Personnel: Andrea Bocelli, Eros Ramazzotti, Celine Dion (vocals); Mauro Malavasi (arranger, conductor, keyboards, programming); Paulo Jorge Santos, Bruno Mariani, Michele Montefusco (guitar); Cecilia Chailly (harp); Domenico Servucci (bagpipes); Rudy Trevisi (clarinet); Paolo Bighignoli (bassoon); Guido Corti (horn); Rossella Calvi (English horn); Joao Ferreira, Ciccio Merolla (percussion); Miki Dei Rossi, Piero Marras (keyboard programming); Accademia Polifonica di Roma (background vocals).
Producers: Mauro Malavasi, David Foster, Carole Bayer Sager.
Recorded at Clock Studio, Bologna, Italy and Forum Studio, Rome, Italy.
"The Prayer" was nominated 2000 Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals. "Sogno" was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
There seems to be no end to the market for Latin tenors who inhabit the peculiar world most often termed "crossover." The well-known "Three Tenors" travel the boundaries between classical music, songs from their homelands and European pop songs frequently and with ease. The success of these artists is also being enjoyed by Bocelli, who was launched as a superstar in the United States in late 1997 by pledge-time showings of his television special on PBS. His then-current album ROMANZA shot up the charts, followed in short order by VIAGGIO ITALIANO (a mix of opera and traditional Italian songs in the manner of Mario Lanza or Enrico Caruso) and ARIA-THE OPERA ALBUM.
Now with SOGNO (Italian for "dream," pronounced "soh-nyo") Bocelli returns to the all-pop sound of ROMANZA. The program is entirely in Italian, with translations provided, and fans of the tenor need not fear disappointment. Duets with Celine Dion, Dulce Pontes, and Eros Ramazzotti are highlights, and Bocelli is in top form throughout. For those who've not yet made this singer's acquaintance, SOGNO makes an excellent introduction. Be warned, however, that it may induce cravings for his previous albums!
