Andrea Bocelli: A Celebration [Paperback]

Antonia Felix (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2001

Like a force of nature, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli has soared to stardom and the top of the music charts with a voice that thrills the soul. Tuscany's most exciting and beloved export since Luciano Pavarotti is a phenomenon with an astonishing 30 million CDs sold, two World Music Awards, best-selling albums of both popular and classical romantic songs, and wildly popular sellout concerts on nearly every continent.

Andrea Bocelli: A Celebration reveals the entire story behind the man with a voice that the Washington Post describes as "radiant . . . with a soulful purity that is absolutely mesmerizing." This detailed biography chronicles the singer's childhood in the Tuscan countryside, his early ambitions and passion for singing, the disease and accident that caused his blindness at age twelve, the uncompromising philosophy of his strong and loving family, the Italian musical legacy that has shaped him, and the spiritual beliefs that sustain him. It is the story of one unique celebrity's step-by-step transformation from lawyer to piano lounge singer to greatest crossover artist of all time.

Lavishly illustrated, this book contains never-before-published photographs from the Bocelli family album and scores of photographs that depict every stage of Andrea Bocelli's career. Based on original interviews with family members, the mayor of his hometown, and several of the singer's closest colleagues-including conductors and costars who have performed with him extensively-author Antonia Felix weaves a fascinating portrayal of a compelling performer and remarkable human being.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

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 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"'Dear Zucchero, sing your song "Miserere" with Andrea Bocelli since there is nobody better than him.'" - Luciano Pavarotti introducing Andrea Bocelli at the Pavarotti International, 1995.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (November 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031226710X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312267100
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,682,936 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You'll Want This Book on Your Coffee Table, January 8, 2000

By 

Lisa L. Dodd - See all my reviews

This review is from: Andrea Bocelli: A Celebration (Hardcover)

"I fell in love with him when I heard him sing." That's what Andrea Bocelli's wife, Enrica, later said of the night they met. It appears that millions of people all over the world are saying the same thing.

Andrea Bocelli: A Celebration, by Antonia Felix, tells in captivating words and stunning photographs, of Bocelli's life-from his youth in idyllic Tuscany, through his roundabout route to phenomenal international success and popularity in both opera and pop music, to his hopes and ambitions for the future.

Andrea is the product of a loving and supportive family and community; to all appearances, he is carrying this thread into the next generation, as we see him now a devoted family man. For most, these two-successful career and happy family-would be evidence enough of a life well lived. But this man does much more. He trains and rides horses, skis, cycles, plays four musical instruments, speaks and sings in several languages, donates his time to charitable causes, and is academically trained as a lawyer.

The editorial review says, "(t)he tone throughout is...that of a glowing admiration for (the) subject" and that Ms. Felix "passes blithely over negative press accounts and the substance of their criticisms." Fair enough. Yet, why would one write a 215-page book about a living individual if one were not already an unapologetic admirer of her subject? For that matter, why else would anyone read such a book? This reader pleads guilty.

Edi Bocelli, Andrea's mother, tells with admirable stoicism how she supported him through his loss of sight-gradual at first, then sudden and final. She wanted him to be "a man, not a handicapped person." For those of us who never would have seen Andrea as handicapped, but simply accepted his blindness as part of the incredible package that this man is, it might prove saddening to read about the difficulties he endured as a child because of his eye problems. Yet, this, too, is undoubtedly part of the package; part of what makes Andrea who and what he is.

Andrea Bocelli is an example and an inspiration for all of us-those who sing, and those who don't; those who see, and those who don't; those who are fans, and those-if such a person still exists in civilized society-who aren't.

Another reader-reviewer has written that the book contains "very little information that has not already appeared in liner notes, journal/newspaper articles and been published on several websites." Perhaps not. But then, none of those will look as nice on your coffee table as Andrea Bocelli: A Celebration. I recommend it.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Insightful Portrait of An Amazing Man, November 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Andrea Bocelli: A Celebration (Hardcover)

As a new Bocelli fan, this book provides a great overview of the man and his music. The photos are wonderful - especially those of Bocelli's hometown. Antonia Felix has done a great job interviewing a wide array of Bocelli experts - from his parents to his conductors - and she captures his magic vividly.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent! Well written with great photos!, November 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Andrea Bocelli: A Celebration (Hardcover)

I truly enjoyed reading this fascinating biography of the man who has turned so many people on to classical music. The author, a professional singer herself, has approached this book with knowledge of the business, as well as respect for a person who has crossed almost insurmountable obstacles to achieve his life ambition. The personal interviews with family members, friends and colleagues, and the reviews and articles taken from other printed sources give a chronological account of the Italian tenor's amazing life. Fans and critics alike will enjoy reading this fun and informative book of the man that has so many people talking, and listening. It's a story that comes not only from the voice, but from the heart. I highly recommend it!