# Andrea Bocelli sings Elmo to sleep: What opera is the song based on? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 27, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrea-bocelli-sings-elmo-to-sleep-what-opera-is-the-song-based-on/497833 "2009-05-27T19:15:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrea-bocelli-sings-elmo-to-sleep-what-opera-is-the-song-based-on/497833/1 "2009-05-27T19:15:53Z")
In this [Sesame Street clip](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgUnYzXU-Fo&feature=related), Andrea Bocelli sings Elmo to sleep. What aria is the song based on? It’s familiar, but I can’t place it. ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrea-bocelli-sings-elmo-to-sleep-what-opera-is-the-song-based-on/497833/2 "2009-05-27T19:22:31Z")
[Con te Partiro](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Con_te_Partiro). ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrea-bocelli-sings-elmo-to-sleep-what-opera-is-the-song-based-on/497833/3 "2009-05-27T19:48:38Z")
so, not opera then? I must have just picked it up from the radio or something. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrea-bocelli-sings-elmo-to-sleep-what-opera-is-the-song-based-on/497833/4 "2009-05-27T20:46:51Z")
More likely, you heard it as [background music](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=512966) in a restaurant or other public venue. ---
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2009, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrea-bocelli-sings-elmo-to-sleep-what-opera-is-the-song-based-on/497833/5 "2009-05-28T03:05:05Z")
OMG! I’ve been looking to find out what this music is for years. I’ve never known enough about it to even start to ask what it is as I couldn’t describe it. Thanks to both of you. A lot. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2009, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrea-bocelli-sings-elmo-to-sleep-what-opera-is-the-song-based-on/497833/6 "2009-05-28T06:58:26Z")
My mother once saw Andrea Bocelli on TV, and said, “He’s got a nice voice, but he should open his eyes so people don’t think he’s blind.” ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrea-bocelli-sings-elmo-to-sleep-what-opera-is-the-song-based-on/497833/7 "2009-05-29T17:19:55Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > My mother once saw Andrea Bocelli on TV, and said, “He’s got a nice voice, but he should open his eyes so people don’t think he’s blind.” Hah. The first time I ever saw him was on TV for a Pavarotti tribute concert shortly after he (Pavarotti) died. I said to my roommate, “he’s got a nice voice, but his stage presence is awful; he’s just kind of staring at the ground the whole time.” “Dude, he’s blind!” “Oooooooh!”