“If God had a singing voice, he would sound a lot like Andrea Bocelli,” once opined Céline Dion. She has a point. Seeing the great tenor in concert is like being visited by an evangelical emissary.
Bocelli, at the age of 61, has risen to become the undisputed classical heavyweight of the world. He’s the man on speed-dial if a special performance for a President, Pope, royal family, Olympic ceremony or World Cup is required.
To ascend to this position, it helps if you are a genre-straddling ‘crossover’ artist. This results in Glasgow’s 12,000-seater SSE Hydro being the centre of a Venn diagram. On one side classical purists who wouldn’t usually go to an arena gig, on the other, pop fans on the other who might not normally go to a concert where over 80 per cent of the lyrics are in a foreign language.
Formidable accompaniment is provided by the flawless Royal Philharmonic, joined by the Edinburgh Choral Union and the Glasgow Chamber Choir. There is also a merry-go-round of soloists plus a couple of lithe dancers.
But front and centre is Bocelli, a font of Tuscan charm, oozing effortless style and irresistible magnetism.
The first act is dominated by respectful renditions of pieces from the likes of Verdi and Puccini. A standard rhythm is set. Bocelli sings a couple of songs then gives the stage over to soloists. Soprano Maria Aleida hits the highest of frequencies in The Doll Aria from Les Contes d’Hoffman; Andrea Griminelli toots tunes from Ennio Morricone’s most memorable spaghetti western scores.
