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Last summer was the first time I saw Andrea Bocelli live in a concert at BST Hyde Park.
Although a fantastic show, it was a total washout, and I was left shivering by the end.
So it was a welcome delight to catch the Italian tenor a year later at the second of his O2 Arena concerts last weekend.
This time around, the maestro was accompanied by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Carlo Bernini, alongside some sensational soloists.
A real highlight was Pia Toscano (who has some serious pipes!) dueting The Prayer with the 66-year-old star.
What particularly enhanced the experience was the unique way the sound was set up at this show, which I was also invited to review. Usually, big concerts have a couple of Mono overhead speakers above the stage on each side. However, Bocelli went with an L-Acoustics L-ISA Hyperreal sound system featuring seven speakers above him. Each one isolates different instruments and voices to give fans that concert hall audio experience across the 20,000-person venue. Sitting further back by the sound desk, I could really hear the difference compared to other shows I’ve reviewed at the O2.
Behind the orchestra were 3D images of traditional Italian settings and mythical landscapes, showing off a particularly high-tech evening. Bocelli doesn’t hold back giving fans what they want, with native classics like ‘O sole mio and a tribute to Pavarotti. Across the encores, the crowd went wild for Time to Say Goodbye before a bombastic Nessun dorma ended the night with the maestro’s powerful vocals. Stunning.
