Review: Andrea Bocelli and his children deliver engaging show at Nationwide Arena

Andrea Bocelli is practically a household name and arguably the best-known living classical tenor, and with good reason. His musicianship is solid, his repertoire is engaging, and his attitude is humble. He brings the glamour of opera to an unpretentious, approachable level.

A crowd turned out in force to hear Bocelli and special guests Thursday night at Nationwide Arena. It didn’t matter that that crowd was mostly older adults—if the seating wasn’t sold out, it was very close, and that audience cheered fervently after every song.

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Although Bocelli is often referred to as a pop-opera singer, he still has (and has always had) the musical chops to do justice to operatic arias. His voice may not carry the heft and melodrama of traditional Verdi tenors, but it hardly matters. He has elegance and modesty that endear him to even more listeners.

At this point, he’s so seasoned in this repertoire that he could probably sing most of these arias in his sleep. “La Donna e mobile” is a great opener—quick, charming and not too demanding on the voice. Then, he picks up the drama little by little: A feisty delivery of “Di quella pira” from "Il Trovatore," then, from "Andrea Chenier," the passionate “Come un bel di di maggio,” and a heavy, tragic “Vicino a te” with soprano Larisa Martinez.

Capitalizing on Martinez’s stylistic range, the two captured Puccini’s starry-eyed lovers and soaring unisons beautifully in “O soave fanciulla” from "La Boheme." Martinez’s voice sparkled in the famous brindisi from "La Traviata," although the chosen tempo was a little too fast for Bocelli to handle nimbly.

The Columbus Symphony, led by guest conductor Steven Mercurio, was well-prepared and vibrant. Whether opening the concert with a spirited romp through Mozart’s Overture to "Le nozze di Figaro," dancing through the famous Farandole from Bizet’s "L’Arlesienne Suite No. 2," or accompanying the singers, they were a fine foundation for the concert. Likewise, the Columbus Symphony Chorus was well-balanced and impeccable in technique.

As polished as their performance was, though, the orchestra and chorus often sounded anemic. Classical music, and especially operatic music, was never meant to be amplified, and the arena setting did no favors to their hard work, no matter how good the sound engineers were.

The second half of the program brought some traditional Christmas carols and other holiday favorites. But the holidays are also about family, and this tour is no exception.

Bocelli brought out his 10-year-old daughter, Virginia, first, to sing Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” While the original is dark, sardonic and broken, it's usually covered as a more reverent piece, and that approach worked here. Virginia earned a solid standing ovation and continued with “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

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It's refreshing to hear a child sing naturally, developing a technique that can carry her a lifetime, instead of hearing a contrived, mature, pop-star sound. Virginia may be only 10 years old, but she’s well on her way to being a great singer someday.

Bocelli's son, Matteo, joined them, the trio presenting inspiring arrangements of “The Greatest Gift” and “Do You Hear What I Hear?”

Matteo has the pop version of his father’s voice, and he uses it to great advantage. When he sat down at the piano to sing John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over),” his candor silenced the room. He was equally authentic with “Fall On Me,” which he co-wrote in 2018. And when he and his father sang an arrangement of Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” to close the show, their voices fit together marvelously.

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Of course, there’s no Andrea Bocelli without his signature “Con te partiro.” The song’s popularity stems from the fact that he inhabits it like no other. Is it his most technically immaculate singing? No—and that's the sheer beauty of it. Sometimes, the everyday offers so much more than the fairy tale. Or sometimes the everyday is the fairy tale, and that’s one of the biggest messages he passed down to Columbus Thursday night.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Andrea Bocelli and children deliver elegant show at Nationwide Arena