Daniela ponders the question, “Do I have friends who write in a superb way, or is the IL VOLO that charms them?” I think it’s definitely both, Daniela!
After so many months of waiting, finally arrived on June 1, 2017, the day of the concert I would attend, but not any one, in Taormina, in the pearl of my Sicily: “To a man who would spend a single day in Sicily and ask, ‘What do you need to see?’, I would answer without hesitation ‘Taormina’ …. The village is suspended on a large mountain, as it was rolled from the top. Even though we have beautiful remains of the past, we only cross it, to see the Greek theater and watch the sunset. The Taormina’ theater is so superbly placed that there can not be another place in the world like this. Guy de Maupassant. “
I arrive in the “Queen of the Jonio” in the afternoon together with another crazy like me, before the concert we have to meet a friend of Facebook and know her son who plays in the orchestra that accompanies the guys of Il Volo in Sicilian concerts. Taormina is like the usual crowded, loud and colorful. Together we make some chatter and some gossip, take pictures, walk around and calmly walk to the theater. Near the entrance we welcome the son of my friend, who came out of the backstage. Then she goes back, the ticket has it for another day, and we go to the theater, the scenery even though I know well, it always strikes me, it is not something that can be indifferent! Awesome place to take place, it’s not my first Il Volo concert, but I’m always anxious just because I know what’s waiting for me, all the theater is in a hurry, people find themselves, recognize, discuss and ride with strangers encountered at the moment, we exchange impressions, and we hear so many different languages, before us for example there is a pair of Japanese, and so many Americans. This too is a prodigy of IL VOLO: it joins people of different ages, continents and cultures! After waiting for a palpable tension, cheerfulness and expectation, the orchestra enters, and here the applause starts, the first instrumental piece, “The Force of Destiny”, is performed, no song was ever more appropriate. And then…. If by chance we were distracted, the ocean boat did not leave any doubt, the three guys got in the scene! For me it’s like reviewing family members, so I perceive them, and I do not think I’m the only one.
Already in the first notes, a spell goes down and wraps up the theater, heaven has opened! Their magnificent, sublime voices, both in solitude and in harmony, annihilate! They are powerful, but also sweet and caring! Gianluca is always perfect, his deep and velvety tonality becomes more painful every day, he is soft and insinuating but on occasion he has an unexpected force, he says the Opera is not in his strings, but that does not prevent him from being very great even in lyrical pieces. What about Piero? He has always been the “lyrical” of the group and he feels, his mighty voice is loaded with emotion as well as with technique, shaken from the depths, you are astonished to listen to him, unable to believe his young age! And then there is Ignazio who can pass in a moment with the funny expression when he jokes, the suffering and passionate when he sings, reaches incredibly high notes with a loud, loud voice, or whispers subtly and succinctly, moves you or exalts you his pleasure! You can not fully understand the talent and value of these beautiful artists if they have not been heard live.
The concert takes place between solos, duets and heavenly harmonies, with the three musketeers who appear to be born on stage, so they are the bosses of the situation. They laugh, they are relaxed and happy, they go around, talk to the public, poor Gianluca put in the middle by the two Sicilian mates, as if they were not on a unique stage in the world, showing not to make any effort to sing a repertoire that would scare everyone else! The millennial stones remain obscured, The sea, the stars, the Etna that rivalry by magic with what is happening on stage seem to be asking: but these three unpunished as they dare to steal the scene? Then they too enchanted, listened to the kidnapped and the most beautiful ones that never cooperate in the sorcery! What is the secret arcane that characterizes IL VOLO? They have a malia on them (a spell that carries you to them); the voices are wonderful, of course, constant study, too, professionalism and dedication, but there is more, something else difficult to pinpoint and define, which is felt but can not be explained, every word is reductive. In addition to the vocal cords, the soul vibrates, expose it together with the voices and invests you like a wind with the sound waves! The audience is visibly at every performance, standing ovations and enthusiasm not to end, the guys are almost embarrassed, mitigate the emotion with jokes that tease laughter between emotion! I look like a teenage girl and I’m giggling in applause and screaming impetuously, with my girlfriend who looks at me with open mouth, but she is no less.
When the cheerful air begins “Libiamo Ne Lieti Calici”, we all realize that the concert turns to the end, the two hours seemed two minutes. The guys come out and the audience shouts to go back, what they do right away, and blow up the classic clothes along with the papillon (a bow tie), who so much suffered Ignazio all evening, pitch in with the audience Grande Amore, having finally run to stage and mingle with greetings and shaking hands! Then I do something I’ve never done for anyone even in youth, I go under the stage and grab the hand of the first of them shouting, loudly saying all three are good; I think I’m crazy !! The music stops and the lights go out, the show is over, for a while restless to look at the empty scene, with a subtle sense of loss, my friend pulls me for the sleeve, we have to go. And I went slowly and malevolently, but my heart remained in that theater, where for two hours, three normal, funny, fun boys became transformed immense, overwhelming the physical limits and transported me to an alternative world, of joy and harmony … what mysterious goal is this ever?
Daniela, I hope your friends will come and join the Flight Crew and continue to write these amazing reviews for us!
Translation by Daniela Perani.
Credit to owner of photo.