During the In Memoriam section of the 96th Academy Awards last Sunday night, March 10, an emotional performance from Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo graced the stage as they sang Hans Zimmer's new arrangement for "Time to Say Goodbye."
The father-son duo's masterful singing was underscored by a string quartet and a group of classical dancers, while a gigantic screen behind the two displayed the names and pictures of notable industry figures who unfortunately passed last year.
Among those featured in the main segment were TV legends Matthew Perry and Andre Braugher, alongside industry icon Tina Turner, musician Robbie Robertson, and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.
A longer list was also presented on the Oscars' website, which includes names like Treat Williams, Angus Cloud, Lance Reddick, Norman Lear, Burt Young, Lance Reddick, Ron Cephas Jones, Suzanne Somers, and Terence Davies.
Andrea Bocelli Singing the 'Song of His Life' Alongside Son Matteo
The new rendition of the widely-beloved "Con te partirò" piece marks the 30th anniversary of Bocelli's longstanding career as a tenor, which was first cemented into its current worldwide status after the singer first premiered his performance of it at a televised competition in 1995.
Decades later, it has become a song closely related to Bocelli, which he himself admits according to Classic FM, saying, "It is the song of my life."
The tenor added that the opportunity to sing "the melody that represents [him] in the eyes of the world" in a "new" form thanks to Hans Zimmer's talents, especially together with his son Matteo, presented an "exciting challenge" for him
He also said that the single is only one part of a bigger forthcoming project, in time for his 30th anniversary year celebration. For one, Bocelli said that a mainstay performance is set at London's BST Hyde Park this coming Summer.
Matteo added to his father's sentiments, expressing the importance of "Time to Say Goodbye" to himself and his family, as it is akin to a "national anthem" for them and, thus, represents "hundreds of memories."
He added that performing it with his father, on the Oscars' stage and with a brand new orchestration no less, is an incredible honor and a "dream come true."
Watch the duo's performance of the iconic "Time to Say Goodbye" during the In Memoriam section of the 96th Academy Awards right below:
