The great Andrea Bocelli played the Hollywood Bowl May 9th and 10th.
Just two days before the first show Bocelli performed at the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. This has become an annual show, however it typically takes place in June. Bocelli’s last L.A. area show took place in December last year in Anaheim for his Christmas tour. This show was quite different from last years, but the first song Bocelli sang on which was Giuseppe Verdi’s “La donna e’ mobile,” following the orchestra and choir’s performance of the epic “O Fortuna” from Carmina Burana. Bocelli than sang Vedi’s “Di Quella pira” before walking off the stage. The first guest Nadine Sierra performed Giacomo Puccini’s “Chi il bel sogno di Doretta.” Bocelli returned for Umberto Giordano’s “Si, fui soldato.” This was followed by a duet with Bocelli and Sierra on Umberto’s “Vicini a te.” The next guest was Edward Parks who performed Puccini’s “Te Deum” and then a duet of George Bizet’s “Au fond du temple saint” with Bocelli. Sierra returned for a second duet with Bocelli which was Puccini’s “O soave fanciulla.” Both along with the orchestra closed out set one with Verdi’s “La traviata.”
Following intermission the orchestra played John William’s Harry Potter score of “Hedwig’s Theme.” This was followed by two songs of Bocelli with the choir. The next guest was Amy
Manford for “The Winner Takes it All by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. The next guest was Zucherro on Billy Preston’s “You Are so Beautiful.” Zucherro performed his own songs “Cosi Celeste” and “Miserere” with Bocelli. Sierra and Bocelli closed out the show with his world famous song “Con te partio.”
Bocelli has been awarded a Guinness World Record for his album Sacred Arias for simultaneously holding the top three spots on the U.S. Classical Albums chart, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and is a seven time World Music Award winner. Outside of music Bocelli has earned a law degree. Bocelli can sing in English, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin. Bocelli also had the best selling Classical album by a solo artist of all time with Sacred Arias. In 2020 Bocelli released his latest album Believe including covers of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” and “Amazing Grace,” with Allison Krauss.
