EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
An Encounter of Souls When you have the chance to interview one of the most famous couples in the world it is a moment of sheer delight. Dina Aletras, did just that. Welcome to the world of Veronica & Andrea Bocelli.
How do you think the world of Classical Music is changing – what challenges do you think the generations following you will face?
AB – Quality classical music will never be “outdated” therefore there will inevitably be connoisseurs even in future generations. Despite any crisis, as proven by history, good music will never cease. In the future, those who wish to have a greater insight of this art, maybe to make it their profession too, will find themselves at a crossroads, having to make a choice between the immediate yet short-lived benefits of a career in pop music which rarely last (or any other contemporary genres) or the taking a gamble and start a knowledge-based journey which is much deeper and enriching for the soul. There will always be some individuals who will want to go deeper, through a learning process which is undoubtedly a thorny one, made of hardships and sacrifices but which will take them towards what is often defined the “paradise of music”. Music is obviously vitally important to both of you – do you have a favorite piece of music or composer that you turn to when you need to relax, or focus?
VB – At Bocelli’s it is easier to listen to “live” music and it may come from the piano or Andrea’s and Matteo’s voices or even from the music instruments played by our musician friends who come to visit us. Even our little Virginia studies music and practices the piano. Generally speaking, my musical preferences match Andrea’s. Obviously different moods influence somehow musical choices but overall, we prefer listening to opera pieces (in particular the Italian and French repertoire), and
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we tend to favour those artists who Andrea has admired since his childhood, such as… Beniamino Gigli, Franco Corelli, as well as Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti. When we are in the car we listen to a bit of everything, even the latest pop songs and our “big” guys Amos and Matteo are the most knowledgeable and many times they give us some heads-ups. Lately my daughter Virginia has been listening a lot to Ed Sheeran, who is also Matteo’s friend. But she also likes Pink and Céline Dion, who she has recently discovered: during the last few weeks she is obsessed with “My heart will go on” from the Titanic movie. You’ve both worked with a lot of very famous people, both professionally and as part of your work for the Andrea Bocelli Foundation – has there ever been a moment when you’ve ever been star-struck?
VB – As my husband often reminds us, success meant as fame is not a value. Even Hitler is still sadly famous today. Fame itself does not lead to anything, it is not a trait. Andrea is a wonderfully normal person who does – yes this is true – a very special profession, a career that has allowed him (and those close to him) to meet many people around the world, who apart from their fame, are often very interesting individuals. Success, if pursued to gain a real human dimension, very often represents an obstacle, because in these conditions it is easier to lose the grip on reality. There is a risk of getting lost if you don’t keep your feet on the ground (again these are Andrea’s words).
