The first time I heard Andrea Bocelli I was standing in line at the register at Victoria’s Secret.  Say what you will, but I think they were brilliant to have played him in the states so early on in the beginning of the ’90’s.  I bought a CD for my mother as a Christmas present and, upon hearing him, she literally looked transported.  This was a woman who had studied the classics on the piano for more than two decades; she knew her music.  We even had a cat named Pavarotti.  However much like his namesake, I confess I found him to be fat and somewhat cantankerous, God bless him.  Mama loved The Three Tenors (Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, and Luciano Pavarotti) but NOTHING compared with this man.  His breath was effortless; his control impeccable.  Although able to hit high notes that can give one chills, his range is broad and he has a beautiful lower register.  I fell in love with him beyond measure and then I happened to catch his concert on PBS at the Roman Colosseum years ago.  My heart cracked looking at the beautiful, deep blue lights and realizing he could not see them.  He sang with his eyes closed and I found myself thinking what an incredibly handsome man he was.  When I learned he was coming back to Dallas I asked my husband if he would go.  I could not believe my beloved said yes without a trace of rancor.  Sadly, as important as music is to me, we pretty much have vastly divergent tastes.  And I consider myself to be well rounded — from Willie Nelson’s twangy Texas songs to Linda Ronstadt’s mariachi classics; from Guns N’ Roses’ heavy metal to old school disco.  I love Nat King Cole, Bette Midler, Latin Gregorian chants, and on my playlist is everything from Rihanna to Madonna.  I love Boston, Cheap Trick, Journey, Heart, and too many others to blather on about.  My beloved’s genre seems to pretty much encompass folksy ’70’s songs like “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” which is one of his favorites.  Other than a fairly recent night out to hear Tony Bennett, we had never been to another concert together and I was thrilled to be going.  Music for me is like breathing; it is an integral part of my life.  I spent my early years singing and it is a love that has remained deeply ingrained in my heart and soul.  At our wedding I had the Biebl version of “Ave Maria” sung (do yourself a favor and Google it; you won’t be sorry) but of course the Schubert version is the one most people are familiar with.  And NO ONE sings it like Andrea.  (Google that, too while you’re at it.)  Following in Pavarotti’s wake, Andrea Bocelli has also made famous opera arias crossover into the “popular;” my favorite being Turandot’s “Nessun Dorma.”  To hear him perform my two favorites of his live was so intense, so exquisite, so painfully beautiful; it was like a taste of heaven.  In his own words:

“Opera is complex for those who perform it, but also for those who listen to it.  It takes more time, more patience and more spirit of sacrifice.  All this is well worth it because opera offers such deep sensations that they will remain in a heart for a lifetime.” ~ the incomparable Andrea Bocelli