Andrea Bocelli is about to take the stage at the Palau Sant Jordi for the second consecutive day. Fourteen thousand fans await him like a messiah. And like a rock star, with giant screens that evoke his beginnings in opera and generous amplification, the famous Italian tenor who was blind as a child due to congenital glaucoma bursts into singing “La donna è mobile.” The San Jordi audience vibrates. And he continues to do so with other arias such as “O soave fanciulla” and popular melodies: Granada, En Aranjuez con tu amor, etc. At 65 years old he continues to spread a crossover repertoire around the world, and now celebrating his three-decade career. There are nine million records sold and countless awards. In Barcelona he is accompanied – in addition to the soprano Cristina Pasaroiu as Maddalena and Mimì, and the singer-songwriter Givoanni Caccamo –, the Simfònica del Vallès and the 75-voice choir of the Associació Sardanista Polifònica i Cultural de Puig-reig, all directed by Carlo Bernini . In July, in his native Tuscan Lajatico he will celebrate his anniversary with figures such as Plácido Domingo and Josep Carreras. Bocelli welcomes La Vanguardia playing the flute and with his dog Ginebra, a small Italian greyhound that runs around Sant Jordi.
Would you say you get more nervous before singing in an opera house or a large stadium?
It all depends on how the voice is. If the voice is good, after so many years of career I have already achieved a certain peace of mind. At the beginning of my career it was more difficult for me, I was nervous every time I went on stage, whether it was for an opera or in a large venue.
But what mechanism do you follow to calm yourself when you are under pressure?
Calm is the virtue of the strong, it is said. I have tried to look for her over the years and, as she told him, the first few were really difficult. But now I am aware of my possibilities. I have studied a lot, and therefore, I know what to ask of my voice. So I’m pretty calm. I don’t do anything special before concerts, no superstitious rituals. Before the concert I vocalize, listen to music, read…
He is a believer, he likes to go to mass on Sundays, he has sung in the Vatican… What does religion mean in your life?
And among other things, I remember a beautiful concert I gave a few years ago at the Sagrada Familia. I believe that life without faith would be like a practical joke of fate. There are only two paths: either there is God or there is chance. But how do you believe in chance in life? Life, whatever it may be, even that of a flower, an animal, ours… is a creation so perfect, so brilliant, that assigning it to chance would be a losing bet.
Theirs is an unprecedented success: the three tenors in one. Do you think his career would have been the same without that media phenomenon of the 90s?
Don’t know. History cannot be written according to “if”. The three tenors and the rest have contributed their part to the history of opera and theater, and they have helped me. But what would have become of me without them, I don’t know.
Did they inspire you?
All the great singers of the past have inspired me, those who have left memorable recordings, from Caruso to Del Monaco, Pertile, Corelli, maestro Pavarotti, Domingo… all of them.
On his latest album, A Family Christmas, his own son collaborates. Is your favorite album of hers always her latest?
Depends. There are times for each type of music, there are days when I prefer one thing over another.
What do you enjoy more, a pop collaboration with Paula Pausini or with Aida Garifullina?
They are different things. They are both dear friends, very nice girls with whom I have connected from the beginning. For me, opera has always been my great passion. My true love for music has been generated through opera. For this reason, my collaboration with great artists like Aida Garifullina or Nadine Sierra and the rest of the artists are moments that I will not forget.
In a space like Sant Jordi, how do you study acoustics?
My only and main concern is to arrive in good shape, healthy and with my voice ready. The rest is up to the engineer.
It doesn’t get into the amplification issue…
No, because, unfortunately, amplification is something that detracts from the voice. If the amplification is good, remove less, if not, remove more.
Have you ever been tempted to use autotune?
No. One, because fortunately I don’t need it. And two, because the voice is not natural, it is altered.
He is an influential person. Have politicians asked you to participate in politics?
Yes, I have been sought out often, but to be frank, I am not cut out for politics. Although I am passionate about all the events in my country and not just my country. But politics and I have nothing to do with each other. I have not been affiliated with any party and have never actively participated.
He likes chess. Is he a good strategist?
I played when I was little and at a beginner level it was not bad. I left it for 40 years and when I discovered the possibility of playing online, I understood that it could be a good way to fill the wait in dressing rooms and hotels. I’m a terrible player.
He likes to ride horses. Does he still do it?
Yes, since I was a child it is a passion that right now we could call addiction, because at my age it is dangerous. But the great passions never abandon us. I have a great passion for that sport and I have some beautiful Andalusian horses. I have visited the Academy of the Alta Escuela de Cádiz and I have very good memories.
In July he will have that meeting with Plácido and Carreras…
There will be three concerts that I will never forget: in my town, among my people and also with people who come from all over the world. And having the honor of receiving artists of such a level is a great satisfaction.
In your 30-year career, what would you change?
I am convinced that my career has been decided up there. I have given everything to the one who has given me life and voice. I am happy with what has been achieved, in fact, I would say that reality has far exceeded dreams.
If you didn’t live in Italy, where would you live?
This is a tough question. I have always loved Israel, but obviously right now it would be complicated. But from the point of view of the climate and the atmosphere there, it is very beautiful, but I am very happy to live in Italy.
