FANTASTIC!!!!!
Richard D. Cappetto | Moodus, CT United States | 07/11/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It took me two years to track down a USED copy of this title hear at Amazon (I used the per order option to get it). Sugar Records ought to reissue this one imminently, if not sooner. Its worth it alone for the CUTE Italian Folk Song, Ava Marina No Morro; Bocelli brings this song such life with his earnest folksy singing and his ringing Tenor parts, Beautiful. Also This CD is worth it a second time for this version of Meserere, On it Bocelli does both the pop/blues part (zucceros part) and the Opera Part (Pavarottis Part), again an excellent job. There are a few songs that are on other releases, Rapsodia; La Luna Che Non C'e; and Caruso (all Excellent). And then it finishes off with 5 Opera Aries sung Live, Panis Angelicus; Ah La Paterna Mano; E Lucean Le Stelle; La Fleur Que Tu M'Avais Jetee; and L'Anima Ho Stanca. And a 6th live song called Songo (not the same as on the Songo CD). The Live songs show a great talent in the beginnings of his emergence, it is raw and emotional and beautiful. They are wonderful to listen to and compare just how far he has come; rising up to the top of both Opera and Pop fields. If you can get this CD; do it."
A Youthful, Earnest Bocelli, Without The Commercialism
Edith Harvath | Buena Park, CA United States | 09/07/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I love this CD because I believe it was made before Andrea was such a huge success in America. To me it seems less commercial and more sincere than his later ones. The emotion, the passion he puts into the beautiful songs seems so genuine, so heart felt, perhaps a little less mechanical and contrived as necessarily happens when one becomes such a huge success, as he has done. The operatic songs at the end, sung in recital, with live applause, are a contrast to the huge concerts, with screaming fans, which appear on some of his CDs. I found this classy, intimate, and, as always with Bocelli, touchingly earnest in his desire to communicate his strong feelings about life and love."
I obviously reviewed this twice, but....
Someone who'd rather much see Andre | New York, NY USA | 09/20/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"....here I go again. Andrea Bocelli, a gorgeous-voiced tenor whom many people have surprisingly welcomed into their homes, does deserve a place in the wonderful world of music. This album was his debut, and when it takes off from the first track, it seems very deeply invigorating up to track 6. However, Andrea really has no business whatsoever putting six opera arias on the second half of the CD. No offense to the songs or to him, though. I've heard of "crossover" styles of that sort, but this album has entirely "new" songs and a little bit of opera, not previously sung pop songs and opera (such as in the case of Sarah Brightman's music: she became popular for her repeated trend of previously sung songs, with different arrangements, whilst Andrea has yet to continue his popular trend). This album Il Mare falls into that category. Since pop-crossover exists, I guess this is one of the first. And hey, not all that disappointing since he loves opera...."