"Tosca"--featuring Bocelli as Cavaradossi and Italian soprano Fiorenza Cedolins as Floria Tosca--is the second full opera Bocelli has recorded for Decca Records (the first was "La Bohème" in 2000).

Of his character, Bocelli said in a statement: "Not only is he Tosca's lover, he is also an artist and a man interested in and involved in politics. I've studied the character closely and I now feel I can really identify with him."

According to Bocelli's label, his previous classical releases--"Aria," "Sacred Arias," "Verdi" and his recordings of Puccini's "La Bohème" and Verdi's "Requiem"--have made him the top-selling classical artist in history, with worldwide sales of more than 45 million.

"Sentimento," a collaboration with New York Philharmonic Music Director Lorin Maazel, is Bocelli's latest pop release.

In 2002, Bocelli's 13 North American concerts grossed more than $17 million, according to concert-industry trade magazine Pollstar. The average ticket sold for more than $138, and promoters reported that, despite the premium price tag, an average of more than 9,400 tickets were sold to each show.