Review:
“From his childhood on the family farm in rural Tuscany to the worldwide stage, Andrea Bocelli has achieved phenomenal success. His singing is only partially the point, and his fame owes much more to the aura of romance and the romantic archetype that’s attached to him. Romanza is by far Bocelli's largest success, winning adoration thanks to the swooning vocals and the easy, sometimes lush, always pop-safe instrumental textures and melodies” (Bartlett).
The album was “designed to break Andrea Bocelli into the American market, not only to the European audience (most of the album is in Italian), but also the English-speaking mainstream pop audience (through the Sarah Brightman duet Time to Say Goodbye)” (Erlewine).
“As far as his opera chops go, Bocelli has won the approval of Pavarotti” (Bartlett) with “an accessible, well-crafted and melodic pop record from a terrific operatic vocalist” (Erlewine). “Bocelli will likely grow the opera pie, convincing labels to take on more operatic projects” (Bartlett), “but likely will not wow enthusiasts” (Erlewine).
3 million
300,000
17 million
