Andrea Bocelli: A Night in Tuscany (1998 Video) User Reviews

Beautiful Concert, Easy On The Ears

[ccthemovieman-1 · 10/10 · 21 June 2006]

This was the first, and probably still the best, of the Andrea Bocelli concerts on DVD. I have seen several others since and none compares. Not being a fan of "opera," the fact I rated this a "10" the first time I saw it and it remains such, is a tribute to how good a singer this man is, and how beautifully filmed is this concert.

Bocelli has the most pleasing-best voice I have ever heard and even though I don't understand Italian, just listening to him is pure pleasure. The concert setting, in a town square in Tuscany, is reminiscent of Yanni's Acropolis concert, with multi-colored lights used on the background buildings. It's very appealing, and the more I watch this the more impressed I am with the camera-work. That also includes a couple of videos interspersed during the concert and a portrait of Andrea's town and of his immediate family.

As a novice to this music genre like me becomes more familiar with these beautiful songs, the better they sound and quickly become favorites. Bocelli has three guests during the concert: one of which has become quite famous in her own right since this appearance: Sarah Brightman. Also joining the famous Italian tenor with a few duets are Nuccia Focile (a little too soprano-ish for me) and Zucchero, who reminded me (with a better voice) of Joe Cocker. One of the videos is also a duet, with Bocelli and Marta Sanchez, a pretty woman with a nice voice. The scenery in that video is really nice, too.

Caruso, Pavaratti and others may be more famous and technically superior but this guy is the easiest on the ears. When you want to relax with beautiful music and great concert, you cannot beat this DVD.

Musical ecstasy

[Raisin_Picker · 10/10 · 3 December 2006]

Early in Bocelli's career I wasn't terribly impressed with him, I don't know if it's because his vocal prowess has grown over the years, or if I were simply guilty of not paying it the requisite attention.

Watching "A Night in Tuscany" had a profound effect on me from the very moment the performance began. It's unusual to see a performance begun with Nessun Dorma, which is usually reserved for the finale, but it certainly served as terrific means of locking my attention to him and the music from the moment the show began. During his performance of Dorma, and the following performance of La Donna e Mobile, I was entranced. His voice was alternately supremely powerful and light enough to float on air.

I can't recall a vocal performance ever bringing tears to my eyes so quickly, so IMMEDIATELY.

What a triumph.

I'm ashamed I ever disregarded his talent even for a moment.

Beautiful setting as well, in the middle of the historic town.

I can't imagine anyone being disappointed in any way with this magnificent demonstration.

Pure Kitsch, I can only conclude that you have no ear for vocal talent. To call his high notes "strained" is flat-out jaw-dropping. Whether belting out the note or allowing it to softly float on the air, his high notes were the most impressive part of the performance. The fact that Luciano Pavarotti completely agrees with this assessment is beside the point, but true nonetheless.

I have perfect pitch and the slightest deviation from the tone is like fingernails on a chalk board for me. Bocelli is in tone center.

Magical. Every time I watch it I hear and see more of the extraordinary beauty & talent of this man's voice

[rdnberg · 10/10 · 5 April 1999]

What God may have seen when he deprived Andrea of his sight was the opportunity to give the world a voice that is not only as close to perfection as one could conceive, but the exhilarating joy that Bocelli expresses and in turn infuses us with while sharing his amazing talent that is both thrilling and inspiring to anyone who stops to listen and be forever captivated.

Stress Reducer

[Gin-7 · 10/10 · 24 June 1999]

I recommend this video to anyone who needs a relaxing evening. Bocelli's voice has a quality hard to define. Maybe like soul-to-soul contact. I purchased two videos because I knew I would wear one out. Bravo Andrea

Beautific & thrilling music to sooth the soul.

[bavaro · 6 December 1998]

Beautific and thrilling music to soothe the soul. Something truly extraordinary and transcendant.

Absolute heaven, both on the eyes and the ears

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 24 April 2012]

I have always loved opera, even from an early age. I loved Andrea Bocelli: A Night in Tuscany DVD, it is beautifully photographed and the Tuscan scenery makes you wish you were there, it certainly did with me. The sound is mostly of sumptuous quality, elevating the music to a higher level. And what music it is, Verdi, Puccini and Cilea as well as some pop and Italian songs, with some chocolate and wine this is a perfect way to unwind after a hard day. All of the music is powerfully and sensitively accompanied. With the performances I'll start with the guest performances before going on to Bocelli.

My favourite renditions of the DVD were It's Time to Say Goodbye in a beautifully blended rendition with Bocelli and Sarah Brightman, who I think is right in her comfort zone(there have been other times other than here where her vibrato for my tastes can get excessive)here, Caruso with lyrics that really struck me with how sincere they were, the heartwarming Romanza and the very interesting Viva Por Ella. Plus the Misere with Zucchero was so much better than expected, considering how the two have such different timbres and I thought it wouldn't work, and it did. Nuccia Focile has a beautiful soprano voice and judging by her singing O Soave Fanciulla from La Boheme and Brindisi from La Traviata I certainly wouldn't mind seeing her Mimi and Violetta on an opera stage.

But the main draw is Bocelli. He is not one of my absolute favourite singers in the whole world, but I do think the dislike(sometimes even vitriol, calling him "terrible" and comparing him to tenors like Pavarotti who have been in the business for 30+ years), while some valid(like in regard his vocal size) does verge on unfair and immature. Despite seeing and being surprised actually by his Rodolfo opposite Daniela Dessi, do I see him singing big tenor roles like Manrico(Il Trovatore) at somewhere like the Met? No, probably not? Do I think he is talented? Yes, absolutely. There is no doubt he can sing, the voice is distinctive and has a very beautiful tone. And I have often been moved by his performances, especially his rendition of The Prayer and his duet with Katherine Jenkins on Strictly Come Dancing.

Here throughout he sings wonderfully, La Donna E Mobile is good and stylishly phrased but it is the songs and arias that show off his sensitivity where Bocelli excels especially E Lucevan E Le Stelle and Caruso. Torna E Surriento and O Sole Mio are also quintessentially Italian. Nessun Dorma is usually an aria I hear at the end of a concert and as an encore piece, but I didn't object to it starting Andrea Bocelli: A Night in Tuscanny. Bocelli does do a valiant job with it(blows Paul Potts' decently sung but passionless rendition out the water), even with some slight strain at the start, but again it doesn't show off his sensitivity and passion like E Lucevan E Le Stelle for example does.

Overall, heavenly. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Superb

[acetylcholinenjoyer · 10/10 · 9 February 2012]

First of all, I have to say that I consider Andrea Boccelli to be one of the best singers in the world, so, I was expecting this to be incredibly good, but it turned out to be even better than I was expecting.

Andrea Boccelli has a unique, heavenly voice, and all his songs are beautiful. Even when I'm not very much into opera, I appreciate the incredible beauty and emotion that Boccelli puts in every single one of his songs, specially in this concert.

I think that this concert will be the perfect opportunity to introduce Andrea Boccelli to anyone who never heard about him or any of his wonderful songs. It is a wonderful experience, and I highly recommend it to everyone

The Best Album for newcomers to Opera

[epibee · 7/10 · 29 July 2007]

The most important aspect of this album is Andrea Bocelli's voice. He is not a great singer of Opera, but his voice is full of 'appeal' (that is the best word I can find) and has an intense calming effect on the listener.

On the down side, his voice loses smoothness at the extremities, and his tempo is not uniform, especially when the crowd applause, but his songs never lose the sweetness, and are very entertaining to listen to throughout the album just because of the passion in his voice.

Considering the fact that he cannot see the conductor or read the notes, (he does not even know how far he is from the microphone) the listener should not expect a great opera experience, but whatever he delivers, surpasses my expectations by far.

I should recommend this album for people who are more used to pop crossover or are being newly introduced to opera. But even seasoned listeners should find this album beautiful, because not all beautiful things are always perfect.

pure kitsch

[old0o0o0 · 1/10 · 4 December 2003]

Bocelli's attempts at opera are painful. His voice is too small for arias like Nessun Dorma, which results in strain high notes, which in turn results in loss of pitch. Opera fans should avoid him like the plague. However, he does have a fine, pretty voice suited to kitschy, lush pop, if you like that kind of stuff.

BB&T Valentine's Day Concert 2022

[deboraharmenta · 1/10 · 17 February 2022]

The worst concert!! A sports arena, really??? We bought expensive floor tickets thinking it would enhance our experience...not! We had to sit in folded chairs and were packed in like sardines! The acoustics were horrible! Why would an opera singer book a performance at a sports arena??? Greed! It's obvious he, and his managers are driven by profit at the expense of his fans. I even had my doubts his singing was real??? Hauling out his children to sing was shameless - he's obviously exploiting them to keep the family money running in. Maybe he was more gracious at the beginning of his career?? Such a shame - I'll have to find another opera singer to admire.

garbage for the musically illiterate

[alcina63 · 1/10 · 31 March 2010]

It is a shame that a generation will think that this is what an operatic tenor should sound like. Jussi Bjorling must be rolling over in his grave. Had he stayed within his vocal range, Bocelli could have been a good light tenor. Maybe he could sign Mozart well. But hearing him butcher Verdi and Pucccini is painful. I just hope that those who champion Bocelli will move on to current great tenors like Juan Diego Florez, Ramon Vargas, and Rolando Villazon.

Bocelli's influence is even worse than his singing. I understand that he is not actually an opera singer, and that he brings a pop sensibility to classical music. I understand that he just wants to evoke the sound of opera for pop fans who would not otherwise care about classical singing. This would be fine, had his fans been so moved by his singing that they went on to explore the world of opera. Instead, sales of pop-classical-crossover like Il Divo have surged, and great artists like Villazon remain unappreciated. It's sad.