Andrea Bocelli - Romanza [Hi-Res Remastering] (2015)

Although Romanza is a compilation album, it is also considered to be Bocelli's breakthrough album and remains his most commercially succesful to date, with over 20 million copies sold worldwide. It was first released in 1997 and has become one of the biggest-selling albums of all time.

Andrea Bocelli has been called "the fourth tenor"; the blind, Tuscan-born vocalist has emerged as one of the most popular voices in the arena of light classical and crossover vocals and has made inroads into the world of opera as well. His participation in Pavarotti's 1992 hit Miserere album and Zucchero Fornaciari's 1993 world tour brought him international attention. Bocelli has been most 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 with these words: "I have had the honor to sing with the most beautiful voice in the world."

Bocelli grew up on farm in Lajatico, a rural village in Tuscany. Beginning piano lessons at the age of six, he later added flute and saxophone to his talents. Born with poor eyesight, he became totally blind at the age of 12 following a soccer accident. Despite his obvious musical talents, Bocelli did not 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 the famed tenor Franco Corelli, supporting himself by peforming in piano bars.

Romanza is designed to break Andrea Bocelli into the American market, not only to the European audience (most of the album is in Italian), but also the English-speaking mainstream pop audience (through the Sarah Brightman duet "Time to Say Goodbye"). The result is an accessible, well-crafted and melodic pop record from a terrific operatic vocalist -- it's an album that very well could broaden his audience.