Aria - The Opera Album

1	Rigoletto, opera: Questa
2	La bohème, opera: Che gel
3	Tosca, opera: Recondita a
4	Tosca, opera: E lucevan l
5	Madama Butterfly (Madame
6	Andrea Chénier, opera: Co
7	I Puritani, opera: A te,
8	Der Rosenkavalier, opera,
9	Fedora, opera: Amor ti vi
10	La fanciulla del West (Th
11	La Gioconda, opera in 4 a
12	Adriana Lecouvreur, opera
13	La bohème, opera: Musetta
14	Lucia di Lammermoor, oper
15	Werther, lyric drama in 4
16	Carmen, opera: La fleur q
17	La fille du régiment, ope
Aria - The Opera Album
1.	Rigoletto, opera: Questa o quella 1:46
	Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
	Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
	Performed by Bryn Terfel and Andrea Bocelli
2.	La bohème, opera: Che gelida manina 4:20
	Composed by Giacomo Puccini
	Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
	Performed by Bryn Terfel and Andrea Bocelli
3.	Tosca, opera: Recondita armonia 2:58
	Composed by Giacomo Puccini
	Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
	Performed by Bryn Terfel and Andrea Bocelli
4.	Tosca, opera: E lucevan le stelle... 2:52
	Composed by Giacomo Puccini
	Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
	Performed by Bryn Terfel and Andrea Bocelli
5.	Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: Addio, fiorito asil 1:51
	Composed by Giacomo Puccini
	Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
	Performed by Bryn Terfel and Andrea Bocelli
6.	Andrea Chénier, opera: Come un bel dì di maggio 3:18
	Composed by Umberto Giordano
	Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
	Performed by Bryn Terfel and Andrea Bocelli
7.	I Puritani, opera: A te, o cara 3:06
	Composed by Vicenzo Bellini
	Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
	Performed by Bryn Terfel and Andrea Bocelli
8.	Der Rosenkavalier, opera, Op. 59 (TrV 227): Di rigori armato il seno 2:10
	Composed by Richard Strauss
	Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
	Performed by Bryn Terfel and Andrea Bocelli
9.	Fedora, opera: Amor ti vieta 1:52
	Composed by Umberto Giordano
	Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
	Performed by Bryn Terfel and Andrea Bocelli
10.	La fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West), opera: Ch'ella mi creda 2:01
	Composed by Giacomo Puccini
	Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
	Performed by Bryn Terfel and Andrea Bocelli
11.	La Gioconda, opera in 4 acts: Cielo e mar! 4:36
	Composed by Amilcare Ponchielli
	Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
	Performed by Bryn Terfel and Andrea Bocelli
12.	Adriana Lecouvreur, opera: La dolcissima effigie 2:13
	Composed by Francesco Cilea
	Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
	Performed by Bryn Terfel and Andrea Bocelli
13.	La bohème, opera: Musetta!...Testa adorata 3:07
	Composed by Ruggero Leoncavallo
	Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
	Performed by Bryn Terfel and Andrea Bocelli
14.	Lucia di Lammermoor, opera: Tombe degli avi miei - Fra poco a me ricovero 6:53
	Composed by Gaetano Donizetti
	Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
	Performed by Bryn Terfel and Andrea Bocelli
15.	Werther, lyric drama in 4 acts: Pourquoi me réveiller 3:06
	Composed by Jules Massenet
	Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
	Performed by Bryn Terfel and Andrea Bocelli
16.	Carmen, opera: La fleur que tu m/avais jetée 4:20
	Composed by Georges Bizet
	Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
	Performed by Bryn Terfel and Andrea Bocelli
17.	La Fille du régiment, opera: Pour mon ame 2:16
	Composed by Gaetano Donizetti
	Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
	Performed by Bryn Terfel and Andrea Bocelli

Barnes & Noble

Mega-tenor Andrea Bocelli gets into a classical mood with this collection of beloved arias by Verdi, Puccini, and other operatic composers. The warmth of his voice and his potent emotionality will hypnotize the singer's many fans. This recital might also be a blueprint for a future career in opera houses. Bocelli is already committed to singing the title role of Massenet's "Werther" onstage. His ardent "Flower Song" from "Carmen" suggests another possible role. Bocelli's occasional musical inaccuracies seem like entirely forgivable flaws. Clearly Bocelli accepts neither fear nor personal limits, and this courage is blazoned on his voice. Benjamin Ivry

All Music Guide

Crossover sensation Andrea Bocelli's Aria served as the singer's operatic calling card, and as such it left behind the synth-infused ballads and lighter Italian fare of his earlier work and delved into the dramatic warhorses of the tenor repertory. Soliciting the help of Gianandrea Noseda and the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra underscored the singer's desire to be taken seriously, since both conductor and ensemble were already veterans of fine operatic recordings. The resulting album surpasses the usual expectations of crossover singers: Bocelli's grasp of style and vocal technique are evidence of sincere study and undeniable talent -- something that can't be said of some similarly marketed singers, like Britain's Russell ("The Voice") Watson. But the album's impression will depend mostly on listeners' point of entry. Bocelli fans will undoubtedly enjoy hearing the star's voice applied to this music, and for many people it will serve as an accessible entry into the world of opera. But opera fans will most likely find his efforts pale and unappealing in comparison to the many great tenors who have already recorded the same works and, more importantly, sung them on-stage.

Experienced listeners will immediately notice the album's engineering, which mixes the orchestra into the background in order to highlight Bocelli's relatively small voice. As a result, climactic passages rarely seem climactic, and intimate passages sound too intimate -- not scaled to a big room in the way operatic singing should be. At times, particularly in the opening "Questa o quella" from Giuseppe Verdi's "Rigoletto," one gets the impression that the orchestra was recorded separately, and the voice laid down as a separate track, since they sound out of sync at cadences and ornaments, and Bocelli seems to be chasing an inflexible rhythmic pulse. Bocelli's general approach to the music is in line with operatic traditions, but he often sounds green, ungracefully clipping the ends of phrases and rushing through moments that cry out to be milked. And although he certainly has the range to tackle even the most demanding arias, like Donizetti's "Pour mon âme" from "La fille du regiment" with its many high Cs, his voice doesn't gain brilliance and amplitude as he ascends; instead it becomes thin, never quite hitting that "tenor" pleasure spot in the brain. Similarly, these arias feel drained of their pathos and expressivity -- excercises in execution rather than dramatic scenes.

In the end, Aria will introduce many people to the pleasures of operatic music. And if you're one of those listeners, enjoy it with the knowledge that you're hearing operatic music performed lovingly, sincerely, and with skill. Just know this too: everything you hear on this album has been done many times before, and by singers whose vocal charisma, musical sensibilities, and years of experience leave Mr. Bocelli in the dust. Allen Schrott