Queen brought rock operas back into fashion with the release of “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Fast forward 49 years and Queen guitarist Brian May is still doing his bit for the theatrical sub-genre, teaming up with opera legend Andrea Bocelli for a flawless live rendition of Queen’s “Who Wants To Live Forever” that’s taking YouTube by storm.
The duo’s rendition is currently going YouTube-viral, topping 2.9 million views in under a fortnight and dazzling fans across the globe. You can watch the magic unfold in the clip below!
Brian May, aged 78, begins this live duet, singing the first verse alone to the blossoming symphonics of the orchestra. It’s a rare treat to hear Brian sing live, and as one top commenter on YouTube reckoned, “Brian May still has the voice of a young man. What a talented musician, singer and songwriter.”
But when Andrea Bocelli, 66, takes on the chorus, his cathedral-esque vocals are the ultimate match for this mythical song; instantly enchanting as Brian May keeps his head bowed, nodding, spellbound.
Despite each claiming fame performing on opposite ends of the music spectrum, these elder gents share a spectacular bond of pure musical respect as they turn Queen’s rock ballad into a symphonic masterpiece.
Just wait until the pair joins in harmony for the second chorus, hear Andrea’s incredible high notes, the strings swelling beneath Brian May’s guitar solo, and watch Andrea smile like a madman, wrapping his arm around Brian as if he’s the guitarist’s biggest fan on Earth.
This magnificent footage was taken from the concert film, “Andrea Bocelli 30: The Celebration” – marking the Italian tenor’s thirtieth anniversary in music with a three-day hometown concert, its highlights condensed into a 2.5-hour-long film that’s earned an 8.5-star rating over on IMDB.
Additional special guests who performed at Andrea’s 30th anniversary celebration include Lang Lang, Jon Batiste, Ed Sheeran, Shania Twain, Johnny Depp, and Will Smith, the last of whom performed a spoken word piece titled “You’ll Never Walk Alone” to the tune of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata.
Freddie Mercury’s absence has got Queen fans thinking in the YouTube comments of this viral rendition, with top commenters writing, “Freddie would be so proud of this. Everyone knows of Freddie’s love of opera, this is just amazing!” and “To hear the original writer of this song sing this and then have Andrea to sing Freddie’s part…is just pure magic! Bravo!”
But while some Queen fans are busy missing Freddie Mercury, one fan pinpointed exactly what makes this recent rendition so phenomenal when they wrote: “I’m all for celebrating Freddie, but too many people here seem to write off Brian as a singer, with Freddie’s name being mentioned more than his. So many people are going directly to ‘Imagine this with Freddie.’ Brian is 78 (!!) in this performance and comfortably holding his own with one of the most celebrated voices in the world: Bocelli. Brian has one of the finest voices in the world and this duet should be celebrated for that, not the fact Freddie could make it better. Breathtaking duet.”
Brian May continues to captivate audiences worldwide, proving that his remarkable talent knows no bounds. This latest collaboration with Andrea Bocelli perfectly showcases the enduring power of Queen’s music and May’s extraordinary artistry.
