
How this man can keep getting better and better is beyond me! I
guess it's not true that you can't improve on perfection. Since
every time I hear him, I think he can't possibly get any better,
and yet he does...each and every time. I think my favorite
number in this program is "Turiddu's Farewell." The emotion
Andrea evokes brought me to tears in both cities. In Chicago,
Steven introduced "Because," but in St. Paul, Andrea introduced
it himself. Speaking briefly about how he'd first heard this
number sung by Mario Lanza, then Franco Corelli, he would now
sing it in English, which he didn't think was very good, but
that he'd do his best! And as usual, his best was incredible!
When he sings that high note at the end, I realized I wasn't
breathing, and had to jump start my heart. Then we all leapt to
our feet when it was finished. The applause was thunderous,
though I think the Chicago audience was a lot more enthusiastic.
Again, "My Way" brought down the house, and this one was done
without any introduction this time. Steven just started the
orchestra playing the first few bars, and tossed this little
comment over his shoulder, "You'll know this one for sure". And
then, the song that I'll never again think of as Frank's had
begun! When you listen to the words, they're just so perfect for
Andrea...his trials, tribulations, and determination to achieve
in spite of them! One of the many things I admire about him. And
again he performed "E Manchi tu." Funny thing is, the first time
I heard this song performed, I didn't care much for it.
Now, when he sings it, I feel like it's become an old friend of
mine, and look forward to it's powerful build-up and ending. He
could sing any number from Cieli di Toscana as an encore,
and it would not disappoint, but this one is very special.
I know that Andrea has said he's pretty tired of singing "Con te
Partirò," but from this singing of it,
you sure wouldn't know it. Though there are many more numbers
I'd now prefer to hear, when you hear the crowd reaction, you
can see why he just can't leave it out yet. Maybe someday, but
not yet! There are still too many newbies at each concert, and
this is his trademark song for them, and they'd walk away
feeling cheated if he didn't treat them to it. And nobody should
(or ever does) walk away from an Andrea Bocelli concert feeling
cheated. In fact...does anyone walk away? Or do they all float
away like me? I'd bet the latter!!
Carole MacKay
- What a guy!! I feel so
fortunate that I have been able to see Andrea in
concert four times now, and each time is better than the
last!
Since my sister lives in the Minneapolis area (I live in
California), I decided I couldn't
resist this chance to see Andrea once again. So I flew 2000
miles for the weekend, and believe me I was not
disappointed. This man continues to
amaze me with his incredible voice. I heartily agree with
those who prefer this man's way of reaching the hearts of
his audience through his voice and not with dramatic
gestures and posturing on the stage. He brings us his humble
spirit, his ernest dedication to his art, and his desire to
entertain us. What more could we possibly ask for?
I won't go into the particulars of the evening's program, as
other have
already shared that. I was particularly impressed with the
extension and duration of the high notes, as in "Because." I
also enjoyed the interplay with Ana Maria during the segment
from Butterfly. And Andrea made us, the audience,
feel very special when he spoke a few words in an
introduction to the song "Because." When I heard the opening
strains to "Con Te Partirò," my heart
nearly stopped. I knew this was going to be the end, and I
didn't want it to end.
When the lights came back on and we knew Andrea would not
reappear, we made our way out of the arena. Once outside my
sister, my niece, a friend, and I
stood in the balmy air in front of the Xcel Center just
beaming, breathing in the ambience of
the experience we had just lived. Finally we couldn't put it
off any longer and made our way to the car. It was a
beautiful evening that I shall treasure forever.
Mary Kay - Los Angeles
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