Indeed, despite interview segments in which he proclaims his love of opera or proudly recalls an apprenticeship to operatic veteran Franco Corelli, Bocelli comes across as more fan than virtuoso. But if his voice can prompt technical cavils from hard-core opera buffs, the blind singer's emotional directness and relative lack of onstage preening explain much of his populist appeal. Featured songs include warhorse arias, leading off with the "Louie, Louie" of tenor showpieces, Turandot's "Nessun Dorma," and duets with gruff Italian pop-rocker Zucchero and sopranos Nuccia Focile and Sarah Brightman (who buddies up for the tear-jerking closer, "Time to Say Goodbye").

Even with the marquee bonus of those guests, however, A Night in Tuscany gets its biggest boost from the seductive Italian countryside, prominently featured in between-song segments, and in the romantic concert setting, Pisa's Piazza dei Cavalieri. --Sam Sutherland

We had friends over to watch the Tuscany DVD and the wife was close to tears and kept saying she had goosebumps from the performance. In today's environment, Andrea provides a beautiful respite from the "noise" on the radio.

Like Sarah Brightman, he is a beautiful addition to our world!


Amazingly beautiful!!   January 29, 2004
26 out of 28 found this review helpful

Let me start right off by saying I hate opera. Even translated into English, I hate it. I can take the three tenors only in very small doses.

With that said, I am thrilled to say the Andrea Bocelli is absolutely fantastic! His voice and the music are so achingly beautiful it nearly makes me cry. I never thought I would ever like any opera, but this video has made me a huge Andrea Bocelli fan now!

The duets are no less wonderful than his solo pieces, and the little biographical/interview pieces are utterly charming.

This is a must-have video for any music lover. I would have gladly paid three times the retail price to own this incredible masterpiece.


In response to Figaro   December 10, 1999
Charles W Ruark (Atlanta, GA)
36 out of 41 found this review helpful

I believe your comments are an insult to everyones' intelligence and opinions who wrote reviews on this video. Andrea Bocelli has a wonderful and inspirational voice and I can't imagine how anyone can use the word 'terrible' in the same sentence with his name. The combination of beautiful music and scenery made this video excellent. As someone with 15 years of musical background I think I have a fairly educated opinion. Whether you classify him as opera or not is beside the point, he is adored by millions around the world. Music, like art, cannot be judged by measuring against any standard. His voice, as does Sara Brightman's, transcends and inspires, truly a gift from God. That said, everyone is entitled to his/her opinion, but that doesn't mean it should be expressed.


Proof of his talent   June 28, 2001
15 out of 15 found this review helpful

The greatest proof of a performer's talent (and also a rarity) is that performer's ability to sound better in concert than on a recording. On this video, Andrea Bocelli proves that the beauty of his voice is not the product of a skilled studio engineer but the gift of an amazing singer. From the opening notes of "Nessun Dorma" to the final duet of "Time To Say Goodbye" with Sarah Brightman, the viewer is treated to a balanced combination of concert footage, views of the Tuscan countryside and personal observations by the artist. In particular, the concert renditions of songs from "Romanza" included on this video are superior to the studio recordings, with subtle phrasing and such a lovely tone. The video showcases Bocelli's versatility by including classical, pop and Italian folk songs as well as duets with Nuccia Focile, Zucchero and the above-mentioned Ms. Brightman.

I had the pleasure of attending a concert on Bocelli's 2001 US tour and can vouch for the fact that Andrea Bocelli truly sounds even better "live"-I can think of only a handful of other performers of whom I could say the same. This tape ably recreates that concert experience!