I ask because, though Andrea Bocelli is Italian, and though he’s quite popular over here, “A prophet has no honor in his hometown.” Or something like that.
Furthermore, he’s sort-of gone pop, having recorded a few songs that border on being pop. That has to piss off opera purists to no end.
While at Epcot at Walt Disney World a coupla months ago, the Italy pavilion had Andrea Bocelli tunes (some of them in English) playing in the background. Of course, that may have just been pandering (because whom would the American tourists expect to hear at the Italy pavilion if not Andrea Bocelli?).
So how about it? Do the Italians like him? And while we’re on the subject, were (are) the Welsh pretty keen on Charlotte Church?
By the way, I think Bocelli started out as a pop singer in Italy before he went classical, and I don’t think opera purist care what he does, because opera purist don’t consider him an opera singer. More like a mediocre wannabe.
Opera types put him in the same vein as Charlotte Church. They wonder what the heck was Barbara Fritolli thinking when she recorded La Boheme with him.
My sense is that SERIOUS opera buffs in MOST countries don’t take Bocelli seriously at all, and many dislike him intensely. Even here in the U.S., reviewers have generally savaged his attempts at singing “real” opera.
The best comparison I can offer is this: Bocelli is to opera as Kenny G is to jazz. Both are immensely popular, far more popular commercially than almost every other artist in their genres. But real jazzbos detest Kenny G, and regard him as a lightweight playing watered-down jazz for the masses.
I guess poor Kenny and Andreas will have to console themselves with their gold records, sold-out stadiums, and millions of dollars!
The Methany essay is definitely worth reading. He was pretty benign about KG – he’s out of tune, has limited skills and uses a few tricks to engage the audience – until he recorded himself over a Louis Armstrong track (“What a Wonderful World” of all things).