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Andrea Bocelli: A Celebration
Antonia Felix Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback  General
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ASIN: 031226710X |
Amazon.com
The phenomenal stardom of Andrea Bocelli is striking from several angles. Whether you're considering its implications for the record industry, for the role of crossover artists, or even for such larger--and perennial--issues as the gulf between "highbrow" and "lowbrow" culture, the sudden rise of this young Italian tenor seems to have an almost paradigmatic quality. Despite consistently dubious critical reception of the "classical" side of Bocelli's career--including a very insightful critique by Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times following the tenor's American operatic debut in November 1999--his fan base only continues to expand. And they are very loyal fans, indeed, who seem above all to respond to the naturalness of Bocelli's voice and approach to singing, whether of pop material (in Sogno) or of the classical favorites that are dearest to Bocelli himself (Sacred Arias or Aria: The Opera Album).Antonia Felix's book will certainly be of great appeal to those fans, with its attractively produced collage of text and photographs. While there aren't exactly any new revelations, Felix has culled together a number of sources to give us an intimate picture of Bocelli in his most important contexts. After a brief narrative of his childhood and the accident that accelerated his growing blindness, we learn of Bocelli's struggle between practical common sense (in the form of the law career he successfully began) and his dream of making a life centered on music. How the latter came to be--through Bocelli's beginnings as a casual lounge singer, his chance association with Italian pop artist Zucchero, and other similar encounters--has an almost fairy-tale aura in Felix's retelling. We also learn of the central importance of Bocelli's family life, his Catholic faith, and his philosophy of determined optimism.
Felix provides some background on Italian operatic tradition to help place Bocelli in cultural context. There are thumbnail sketches of such figures as Verdi and Puccini and discussions of their importance for Bocelli; readers unfamiliar with operatic history but attracted to this aspect of Bocelli's career will find them helpful. This isn't the kind of biography that gives all relevant perspectives: in her discussion of one pivotal moment of Bocelli's career--his performance in La Bohème in 1998--Felix blithely passes over the negative press accounts and the substance of their criticisms. The tone throughout is rather that of a glowing admiration for her subject. That said, Felix writes in lucid, unfussy journalistic prose, and though a more thorough consideration of the Bocelli phenomenon remains to be written, her portrayal will be of great interest to fans who know the singer only from his presence on disc. The book is beautifully produced and richly illustrated with black-and-white as well as color photos. --Thomas May
Book Description
Andrea Bocelli: A Celebration is the only illustrated biography of the blind tenor who has taken the music world by storm. Readers will learn of his struggle with blindness, his love of opera, and his discovery while singing in piano bars. This book is a must for every Bocelli fan.Customer Reviews:
Andrea Bocelli Fan.......2006-03-25
My recent purchase.......2006-03-10
The Man Behind The Voice of An Angel.......2002-07-22
The author, Ms. Felix, takes the reader on an interesting journey. Her writing style is very engaging and educational, especially for those new to classical music. From his birth with a rare form of congenital glaucoma, all the way to White House to sing for President Clinton, Andrea Bocelli's story has the aura of a fairy tale. But the author firmly grounds the reader in reality. Maestro Bocelli is now a famous man; however, we see his life before and after, and perhaps come away thinking that it couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
From his childhood in the hills of Tuscany, through his years in Pisa for law school, we see the struggle of a young man who never allowed his blindess to close his vision of the world. The author's recounting of his law school years, along with his early forays into piano bars, was very intriguing. The story how he met his wife, Enrica, will captivate the reader with its candor, along with his feelings after their first meeting. "When she touched my hand, I knew I had met the love of my life."
Many would say that Maestro Bocelli, a former public defender, was lucky to achieve his fame. One of his countless demo tapes fell into the hands of the manager of Italian pop vocal star, Zucchero, who was looking for a tenor to accompany him on a certain song called, "Miserere." His inital choice was Maestro Luciano Pavorotti, who after hearing the demo, could not believe it came from an unknown piano bar singer. In the end, the Maestro told him, "This guy Bocelli will sing it better than anyone." And with that endorsement, the path was paved for Andrea Bocelli to become a household name in Europe.
This is a very vivid tale about a determined man. The reader may get the impression that he would prefer to sing to his horse, Gisele, rather than combat his admitted stage fright in front of his passionate fans. Or perhaps take to the slopes with gold medalist, Alberto Tomba, who taught Maestro Bocelli how to ski. Or parachute out of a plane on a dare. But this is a rare man with a lifelong passion for singing, and the author paints a complete portrait of him. The reader will come away with an added respect for the man with the angelic voice.
Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.
Very well done.......2002-02-01
BOCELLI TOUCHES THE SOUL LIKE A GENTLE BREEZE IN SUMMER.......2001-07-05
There has been more than one book written on this extraordinary man; however, I found this one to be filled with more passion and exuberance than others. The reader will learn of Bocelli's faith, childhood, the accident which contributed to his blindness, his encounter with Zucchero (an extremely well-known Italian artist) and his rise to fame. The only flaws with the book are minor; while there are some coloured photographs, many are in black and white which rather distracted from the quality of the book. In addition, the author was rather vague in some parts, leaving the reader feeling that book is not entirely complete. However, the book is still an interesting account of how this talented artist achieved such acclaimed stardom and world-wide adoration.
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Andrea Bocelli: A Celebration
Antonia Felix Manufacturer: St Martins Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover ASIN: B000GR5GPQ |
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