by Renate

...I had become obsessed, I had to see him soon again.

My chance to do it was already booked that time. Already in March, I had read in a magazine that there would be the only concert in 1997 in Germany in Baden-Baden on July18. I bought my tickets immediately and planned a little journey to this southern spa town, which is famous for its long tradition in helping ill people by its healing sources. Only about six weeks later they started to promote the rest of the tour in the mass media. A Baden-Badener newsmagazine explained the visit to their small town by Andrea this way: "On July 10th, 1996, there was a performance of a still unknown Italian singer at the Baden-Badener casino. This time we hardly sold the 1000 places, but people who saw the concert were enthusiastic. So the singer was booked for the following year again. This year no promotion was needed for the performance of the tenor. The news about the concert ran like a bush-fire. The name Bocelli was sufficient for the decision: There I have to go! What had happened ?...." We know very well what had happened. In the meantime, the unknown Italian tenor had become famous by "Time to Say Good-bye" in Germany.

Thus the small producer in Baden-Baden had the pleasure to have made a contract with a man who he would have hardly had the chance to get after the career explosion. So they decided to do the concert on a huge meadow outside the town, the "Klosterwiese," where they put 5000 comfortable chairs and the possibility to sit on the side lawn for 30 DM (about $16). If the weather had joined the game, it would have been an absolute highlight to sit there under the stars in a valley, surrounded by green hills all covered with trees. But the weather... after an all rainy day we decided to leave our dressy clothes in the suitcase and instead we unpacked jeans, sweaters, boots and rainwear. A good decision, although we appeared to be the only ones who went there dressed as it if were a rock-concert. At least we were among the few who didn't get wet down to their underwear. It didn't stop raining all the concert long and it was a rather new experience to hear the well-known songs mixed up with the permanent dripping on the hood. They didn't even make an intermission after the first part, because it would have been impossible to leave the seat without having it flooded immediately by rain.

But who cares for the rain, when he is lifted up to higher places beyond the thick clouds by Andrea's voice. His magic let me forget the water running down my nose and the mud that the chair gradually sank into. I was enchanted again by the "O soave funiciulla" he sang with Liliana Marzano again. This time Marcello Rota conducted the local Baden-Badener Philharmoniker and not the Belgian Nuovecento Orchestra as usual on the tour.



Here, as opposed to  Leverkusen, where he at least thanked the public, Andrea didn't speak a word. A female announcer introduced the several pieces, which were all the same as in the other concerts, except one: Andrea sang with a local baritone, who was by chance also the producer of the concert, a male duet from LaBoheme, "O Mimi, tu più non torni." I didn't hear Andrea sing this before and after that again. He never sang with a male partner, as far as I know. But here he and Marc Marshall did, because of Andrea's special wish. The announcer said that the idea was born when they had met for supper the evening before the concert. The listeners were absolutely enthusiastic and didn't stop applauding in spite of the hindering plastic covers they had all bought to hide beneath.

The concert ended with "Time to Say Goodbye" and the last drops of rain. People were all wet, but happy and stayed a long time on the drying "Klosterwiese," talking about the concert, while having a good glass of Baden wine. So did I, and began to dream of "my" next concert.