A disciple of Luciano Pavarotti and Zucchero Fornaciari, the blind, Tuscany-born, vocalist has emerged as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary opera. His participation in Pavarotti's 1992 hit, Miserere, and Fornaciari's 1993 world tour brought him international attention. Opera, however, represents only one side of his musical persona. Bocelli has been equally successful as a pop ballad singer, having recorded duets with Celine Dion, Sarah Brightman and Eros Ramazzotti. Al Jarreau, who sang with Bocelli during The Night of Proms in November 1995, praised Bocelli when he said, "I have had the honour to sing with the most beautiful voice in the world." Bocelli grew up on a farm in Lajatico, a rural village in Tuscany. Beginning piano lessons at the age of six, he later added flute and saxophone.
Despite his obvious musical talents, Bocelli didn't consider a career in music until he had studied law at the University of Pisa and had earned a Doctor Of Law degree. Inspired to pursue music, he studied with famed tenor Franco Corelli, supporting himself by performing in piano bars.
Bocelli's first break as a singer came in 1992 when Fornaciari auditioned tenors to record a demo tape of Miserere, which he had co-written with Bono of U2. Successfully passing the audition, Bocelli recorded the tune as a duet with Pavarotti.
After touring with Fornaciari in 1993, Bocelli performed as a guest star in the Pavarotti International festival held in Modena in September 1994. In addition to performing solo and in a duet with Pavarotti, Bocelli sang with Bryan Adams, Andreas Vollenweider and Nancy Gustavsson. In November 1995, Bocelli toured Holland, Belgium, Germany, Spain and France with "Night Of Proms", which also featured Al Jarreau, Bryan Ferry, Roger Hodgson of Supertramp and John Miles.
Bocelli's first two albums -- Il Mare Calmo Della Sera in 1994 and Bocelli in 1996 -- showcased his operatic singing. His third effort, Viaggio Italiano, featured famous arias and traditional songs from Naples. Although released only in Italy, the album sold more than 300,000 copies. With his fourth album, Romanza, released in 1997, Bocelli turned to pop music. The album included the hit, Time to Say Goodbye, recorded as a duet with Sarah Brightman. Bocelli continued to focus on pop balladry with his fifth album, Sogno, released in 1999, which featured a duet with Celine Dion of the David Foster- and Carole Bayer Sager-penned tune, The Prayer, sold more than ten million copies, received a Golden Globe award and led to Bocelli being nominated for a Grammy as "best new artist".
Caccini: Ave Maria
Andrea Bocelli Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Il Signore è con te
Tu sei benedetta tra le donne
E benedetto è il frutto del ventre tuo, Gesù
Santa Maria, Madre di Dio
Prega per noi peccatori
Ora e nell'ora della nostra morte
Santa Maria, Madre di Dio
Prega per noi peccatori
Ora e nell'ora della nostra morte
Ora e nell'ora della nostra morte
Amen
Amen
Ave, Maria
The lyrics to Andrea Bocelli's song "Caccini: Ave Maria" are a religious prayer addressed to the Virgin Mary. The prayer begins with the words "Ave, Maria, piena di grazia," meaning "Hail, Mary, full of grace," which are the words spoken to Mary by the angel Gabriel in the gospel of Luke. The next line, "Il Signore è con te," means "The Lord is with you," which is also found in the gospel of Luke. This line emphasizes the idea that Mary is favored by God and is therefore able to bear his son, Jesus.
The next line, "Tu sei benedetta tra le donne," means "You are blessed among women," further emphasizing Mary's divine favor. The prayer then acknowledges Jesus as the "blessed fruit of your womb," highlighting Mary's role as the mother of Jesus. The second part of the prayer is a request for Mary to intercede for sinners and to pray for them both in their current lives and at the hour of their death. The word "Amen" is repeated three times at the end of the prayer, signifying an affirmation of the petition to Mary and the belief in her intercession.
Overall, the lyrics to "Caccini: Ave Maria" express a deep and heartfelt religious devotion to Mary, who is revered by Catholics as a powerful intercessor and mother of Jesus. The lyrics remind the listener of the importance of Mary in Christian theology and encourage them to seek her help and guidance throughout their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Ave, Maria
Hail, Mary
piena di grazia
full of grace
Il Signore è con te
The Lord is with you
Tu sei benedetta tra le donne
You are blessed among women
E benedetto è il frutto del ventre tuo, Gesù
And blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus
Santa Maria, Madre di Dio
Holy Mary, Mother of God
Prega per noi peccatori
Pray for us sinners
Ora e nell'ora della nostra morte
Now and at the hour of our death
Amen
So be it
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Traditional
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