Karon Hagon
Described as one of the most beautiful voices in the world, Italian Tenor, Andrea Bocelli came to London last week for 2 live shows at the O2 Arena, supported by his son Matteo and with guests artists Beverley Knight, Sumi Jo and violist Anastasiya.
The show opened with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Crouch End Festival Chorus bringing the arena to life with the haunting “Va, pensiero’ (‘Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves) from ‘Nabucco’ by Verdi.”
The show was divided into two 45 minutes sections, the first half Bocelli performed such arias as Massenet’s O Souverain and Gounod’s Rome et Juliette, with the backdrop running clips of the original performances.
The special guests added depth and contrast to the whole show and enhanced with a different musicial experience.
The second half saw Bocelli tell the audience, “that it was difficult to be a father, especially to a son who wanted to be a singer,” as he went on to perform his number one single “Fall On Me,” with his son Matteo, from the Disney movie The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.
Bocelli was then given an award to celebrate that both single and album ‘Si’ are top of the charts in the UK, showing the vast amount of fan support he has.
“Con Te Partiro” echoed around the arena and sounded like not a minute of time had passed since it first became a worldwide hit, and of course the night wouldn’t have been complete if ”Nessum Dorma” hadn’t have been included, this was done with the help of all Bocelli’s guest who joined him on stage for the encore.
The show was emotional and moving, and even if you didn’t understand Italian, with the film clips, the expressions and feeling that went into every song you just knew everything that was being expressed. Added to the exceptional voice of Bocelli it left you breathless.
If you missed these shows there are already new shows announced for 2019, and go even if you are not sure if you like opera, Bocelli alone is worth it and it may give you and new appreciation for it.
