Critics may remain divided over Andrea Bocelli's operatic credentials,
but the popular verdict long ago crowned the sightless tenor
as a crossover champion, a victory that will only be reinforced
by this handsomely produced video companion to Sacred Arias,
his well-timed 1999 album of devotional pieces. That collection
mingled sacred classics with a handful of venerable Christmas
songs to combine seasonal appeal with a broader spiritual fervor,
providing a sturdy platform for Bocelli's unfailingly earnest
style. For its video incarnation, Bocelli, performing with the
Orchestra e coro dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia under
the baton of Myung-Whun Chung, reprises the album with three
additional works, with Chung and the orchestra and chorus contributing
a fourth bonus track, Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus."
As first aired on PBS, Sacred Arias dovetails comfortably with
Bocelli's hugely popular, preceding broadcast and video, A Night
in Tuscany, again adding color to its often solemn musical performances
with glimpses of Italy. The performances were shot in Rome's
Cathedral of Sopra Miverva, employing wide-angle lenses and
graceful camera movement to supply energy to the otherwise static
performers: Bocelli's own lack of body movement is offset by
Chung's more expressive conducting, but the program's most striking
visuals are achieved through long shots that pan down onto the
group from high in the cathedral's nave, and cutaways that show
us the rich frescoes that adorn the walls and vaulted ceilings.
The pacing also makes good use of contrasts between Bocelli's
solo performances and those pieces that rely more on the sweep
of the chorus and orchestra.
Brief interview segments with the singer and conductor allow
the camera to move outdoors for romantic vistas of the Italian
countryside, shot in golden light complementing the darker sepias
and grays seen in the cathedral. A slightly wider screen aspect
ratio gives the concert a cinematic flavor while imposing discreet
black bars on standard sets that won't trouble viewers who prefer
full-frame videos.