Opera boy Josh Groban

I am sure you must have also noticed. No longer are the famous operatic singers of our times of a certain venerable age. In fact, they seem to be getting younger and younger every year and to the shock of many classical music fans, they also lack opera experience. In the old days male singers were either boy sopranos or middle-aged tenors. The young adult males were not expected to shine because that was the time they were being trained to be better singers. Nowadays though, they just pop out from everywhere.

Italian pop idol Zucherro needed a tenor to sing in a demo for Pavarotti. He tapped lawyer Andrea Bocelli and the rest is history. Club singer Russell Watson obliged a request for him to sing Nessun Dorma and he soon became the new tenor sensation. Bocceli was not available to rehearse with Celine Dion for the Grammy Awards so producer David Foster drafted then 17-year-old Josh Groban to do the job. Groban is now the object of adulation by fans aged 10 to 80 and his debut album is giving pop releases stiff competition in the hit charts worldwide.

Youth, good looks and a good singing voice are qualities that many pop idols have. What makes Groban different and somewhat of a novelty is that he has this flair for classical singing at a very young age. He goes from Don McLean’s Vincent to Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring with ease. He still has to mature as a true baritone but the fact that he can cover a Bocelli song The Prayer, which he recorded with young soprano Charlotte Church, without the added girth, beard or balding head, already makes him truly impressive. Now 20, Groban is beardless, has more hair than a Backstreet Boy and is as thin as Celine.

Then, there are breaks he has been getting and these are not only the right ones, they are also remarkably big. Foster was looking for a singer for the inaugural of the governor of California that he was producing. He listened to Groban’s audition tape and hired him. Foster is one of the big guns in the music industry. He works with Barbra, Celine, Whitney, The Corrs and nearly all the big names. Think he would have the time to listen to the tape of some unknown? But he did listen to Groban. He also signed the young man to record for his 143 label. When you get the likes of Foster behind you, all the doors automatically open.

Then there was that Grammy rehearsal with Celine where Rosie O’Donnell heard him and invited him to guest in her show. She also gave him the tag "Opera Boy." This was followed by other events and that much-lauded appearance in the sitcom Ally McBeal where he performed You’re Still You. This one proved to be so popular that he was asked to appear a second time. Of course, he sang again and it was To Where You Are. The episode aired after the disastrous events of Sept. 11 and the song with its theme of lost love written by Richard Marx and Linda Thompson turned out to be most moving.

You’re Still You and To Where You Are are two of the original works featured in the Josh Groban album which was produced by Foster. Despite Groban’s classical style, the collection wisely stays away from opera arias and is made up of pop ballads. The most classic of the lot and Groban’s best cut is Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, that he performs with violinist Lili Haydn. The most pop is the Italian tune Canto alla Vita, where Groban gets The Corrs doing back-up vocals. He also comes off well in the Cirque du Soleil song Let Me Fall, where he reminds me of Michael Crawford and in Ennio Morricone’s Cinema Paradiso, which a friend dreams of being performed at her wedding.

Other songs included are Alla Luce del Sole, Gira Con Me Questa Notte, Alejate, Vincent, Un Amore Per Sempre, Home to Stay and The Prayer where Groban duets with Charlotte Church.

Josh Groban is selling a lot of albums but it is too soon to judge his singing. I’ll wait for 10 more years of living and hurting and maybe success. Then we will know how he lived up to his promise.