The great Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli has delighted and amazed audiences all over the globe with his stunning vocal performances. Now, a new musical release continues that tradition.
His latest album, “Believe,” showcases songs that have “inspired and sustained Bocelli over the years,” according to his publicity postings.
The songs on “Believe” include Bocelli’s rousing interpretation of the great Rodgers and Hammerstein “Carousel” tune, “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” as well as a never-before-heard track from composer Ennio Morricone.
“I think that this was the best moment for an album speaking to the spirit,” said Bocelli on Nov. 13 during the Facebook Live launch of “Believe,” which was broadcast around the globe from his home in Tuscany.
"Believe" by Andrea Bocelli. Decca Records
“There are many different kinds of music in this album,” he added. “We have music by Mozart, there is music by [Ennio] Morricone—somebody will remember that he wrote ‘Romanza’—and there is a song written by me,” said Bocelli humbly.
“Then there are also some songs that I sang in church when I was a child. In my small village, I sang these songs, and not very much in tune” back then, he added lightly.
Notably, during this most difficult year of COVID-19, quarantining, and social distancing, Bocelli addressed his choice of the great song “You’ll Never Walk Alone” for “Believe.”
“Many people know this song from the soccer,” he said (it’s the anthem for the Liverpool Football Club). “But in this case, the song has another completely different meaning for me,” said Bocelli. “In this album, it was important to have a song speaking to the people alone—just to say, ‘Nobody is alone. There is somebody with us who can help in every situation. So be positive. Be optimistic.’ This is the sense of the song for me in this context.”
“Amazing Grace” is another delightful surprise on this new album. To perform this well-loved Christian hymn, Bocelli collaborated with country singer Alison Krauss.
“Alison has a beautiful voice, very sweet—and also, she’s a very spiritual girl,” Bocelli said on Facebook Live about the Grammy-winning Krauss. “For this reason, I really wanted to have this singer next to me on this song.”
Bocelli said he loves all of the songs he selected for this album, for a variety of reasons.
“Some songs have a big value as compositions,” he said. “Others have a beautiful memory for me when I was a child. Every song is here in my heart.”
Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli sings during a rehearsal on a deserted Piazza del Duomo in central Milan on April 12, 2020, prior to a livestream performance during Italy's lockdown. PIERO CRUCIATTI/AFP via Getty Images
Bocelli noted earlier in a statement that “the concept behind ‘Believe’ is based on three words: faith, hope, and charity. These are the three theological virtues of Christianity, yet—quite independently of any religious belief—they are also the three extraordinary keys to giving meaning and completeness to the lives of every one of us.”
In an interview last year with The Epoch Times, Bocelli spoke of his deep faith and how it permeates his music. “The presence of our heavenly father can be felt by all of us, everywhere, and at all times in our lives,” he wrote via email. “God is the miracle of love, he is the source of all that is good, he is synonymous with true beauty and the driving force of life itself.”
He also said in that interview: “I personally try to honor the talent that I have been gifted. And when I sing, I can take no credit other than that of striving to live up to the instruments that God has given me. I always want to perform to the fullest, to live up to expectations (which increase as the years go by).”
Bocelli’s new album is currently the No. 1 bestseller in classical music on Amazon. It comes on the heels of his “Music for Hope” performance this past Easter at the Duomo cathedral in Milan, which millions of people around the world watched live. That event was one of the biggest live-streamed musical performances of all time.
Bocelli also has announced an upcoming holiday event, “Believe in Christmas,” which he is scheduled to perform live from Italy’s Teatro Regio di Parma opera house on Dec. 12. The ticketed event will be streamed to fans everywhere and will include musicians and special guests.
Andrea Bocelli has won scores of awards over the years and been nominated for many more. He is considered the biggest-selling singer in the history of classical music and is known as well for his crossover into pop.
Of the new album, “Believe,” one Amazon reviewer wrote, “The music is deeply spiritual and takes the listener to a place of beauty and peace, two things I believe most of us need right now. The music speaks of tenderness and faith in every selection.”
Another person shared this simple grace note: “Great music.”
Maureen Mackey, a contributor to The Epoch Times, Parade Magazine, and other publications, is a digital content executive, writer, and editor based in the New York City area. Find her on Twitter @maurmack.
