As the nights draw in, the rain lashes against the windows and winter finally takes a hold upon the country, do you really need any more of an excuse to close the curtains, sit back and relax whilst listening to Andrea Bocelli’s latest offering; Opera, The Ultimate Collection? Bocelli, who was blessed with one of the most unique, and instantly recognisable voices on the planet, has effortlessly carved out a career in both classical and popular genres. Along the way he has totally re-written music history by amassing worldwide sales of more than 60 million albums.
Opera, The Ultimate Collection is the long awaited follow up to Passione, which itself is one of the biggest selling albums by a classical artist ever. As you may have guessed from the title, the album sees the Italian tenor returning to his roots and selecting arias that he would sing in his pre-fame days; his personal collection.
Whilst arias like Vesti La Giubba and Amor Ti Vieta are not the most testing material for such a classical voice, Bocelli does bring a dramatic slow-burn to the more dynamic emotional profile of O Mio Rimorso. Elsewhere, his voice caresses beautifully O Soave Fanciulla, Di Quella Pira and Vesti La Giubba, and copes perfectly with duets with Bryn Terfel and Barbara Frittoli.
Audiences worldwide are enthralled by the warmth and commanding passion of Bocelli’s formidable voice, whilst at the same time being touched by his tender intimacy, together with his humble generosity with which he offers his special gift to the listening world. Now, with Opera, The Ultimate Collection, he presents a spectacular collection that combines 18 of his favourite arias as well as four exciting new tracks. Listening to this album we are allowed once again to celebrate the extraordinary talents of the man whom internationally-renowned music producer David Foster calls, “my favourite singer in the world”.
Highlight for me is the final track on the album on which Bocelli delivers a sublime interpretation of Nessun Dorma. This album is well worth the wait and is another must have from one of the greatest tenors in the world. If classical is your favourite genre of music, then this is an album not to be missed.
Our Rating: (4 / 5)