In the week leading up to Christmas, the Bocelli family has released a couple of stellar recordings, with breathtaking music videos to boot. The first is an exceptional duet between father and son, Andrea and Matteo Bocelli, as they sing “O Holy Night.”
Andrea takes on the role of accompanist at first, playing the piano while Matteo takes up the first verse of the well-known Christmas hymn in English. The English line is traded off for French, sung by Andrea. The two continue through the whole song in this bilingual fashion, but they both sing in French for the moments in which Matteo supports Andrea with some fine baritone harmonies.
Every time we hear Matteo sing he sounds more and more like his father. While his voice tends to rest just a little lower than Andrea’s soaring tenor, when they sing together it almost sounds like the same person layering vocals. The familial resonance, as well as the clean-cut, dressed-to-the-nines figure that Matteo presents, foretells a successful operatic singing career in this young man’s future.
Released just a little before “Holy Night” was a solo performance of “The Lord’s Prayer.” Sung completely in English and supported by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, Bocelli puts on quite the performance from atop the Monte Bianco SKY WAY.
The sights of this music video are astounding, as the film crew got the weather to cooperate, allowing for a beautiful view of the snow-capped peaks of Mount Bianco. We had to stifle a gasp at Andrea’s final high notes, because we were sure they would cause an avalanche.
For this tune, Andrea sings while Matteo takes a turn at the piano. We’re not sure if he’s actually playing the instrument as the camera surreptitiously neglects to move over his hands. While Matteo has played piano since he was six and is more than able, we would not be surprised if he wasn’t playing the instrument, because some of the broader shots of the video reveal that it is practically balancing on the small platform. It is quite possible that if Matteo played at all it might push the baby grand piano, and possibly Andrea, off the platform.
And today we celebrate...