Bocelli father and son: "Time to Say Goodbye" 30 years later

Before Matteo Bocelli was even a twinkle in his father’s eye, “Time to Say Goodbye” made Andrea famous. Now, the pair sing as a duet.

It’s been nearly 30 years since the 1995 release of Andrea Bocelli’s famed tune “Time to Say Goodbye” – or “Con te partirò” in Italian – a song that sold 12 million copies worldwide and launched the tenor’s international career. Now, as his son Matteo Bocelli wades deeper into his father’s career, the two have rerecorded the tune as a duet.

The song begins with Matteo on the verse, with Andrea picking up his vocal line during the first chorus. As usual, the familial resonance of the voices of this father/son duo meld so well together it almost sounds like one singer layering multiple takes. They do a lot of fun things with their harmonies too; for example, in Matteo’s verse, Andrea sings below Matteo’s melody, but when Andrea takes up the next verse, Matteo sings the harmony above Andrea, giving it a new texture.

Halfway though the song, listeners are reminded that it’s a new recording as an exceptional orchestral arrangement from Hans Zimmer takes over. This infuses a completely new and grand energy to the piece, with an electric guitar that brings the song into the 21st century playing over powerful brass hits. This swell from the orchestra continues to make the Bocellis’ last chorus especially epic. Our only disappointment was that we would have liked to hear Matteo hit the final high note, but it’s hard to argue with Andrea’s results.

The entire song is supported by a heartwarming music video that opens with home-video footage of a young Matteo trying to emulate his father’s singing of “Time to Say Goodbye.” While the footage includes many photographs from the Bocellis’ family history, the most wholesome shots come when we see how proud papa Bocelli is to sing his signature song with his son.

Follow Andrea Bocelli on YouTube to keep up with all his releases.

Want to hear how much Matteo sounds like a young Andrea? Take a listen to Andrea Bocelli singing “Time to Say Goodbye” in 1995, when he was 37 years old. Keep in mind, Matteo is just 26, and the male operatic voice does not fully mature until its mid-30s.

Bocelli father and son: “Time to Say Goodbye” 30 years later