Monthly Archives: August 2015

Concert Photos/Reviews, Il Volo Professional

Il Volo Professional ~~ Live Tour 2015; Chieti

3 Comments

 

Il Volo Facebook
Il Volo Facebook

 

 

Hey Everyone!

Lots of stuff, so let’s get to it!

~~ Kelly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Concerto di Chieti 9 Agusto 2015 ~~ Il Volovers Italy Official

 

E lucevan le stelle

 

 

Il Volo_Live Tour 2015 Photo Album ~~ Eli D’Ascenzo Facebook

 

 

 

L’immensita

 

 

©IlVolo Grande Amore Tour 2015 Chieti ~~ Martina Briglia, Photographer Facebook (please respect her watermark);

Il Volovers Italy Official

 

 

Aww…Sweet Princess for a moment…

 

 

(hover for credits; please respect the watermarks)

sabrinadangelo ph Piero – all smiles – Chieti Concert – August 9, 2015
sabrinadangelo ph2 Ignazio solo – Chieti – August 9, 2015
sabrinadangelo ph3 Piero performing for his fans – Chieti – August 9, 2015
sabrygiardy gianluca – Chieti Concert August 9, 2015
sabrygiardy2 Gianluca with Giovanni DiCaprio – Chieti Concert -August 9, 2015

 

#ChietiGrandeAmore ~~ Mariaenza Di Lena; Il Volovers Italy Official

 

 

Grande Amore

 

 

Chieti Concert Photo Album ~~ All Things Il Volo

 

 

Il Volo in Chieti: A Grand Success

By TVSEI

 

 

Up Next: 2 nights in Torre del Lago (already in progress)…

Bing Images Torre del Lago 2 town and sea view – Cieiti, Italy – 2015
Bing Images Torre del Lago, Chieti, Italy
Bing Images arial view Torre del Lago – Chiete, italy – 2015
Gianluca, Ignazio, Italia ~~ Italian Life, Piero

Slices of Italian Life ~ Ann & Gina

20 Comments

Some Italian stuff just for fun.

Gina sent this beauty.
aaa ann

♦♦♦

Ann thought she would tease us with this beautiful beach from The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF)

It’s August and you know what that means: Ferragosto! In this week’s “Un Minuto con…” blog post, learn about the origins of this month-long vacation that so many Italians take each year at niafblog.wordpress.com
aaa ann 1

♦♦♦

Ann! You forgot to tell me where I can buy one of these!
aaa ann 3


♦♦♦

Gina needs to know this.  I need to find the number for Sicilian Breakfast Delivery!

What do Sicilians eat for breakfast?

Do you know what Sicilians usually eat for breakfast? When I decided to create a food blog I loved the idea of posting not only mere recipes, but also stories, origins and any other information that can be interesting about our way of eating and our habits. So that is what this article is about: our breakfast!
 
As Sicily is a part of Italy (can’t stand those who say the opposite only because it’s an island!), Sicilian breakfast at home is like the Italian one: strong black coffee, with or without milk, with few biscuits or some sliced bread with butter and jam, possibly homemade. But if you do have breakfast out things change. It’s still true we can’t live without the black espresso from the bar or the lovely cappuccino; (like the pic above)  
We also love fresh orange juice (squeezed in that moment!) and we usually have some delicacies with it.
The most traditional ones in Palermo and its province are: treccine (twist shaped), millefoglie, ciambelle and brioche; (up above the picture of a ciambella and a treccina).
(You’ll also find the international croissants and similar stuff such as Danish pastries with custard cream, apples, ecc, like in the rest of the world… I suppose.)

The dough of this four things are similar to one another, the first two treccine and millefoglie (here above a millefoglie) are baked and have sugar on top, they only have different shapes, plus the millefoglie has got raisins as well. Ciambelle (pic on top) are fried and very similar to donuts, at least in their shape, but are bigger, softer and with caster sugar. Needless to say they are the best and all the kids love them!
I remember when I was a child and I had to go to the doctor for blood exams with my empty stomach, after that horrible experience (as a kid) only a big soft rounded ciambella could make me smile again!!! :-)))
Finally there are the briosce or brioche, the word comes from the French. Careful when you use this word in other parts of Italy because in the north (like in Milan) they call briosce a normal croissant, while we don’t because as I’ve just explained for us are two different things!

Our brioches are plain baked buns (oval or rounded like above) and we eat them in many different ways: you can have an empty brioche with your cappuccino in the morning, then a briosce with ham and tomato for lunch, and even a brioche with ice cream for dinner or during the afternoon! This is how Sicilians love to eat their ice cream in Summer!
So basically they are suitable for every need… ahah :)))
Talking about the hot season I have to add that there are many Sicilians who prefer to have a lemon granita (I think the correct translation should be shovel or ice shaved) with the brioche instead of the hot cappuccino in the Summer mornings, but this is up to everyone’s taste and habit. I like my cappuccino even in the middle of July!

So now you can understand a little bit more about our first meal, and when you come to Sicily you will definitely know what to ask for breakfast!


♦♦♦

Ann, I know another word with a silent “G”!

The Italian – Sicilian – American Page
aaa ann4

♦♦♦

Oh Ann…No you didn’t!

Did you hear about the Italian chef with a terminal illness?
He pastaway.
Cannoli do so much.
Now he’s just a pizza history.

♦♦♦

Ann, the next time you send me something like this please send a sample.  Thank you in advance.

 (NIAF)
Here are the surprising origins of 8 Italian-American dishes, according to Michael White, the NYC-based chef behind Michelin-starred restaurants like Marea and Ai Fiori. Which dish is your favorite?
Story by The Huffington Post http://huff.to/1LGpQTo
aaa ann5

The Surprising Origins Of 8 Italian-American Dishes

Sometimes the greatest food creations come from adapting to necessity.

♦♦♦

Gina!  This sounds so good!  I think you should make some for all of us.

Italian Limoncello Recipe – How To Make Limoncello

(lee-mohn-CHEH-loh)

If you have ever been to Italy, you’ll instantly know about Limoncello. Lemons seem to be one of the important staples in the food of Sorrento. The most famous product is Limoncello. Every store or restaurant has it’s unique or favorite brand of Limoncello for sale or to taste. It is wonderful as a palate cleanser or as an after dinner drink. Limoncello is the generic name for an Italian citrus-based lemon liqueur that is served well chilled in the summer months. Limoncello is now considered the  national drink of Italy and can be found in stores and restaurants all over Italy. Keep your bottles of Limoncello in the freezer until ready to serve. The ingredients are simple and few, and making a batch doesn’t require much work, but you’ll need some time. In most recipes, Limoncello must steep for (80) eighty days.

aaa ann6History: It has long been a staple in the lemon-producing region along the Italian Amalfi Coast in Capri and Sorrento. The Amalfi Coast is known for its citrus groves and narrow winding roads. Authentic Limoncello is made from Sorrento lemons, which come from the Amalfi Coast. Families in Italy have passed down recipes for this for generations, as every Italian family has their own Limoncello recipe.
Check out more delicious Limoncello recipes:

Italian Limoncello 2
Italian Limoncello 3

Italian Limoncello Recipe – How To Make Perfect Limoncello:

This is my (Linda Stradley) personal recipe for Italian Limoncello that my husband and I make every year.

 Recipe Type: Lemons, Beverage and Cocktail
Cuisine: Italian
Yields: Serves many
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: From 40 to 80 days

Ingredients:

Using 100-proof Vodka:

15 lemons*

2 (750 ml) bottles 100-proof vodka

Simple Syrup:

4 cups sugar

5 cups water (filtered tap water or distilled water)

* When choosing lemons you want to use organic if possible. They won’t have wax and pesticides on the peel. Choose thick-skinned lemons because they are easier to zest. The lemons must be yellow and not tinted with green.

Step One:
aaa ann7aaa ann8

Wash the lemons with a vegetable brush and hot water to remove any reside of pesticides or wax; pat the lemons dry.
Carefully zest the lemons with a zester or vegetable peeler so there is no white pith on the peel. Use only the outer part of the rind. The pith, the white part underneath the rind, is too bitter and would spoil your limoncello.
Step Two:

In a large glass jar (1-gallon jar with lid), add vodka.
Add the lemon zest as it is zested.
Cover the jar and let sit at room temperature for at least (10) ten days and up to (40) days in a cool dark place. The longer the mixture rests, the better the end taste will be.
There is no need to stir – all you have to do is wait. As the limoncello sits, the vodka slowly take on the flavor and rich yellow color of the lemon zest.


Step Three:

Make a Basic Simple Syrup using the 4 cups sugar and 5 cups water:
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and water; bring to a gentle boil and let boil, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and let the syrup cool before adding it to the Limoncello mixture.
Add cooled sugar mixture to the Limoncello mixture (from Step One). Cover jar and allow to rest for another 10 to 40 days.


Step Four:

After the rest period, strain the Limoncello; discarding the lemon zest. NOTE: Coffee filters or cheesecloth work great for straining the mixture. Moisten the filters before beginning the straining process. Pour strained Limoncello in bottle/bottles (of your choice) and seal tightly.
aaa ann9

Ways to serve other than just drinking (drinking is my favorite way): Refreshing and light, it is wonderful as a palate cleanser or as an after dinner drinks. It is an incomparable digestive, and with tonic water it is a sweet, tasty refreshment. It’s also great with champagne or mixed with juice as a cocktail. t even does well simply drizzled on ice cream, fruit salads, or fresh strawberries.

♦♦♦

Thank You Gina and Ann for finding these little items for us.  

Why wasn’t I born in Italy?  I like the food.  I like the drink.  I love the beauty of the country and  I sure love 3 of its sons!  Maybe next time.
~Marie

Concert Photos/Reviews, Editorials, Gianluca, Ignazio, Il Volo, Myron's Music Notes, Piero

Myron’s Music Notes ~ Pompeii

84 Comments

il volo pompeii

Il Volo – Live from Pompeii

Filmed on June 10, 2015 from Pompeii, Italy

This review is based upon August 7, Vegas-PBS presentation.

Looking back a few months ago I originally thought I would pass on writing a review of the Taormina concert. Then I changed my mind after watching it again and again. So I wrote the review posted here earlier this year. I do remember thinking that concert should have been the planned PBS special. I knew they were planning one last fall and aiming for Rome but the San Remo / Eurovision competition changed that schedule. They had always planned to do Pompeii but at that point it was raised to a greater level of importance. Tonight I am very glad they did the PBS Special in Pompeii. Taormina may be just a touch more romantic location but Pompeii more than makes up for that by its iconic historical position and representation of all of Italy. If you are going to take an Italian trio and put on a concert in Italy present to American audiences then Pompeii is the place.

I would like to make some comments along the way and then a summary at the end.

Grande Amore

First note is that I like the guys being staged in the middle of the orchestra several times in the beginning of the program and later. Grande Amore has always been a great song for them – works well for their voices and was arranged well just for them. Probably their new signature song. Very nice staging and great lighting. Much better planned than two years ago or the road tour concerts. This is an “Il Volo Song” for sure.

Io che non Vivo (You Don’t have to say you love me)

I prefer the version where first singer starts without orchestra – a capella (as they did in Taormina) and then orchestra comes in the fourth bar. Otherwise this is a great song for them. Orch./piano is a bit too strong on this. I love the new approach to the spoken “patter” that they use between songs. It is much more mature and at ease. It has a more natural feel or should I say they are more at home with it. Feels good and is enjoyable.

Beautiful That Way (La Vita e bella)

The beginning of this was a bit off in rhythm orchestra was not with Ginaluca. Small item which was corrected quickly. This was a lovely song and they enjoyed it as they got going. I wish they would not stage one person on the floor – Piero- while others are standing (reminds me of Christmas special – bad staging). Once again, I like the guys in the middle of the orchestra for a change of pace staging. Nice. This song grows on you. Watch how Ignazio does the transition to the next song off of this song.

New tonight for these concerts and shows: the guys introduce themselves for their solos and it is so much more relaxed and personal this way. I love this : Piero talks about this dream to sing grand opera and how he worked hard for this and how he hopes “he won’t disappoint us” – You gotta love this kid and his humble nature. That phrase really got me.

Piero – E Lucevan le Stelle – (from the opera “Tosca” by Puccini )

In the past we have watched as at first, they stayed away from opera, then two years later Piero and Gianluca did two songs from short operas and now Piero takes on a true aria from a full-scale opera and not just any opera – a great masterpiece by the great Puccini – the magnificent Tosca. We know Piero has wanted to do this for some time. And WOW ! ! did he do it ! Piero’s vowels and, therefore, sound is more wide open and larger now. This guy has really been working and how. As a voice teacher/coach I was absolutely thrilled over this performance. Bravo! to Piero !!!

Delilah

Very nice smooth transition on the staging for this. The guys have a ball singing and “acting “ this song out. The “fight” breaks out and we love it. Who gets the girl ? Ha!

Gianluca lets loose with some wild, powerful singing and he does it well (of course !). Watch that hair fly around. Ignazio and his “Tom Jones” styling. Piero singing his heart out. Funny song and fun to watch.

Caruso

This has always been one of my favorite songs of theirs. This time around the arrangement is different and the orchestration is very different. Sometimes the featured guitars are too loud and later the whole orchestra is too heavy but it still comes off very dramatic. Gianluca really digs into the soul of this wonderful piece. He is so focused in his energy delivery. All, in all, the guys are more focused in this whole concert than in the past. They are serious about the craft that it takes to make the art of singing. Wonderful and passion-filled song.

Quando l’amore diventa poesia

Also a nice song for delivering passion through music.

Gianluca – Anema e core (Heart and Soul)

Once again, I like that Gianluca introduces himself and his song and how he found it. So much more personal. I loved this song the first time I heard him sing it in Taormina with an accordian doing the solo work. This time they are using a soprano sax and he is very good at it. But I still feel the style of the song needs the accordian. Also, drums are too strong on this as is the sax during the verse. Gianluca sings it very beautifully. He can be so romantic when he is alone on an equally romantic song.

Volare

Well you can sure tell that the audience was ready for this song. The boys jumped into the deep end with both feet and had a wonderful, fun time singing this with audience involvement. This is great audience participation. Good old work horse of a song and it still is fun after all these years.

L’immensita

This was my one disappointment of the night. This was the weakest of the last seven song – album and here the performance was a little sloppy on the rhythm. Solo guitars and rhythm section were too loud under the singing. Ignazio does enjoy this song and does it so well. I wish they would have done “Ancore” or “Romantica” .

Ignazio – Unchained Melody

Once again, Ignazio introduces himself and his song. Love it. It is personal when he talks about his mother’s gift to his papa for the anniversary – this song. Ignazio sang his heart out on this one. This is such a good type of song for his voice. He was absolutely wonderful.

Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina)

Earlier we had fun with the audience and now we have fun out in the audience. A very catchy song from the recent album that is perfect for turning up the fun level with the audience.

Eternally

In the past we have had the song “Smile” written by the great film director and star, Charlie Chaplin and now from his movie “Limelight” we have the great song: Eternally. A great song for the end of the program. Beautiful melody and the guys have some wonderful solos and great harmony. The opening has a wonderful close-up of Gianluca singing the first verse. The camera is right in his face and he sings right to your soul. He has so much inside him to move your soul. This song provided each guy with a moment to shine but also provided some great harmony sections. This may well be one of the best of the night.

La Vita

This song is a nice up-tempo number and works well to finish the concert. I think that they have had some other songs that work better for ending a concert. They could have used their theme song again: “O Sole Mio”. I have nothing against this song but it just does not come off strong for a finale number.

But that is very trivial.

Over all my thoughts are that this is a very fine concert – maybe their best of the PBS concerts – with great choices of repertoire that fits the style and the voices of these three individual souls and talent. I do wish they would have included more from the recent album. My favorite songs of the new batch: Grande Amore and Eternally.

Now let me get personal. As someone who has known these guys since they were 16, 17 and 18 and I have also met them at five different times sometimes for just a few minutes and sometimes for a nice length of time. I have gotten to know them and I have always come away thinking what wonderful and sweet and charming young guys ( boys ) they are. What nice families they come from. Well, here it comes:

NEWS FLASH !!! THE BOYS HAVE GROWN UP !!! These are young men !

We all knew that already but this show brought it home in strong fashion. Based upon the evidence of this concert, this was a show presented by grown-ups.They were smooth and very professional in their presentation and in control of their show. They sang their hearts out for us. The technical side of the singing was flawless as usual and it is getting better and better. I am so pleased to find out that they still take their voice lessons and work with a voice coach and the proof is that they always get better.

Lord ! I do love these three. And now – – the USA/Canada Tour.

This time Las Vegas is on the list.

~Myron

Awards and Nominations, Gianluca, Il Volo Professional

Il Volo Professional ~~ Abruzzo Celebrates Gianluca and his Il Volo Brothers

15 Comments

Il Volovers OfficialHi, Everyone!

We just had a day to celebrate Ignazio’s amazing accomplishment –being named in the annals of  “Memory” alums for his contribution to that song’s history (Yay!)  Today, we recap last week’s celebrations in Gianluca’s honor.

In an email from Mary B., she summarized it all very succinctly with a few interesting items of history as well:

 

“Recently Gianluca experienced what the Abruzzo newspaper, The Messenger, described as “a week of fire.”
First the young Rosetan was named, “Ambassador of Abruzzo 2015” by the city of Roseto. The award for this honor was a statue depicting the warrior Capistrano, a well known historical figure. The original statue was found buried in the soil by a farmer while working in his field, and is now on display in the National Archaeological Museum of the Abruzzi in Chieti.

Gianluca was also given an award by the publishers of the Eldos News, who named him “World Ambassador of the city of Roseto degli Abruzzo.” This award was a plaque in gold and silver made by the prominent goldsmith, Roberto Talamonti. Piero and Ignazio were also included in this event, being named Honorary Citizens of Roseto and receiving awards printed on parchment and roses made of silver.”

Enjoy the photos/videos/articles below, and since all good things come in threes, I’m going to guess that there will be another reason to celebrate the amazing guys soon!   😉

~~ Kelly

 

Il Volo Abruzzo Facebook
Il Volo Abruzzo Facebook

 

 

Il Volo Links and News for August ~~ All About Il Volo

 

 

 

 

 

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

 

 

 

 

by Consiglio Abruzzo

 

Premio Rosetano dell’a a Gianluca Ginoble ~~ Il Volovers Italy Official Facebook

 

Stefania Orsini; Il Volovers Italy Official

Ecco a voi un video dall’evento di ieri sera a Roseto!
Grazie Alba!; Il Volovers Italy Official

 

 

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

 

 

Gianluca Received Recognition ~~ All About Il Volo

 

 

 

@oblò_fronte_del_mare; Il Volovers Italy Official

 

 

Maristella Urbini; Il Volovers Italy Official

 

 

 

Il Volo a Roseto: Ginoble ambasciatore nel mondo, Piero, Ignazio e il manager Torpedine cittadini onorari ~~ http://www.cityrumors.it (article and video)

 

 

 

Maristella Urbini; Il Volovers Italy Official

 

 

 

Giulia D’Anteo Photographer – Oltre l’obiettivo ~~ Giulia D’Anteo Photographer – Oltre l’obiettivo Facebook

 

 

 

by Rete 8

Site News

Happy Anniversary, Il Volo Flight Crew! Our Present to You…

24 Comments

 

annivers

 

 

MysteryGift

Hi Everyone!

Can you believe that it’s been two years?  I can’t; the time has really flown.  Thank you so much for you comments.  I hope that you have enjoyed the time as much as I and are looking forward to many more years.  🙂

Marie mentioned that we had something planned for today, and I hope you’ll be as excited as we are.  But first, you might need a little back history.  When we started here on WordPress, we got started and then learned a lot of things as we went;  we didn’t know all the functions/capabilities of the website.  One of these areas was with our pictures.

You know we have lots of them here, and we will keep putting them up until we run out of space for storage….but….. that created a bit of a problem for us.  When we went to our media library everything was so disorganized that we couldn’t find pictures that we knew we had used before, and we realized that our readers couldn’t go back to look at pictures easily either.  Since we are always looking for ways to make this site better, we came up with a way to fix it, and thank our lucky stars that a volunteer answered Marie’s plea for “clerical” help.

Julie B. has been a godsend and somehow has been able organize all of our pictures into Photo Galleries for everyone’s enjoyment…and we are opening those galleries today!

 

2col_lg_gallery_open_sign_in_frt_of_shop

 

Julie has done an amazing job organizing all the photos and suggesting how best they should be featured, and we are really happy with the results.  Thank you, Julie!  Marie and I so appreciate you doing this for us — all of us!

 

heart clip art

 

I think everyone is a pro at using the site now, but for anyone that isn’t sure, here is a quick tutorial of our GALLERIES and how to browse them:

gallery1

Find the GALLERIES link on the left side of you screen.

 

 

gallery2

Hover over the link with your cursor, and a sub-menu will pop up.   If you click on GALLERIES instead of hovering, there is a pretty introduction page only; there are no interactive links.

 

gallery3Slide you cursor over to the year you would like to look through, and a list of that year’s months will show up.  If you click on the YEAR you want, there is a pretty introduction page only; there are no interactive links.

 

 

gallery5You can slide your cursor again over the month you would like to search through for a list of events in that month, or you can click on the month itself.  Clicking on the month will bring up a Table of Contents page.  Each event listed on that page is a link that will also take you into the gallery…gallery6

 

 

 

 

gallery7You can look through the pictures on the gallery page, or you can click on a photo to look at it more closely.

 

 

 

gallery8Easily scroll through the pictures with the arrows on the side.

 

 

 

gallery9Go back to the blog home page by clicking the “x” .

 

 

 

I hope you’ll enjoy looking through all the photos — they go all the way back to when we started in August of 2013.  Happy Anniversary, everyone! 

~~ Kelly