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TV
PBS's Great Performances showcases Italian superstar Andrea Bocelli
David Horn knows the work it takes to pull off a special presentation for television.
For more than three decades, he’s done just that working with PBS.
“It depends on the nature of the show,” he says of the logistics. “Each one has its own speed bumps. It’s always a challenge.”
Horn has been producer of the musical presentations under the Great Performances umbrella for PBS.
The next one, “Great Performances: Andrea Bocelli 30th – The Celebration,” will air at 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, 2 p.m. Sunday, March 2, 7 p.m. Monday, March 3, and 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, on New Mexico PBS, channel 5.1. It will also be available to stream on the PBS app.
The performance was filmed at Teatro del Silenzio, which is an open-air amphitheater in Bocelli’s hometown of Lajatico, Italy.
“It is a much-awaited global event that attracts over 15,000 people every year. But Teatro del Silenzio is also like a great party every time, not only for the audience, but also for the artists and for myself first of all,” Bocelli says. “I was born in Lajatico, this is my home. It feels like inviting artists and the audience for a big party at my place.”
Bocelli gives thanks to Teatro del Silenzio and the Tuscan hills that he has explored throughout his life, on foot and on horseback. The area has been visited and appreciated by many guests including Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, Zubin Mehta and Lang Lang.
“We also had famous personalities in the audience, from Steve Jobs to Sharon Stone, Natalie Portman and royal families from around the world,” he says. “Everyone was fascinated by the context, driven by a desire to listen to good music and to enjoy the landscape.”
The performance features special guests Ed Sheeran, David Foster, Katharine McPhee, Sofia Carson, Brian May, Jon Batiste and more. It is directed by Grammy nominee and Emmy winner Sam Wrench.
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The Italian tenor rose to fame after winning the newcomers’ section of the 44th Sanremo Music Festival in 1994.
He has since recorded 15 solo studio albums, which showcase his transition from classical music to pop.
He’s also recorded nine complete operas.
His 1997 album, “Romanza,” remains one of the bestselling albums, with more than 20 million units sold. It is also the record that made Bocelli a mainstream name in music.
In 1998, Bocelli was named one of People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People and he joined Celine Dion on the song “The Prayer” for the animated film “Quest for Camelot,” which won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.
In 1999, he was nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010.
Horn says setting up for a performance that is being recorded for TV is like working on any other production.
He recalls working on productions at the Santa Fe Opera over 20 years ago and learning lessons out there.
“What’s great about the Santa Fe Opera is that it’s so well-designed,” he says. “There could be bad weather and you’re safe. Doing a performance like this in Italy or in Central Park, you have to work with the weather. It’s never perfect but you adjust the best you can to get the best possible outcome. That’s why you have to shoot with many cameras. That’s the key.”
