Andrea Bocelli is selling villas in his village

Andrea Bocelli is selling villas in his village

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norman lebrecht

October 06, 2013

The unbelievably popular blind tenor has a little business running on the side with his architect brother, Alberto. They are building houses in the Tuscan village of Lajatico, their birthplace, and selling them through a London agent for €231,800 to €626,000.

This is not a top-end development. Buyers will have to use the communal swimming pool. More details here.

Andrea’s sales pitch goes like this: ‘Lajatico is nestled among the hills overlooking the end of the beautiful Valdera valley. It’s central position means it is easy to reach other historical Tuscan villages and the beach resorts on the Tuscan sea.’

Someone should set it to music.

Andrea-Bocelli home

Comments

  • Paul Ricchi says:

    Hopefully he will become a full time developer of real estate. I wish him success.

  • Ariel says:

    E la solita storia

  • Sue says:

    The project is his brothers and the buildings are very old and being restored. The “pitch” as you call it is undoubtedly the realtors, not Andreas. Lajatico a wonderful place to spend time and would be a good investment for rental.

  • Sarah says:

    Alberto Bocelli, as brilliant as his brother in his own way, is the architect who is restoring these Lajatico residences. He and Andrea seem to usually be on the same page and It’s likely that Andrea approves of Alberto’s latest venture but I highly doubt that it could be considered a “side business” for Andrea. I think you may have out-snided yourself within this blog post, but you should probably get your facts straight before putting comments out there. Your intent, as I infer it, has failed miserably simply because you didn’t fact check. Besides, the Bocelli boys are really nice guys. Why would you pick on them, silly man?

    • Paul Ricchi says:

      I think he is a very nice man and I am happy for the commercial success he has had. I just do not enjoy his lifeless, inexpressive voice. An elderly aunt was a big fan from the start. She read about him in the newspaper. “Have you heard that Andrea Bocelli, she is deaf you know”. But I did buy her all his CDs.

      If you like Italian tenorinos, give Carlo Buti a listen. He may never have ridden a stallion across a beach, romance novel style, but he is a singer of substance .

      Me? Snarky? Guilty as charged.

      • Carole says:

        You give Bocelli fans way too little credit.. Andrea has brought thousands of us to opera and classical music, due to his totally EXPRESSIVE, GORGEOUS, and EMOTIONAL voice.

        I’ve listened to hundreds of tenors. I like many, but none as much as Maestro Bocelli. Yep,you’re snarky alright, and also vastly lacking in your investigative prowess.

        • Paul Ricchi says:

          There is no accounting for taste. (You are playing fast and loose with the term “maestro”.) I must admit your frame of reference for tenors is impressive. I am 67 and have not yet formed an opinion of 100.

          • Carole says:

            That’s a shame, Paul, you should broaden your horizons. I’m 64 but was 50 when I discovered Andrea, and since that time, became a season ticketholder at the Detroit Opera House, as well as attending operas in other states and in Italy. 100 may have been a conservative estimate. But, again, you’re coming off as being very snide. As you say, everyone to their own, so perhaps you could be gentlemanly enough to allow us ours.

          • Caroline Gane says:

            Indeed, there is no accounting for taste. People like what they like, often without knowing why they like it.

            Bocelli’s voice appeals to millions of fans, they are not all morons, as some of the cognoscenti seem to think. A great number of them go out and listen to other tenors and go to live operatic performances.

  • Caroline Gane says:

    Oh dear Mr.Lebrecht, everybody knows you don’t like Andrea Bocelli, so why can’t you simply leave him alone? To criiticise this restoration project is just mean and spiteful and it shows you up.

    For your information, Andrea is much loved in Lajatico and through him the village is a thriving community. He does a tremendous amount of good, and you know what? Millions of fans love his singing !

  • Sue says:

    You “gentlemen” should both take a lesson from Thumper’s mother. “If you don’t have something nice to say about someone, don’t say anything at all.” Even little children know better. Do you have mean things to say about Pavarotti too, or maybe Franco Corelli?

    • Paul Ricchi says:

      Both Pavarotti and Correli were fabulously gifted. But Pavarotti’s characterization were weak. He was always Pavarotti and never Cavaradossi, or the Duke, or Rodolfo, etc. Corelli was thrilling, but he would often pull a vocal line all out of shape to linger narcissistically on his top notes.

      Popularity has little to do with merit. The wildly popular Miley Cyrus also likes to quote Thumper. the other day she tweeted: if you don’t have something nice to say, shut the hell up!

      No artist or “artist” is above criticism.

  • Sarah says:

    Mr. Ricchi, I haven’t noticed anyone suggesting that Bocelli or any other artist is above criticism. But criticism is one thing and taking pleasure in being snarky with one’s criticism, all the while implying that an artist’s fans are idiots, is quite another. You must like drama. Either that or you fit within the narcissistic stereotype that you have assigned to Corelli and simply like to steal center stage with your opinions.

    Your comments are just a wee bother to most of us, as is Mr. Lebrecht. Those who appreciate Bocelli and Pavarotti, et al, and even Miley Cyrus, will go on listening to them and buying their music.

    • Paul Ricchi says:

      I am not sure where you got implications of idiocy, unless it was from your own imagination and hypersensitivity.

      I appreciate Pavarotti, but I am not deaf to his flaws. 50 years ago I believed that Milanov, Del Monaco, Tebaldi, etc were near perfect. Now I recognize their shortcomings: Milanov sometimes omitted syllables if they interfered with tone production. (In Aida “fuggima, fuggiam” became “fuggiam, fuhaaaa”.) Tebaldi often had pitch problems. DelMonaco was heroic but lacked subtlety. Carreras’ was among the most poetic singers but with his top notes he was often at the end of his leash. Recognizing this doesn’t mean I enjoy them less. Applying acquired critical faculties to performances deepens appreciation.

      Mentioning Pavarotti in the same sentence with Bocelli is like comparing an eagle and a humming bird. I think Bocelii worked diligently to develop his unremarkable ability, and his unfortunate physical limitation created some romance which Sony was able to exploit for their mutual benefit. It is curious that Thomas Quastoff, who also had some physical limitations, but was among the best of baritones during the time he sang, never achieved the popularity of Bocelli…perhaps it is because Quaestor was not as pretty.

      I admit my snark, unconditional adoration tends to bring it out. It’s a weakness that I admit

      There not being a “dry seat in the house” is to be expected at a Justin Bieber concert; but much less so with an adult audience.

      Music is often high art, but it is also a spectator sport. Opinions are expressed passionately and often intended to sting…but no one dies or even bleeds.

      You may have the last word. I am done, but thanks for your indulgence and the dialogue. Hereafter on this subject I will take the advice of Marullo and his pals: “Coi fanciulli e co’ dementi spesso giova il simular”

  • Carole says:

    Brilliantly said, Sarah!

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