"Because, in opera, I have to sing for people that are very far from me, instead of, when I sing a song, I try to imagine to sing like in an ear of a child"

Andrea Bocelli’s words reveal the essential difference between the art of opera and the intimacy of singing a song meant for a single listener. When performing opera, a singer must project not just their voice, but their entire being, across the vast spaces of a grand theater. The performance is engineered for distance, both physical and emotional, as the singer strives to reach the last seat in the furthest balcony. The style demands power, clarity, and a technique developed to fill an auditorium and move hundreds or thousands of people simultaneously. Every gesture, every phrase is designed to be seen and heard by a wide audience.

In contrast, Bocelli describes a separate, deeply personal approach when he sings a song outside of opera. He strives to create an experience that feels as if it is meant for one person alone, imagining that he sings directly into the ear of a child. This image calls forth innocence, gentleness, and a kind of unconditional affection, qualities that contrast with the grandiosity and dramatic intensity of opera. Singing in this way, Bocelli says, is about forging an immediate and personal connection, using gentler dynamics, subtler phrasing, and an emotional honesty that might be diminished if projected to a vast hall.

He draws a boundary between performance as spectacle and performance as a private exchange. The former seeks to impress and reach across space, relying on technique and scale, while the latter is rooted in vulnerability and closeness. For Bocelli, the truest expression lies not in volume or virtuosity but in the ability to “sing like in an ear of a child,” to recreate the feeling that his music is a personal message of comfort or love. It is a reminder of the power of music not just to awe with grandeur, but to touch individuals in gentle and profound ways.