A Tenor On The Web

Whether you're a fan of Andrea Bocelli, of opera, or want to know more about the singers with whom he has been compared, the Web has a site for you. Below we've listed a few of the best destinations:

Bocelli On Tour: Here's your chance to see Bocelli in person. Next week, he'll begin a ten-city North American tour. Pollstar, a music tour database, has all the information about dates, cities, and venues.

The Andrea Bocelli Page: An extensive fan site, with audio files of a few performances, copies of newspaper stories about the singer, lots of photos, a discography, a biography, and transcriptions of lyrics (in Italian).

The Operaphile: This site is a great place to start exploring opera on the Web. You'll find links from throughout the world, aria databases, and fan sites.

Luciano Pavarotti: Classicalinsites.com, an encyclopedic site devoted to classical music, has a section devoted to Pavarotti, the man who gave Bocelli his start and with whom the newcomer is often compared. The site has a short bio, as well as interesting audio clips from interviews. Hear what Pavarotti thinks of opera on television, and working with pop stars.

Frank Sinatra: There are lots of sites devoted to Sinatra, to whom Bocelli has also been compared. This one is more comprehensive than most, and easy to navigate as well. The site has lots of lyrics (in English), a list of recordings, an excellent collection of articles about Sinatra (be sure to read Gay Talese's 1966 piece "Frank Sinatra Has A Cold"), a huge collection of photos, a filmography, a discography, a list of songs that mention Ol' Blue Eyes, even a glossary of Rat Pack slang.

The Heart Of Tuscany: This site is a guide to the region where Bocelli was born. In slightly awkward English (the site also comes in French and Italian versions) it introduces you to Tuscan art, culture, and food, everything from vineyards and olive groves to castles and churches. There's also a list of restaurants and hotels in the region.

Written by David Kohn