Andrea Bocelli's music has always been a part of my life, starting from when I was a young tot dancing around my room to "Time To Say Goodbye." It was a gift to receive such thoughtful answers from him to a series of interview questions I sent him via his staff.
1. What song, either that you have sung or have yet to sing, resonates with who you are and why?
To perform a song to the fullest and give it meaning and emotional depth, I have to fall in love with it first. It is only by doing so that the music can become deeply attuned to my sensitivity. If this doesn’t happen, I usually avoid singing it, partly because it would not be very credible. Therefore, the most honest answer I can give is that practically all the songs that I have in my repertoire and that I perform (live or in the recording studio) have this special characteristic, which is crucial to me so that I can convey the values that I feel and believe in through singing.
That said, I will happily mention a few tracks that are especially near and dear to me. For example, "My Way," a perfect song, with a melody that leaves its mark on the heart, not to mention a track that triggers a powerful process of identification, able to make the listener feel like the song is talking about them. In terms of the pop genre, I would also like to pay homage to "Time To Say Goodbye," a song that I never tire of singing, and that was significant in helping my career take off. In its own way, it is a classic, and I am overjoyed to have recently performed an updated version of it in a duet with my son Matteo (during The Oscars).
If the question also extends to opera, I will find it difficult to mention a selection, as it is extremely gratifying to perform the vast tenor repertoire, both Italian and otherwise. Opera is the paradise of music, and I am fortunate to be able to perform the role of the heroes of melodrama made unforgettable by the musical genius of composers such as Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, and Umberto Giordano. I am thinking of "Improvviso" from Andrea Chénier, "E lucevan le stelle" from Tosca, "Che gelida manina" from La Bohème, "Celeste Aida" from Aida, and "Nessun Dorma" from Turandot. The list is truly endless.
2. What do you find most valuable about being a famous tenor?
Being appreciated is a source of pleasure, I cannot deny that, but popularity in and of itself does not constitute merit and is always temporary. As I have always told my children, there are many ways you can be a great person without being famous. Indeed, fame, pursued to gain true human depth, can represent an obstacle because in that condition it is easier to lose touch with reality.
I am aware that I am indebted to the world around me. Quite frankly, I do not think that I deserve all that fate has granted me. My voice is a talent I have been gifted. If the timbre is pleasant and recognizable, I can claim no credit for it. I think that God has lent me a tool that allows me to express what I feel. I can merely credit myself with the perseverance and discipline I put in, in seeking to honor (and not waste) this talent.
3. What do you find hardest emotionally about being a famous tenor?
The more time passes, the greater the expectation of the audience and therefore the greater the responsibility not to disappoint them. It is a crescendo that has spanned many years, and that I have had to learn to live with. Being by nature an emotional person, even after a 30-year career, the first moments on stage are not easy. They are accompanied by a certain trepidation, precisely due to my desire to live up to the trust placed in me by those willing to spend time and money to listen to me. Returning to the concept of fame, I have always tried to keep my feet firmly on the ground, and I bear no illusions that success may smile upon me today and abandon me tomorrow. Fame is never a given. Sometimes, at my age, I question the meaning of a nonstop life, always in the spotlight, always under scrutiny, with so little time for family, friends, and the places I grew up in and miss. Yet the best response is always given to me by the audience, who show me their kindness and affection wherever I go and give me the strength to keep going.
4. What is your favorite sound and why?
My favorite sound is silence. Science has verified that this following expression is not just an alluring oxymoron: humans are actually able to perceive the sound of silence as an important building block of our auditory system. I have a solid, long-term relationship with silence. I frequent it because it induces reflection and makes you meditate on time and the seasons of life. If we talk to someone, half of our brain is busy working on our response. Only by keeping silent do we listen completely to our neighbor. I believe silence is the best tool for reflection and to be able to listen. I personally seek it mainly in the countryside, in contact with unspoiled nature. I find it highly restorative. Many treasures are hidden in silence, like in music, where the greatest energy often lies in its pauses.
5. If you could see one thing change about the world, what would you pick?
If I could, I would free human beings from the nagging concern of vanity. I would remove that foolish mistake that so many of us risk making, and that is to give in to the flattery of putting “I” in the place of God through what the ancient Greeks called "Hýbris," which means pride, arrogance, and vanity to be exact. It is vanity, in its many facets and implications, that is the real scourge because mankind believes they see their own power, their reason for being superior to others, through this false perception. Vanity, conceit, and pride are the virus that sets in motion wars and oppression. In fact, all the suffering and conflicts in society find their triggering force in this insane conceit.
6. Who do you look up to and why?
If I had to name someone, I think it would be Father Rick Frechette. He is making a difference for thousands of people through his constant and tireless work in Haiti (a country that knows no peace and has been experiencing a growing, dramatic emergency for too long). Father Rick is a doctor who gives Mass, a priest who heals the sick, and a visionary giant. He started by sheltering a dozen or so orphans 30 years ago. Today, in collaboration with the foundations that support his projects, he helps several thousands.
In actual fact, there are many people I admire from Pope Francis to the many nuns and priests (and also laymen and laywomen) who work, often in the shadows, having dedicated their lives to doing good and serving others.
