After Sanremo and Eurovision, the guys were riding high! Italy opened its eyes, and their fate was sealed! The Grande Amore Tour had them spinning but perhaps their proudest moments were PALASPORT 2016 at home with the Italian people. I like to go back and watch these videos because I can see how much the guys enjoyed these concerts. I thought about how the guys are preparing for the upcoming World Tour. So, I went back Through the Field of My Mind, and I pulled some of these videos. Then I remembered an article by Daniela where she wrote about an interview with some of the people behind the scenes and it was very interesting so, I decided to put it all together and relive PALASPORT 2016
These last months the Morricone project has brought the guy’s center stage doing one interview after another. Endless interviews! It was the same after Sanremo. In that period the guys had so many interviews and they had to repeat the same answers over and over again.
I decided to give the guys a break and let someone else do the talking. So, instead of all those questions and answers let’s look at an interview by the technical team from 2016 while we listen to the wonderful voices of Il Volo!
The date is 2016 and the Grande Amore Tour is under way between Italy, Europe and America.
The guys are already into the tour but there is always the fine-tuning for each concert. The crew is together, and they will lead us through the technicalities but without all the long technical parts.
This interview was written for the Sound & Lite newspaper.
IL VOLO – Live Palasport 2016 by Douglas Cole
They call this “Pòpera” a resurgence of opera in the field of popular music and a phenomenon that, in our humble opinion, returns a little faith in the ability of the general public to discern a true capacity for musical performance … because taste apart, the talent and work necessary to develop virtuosity with the lyric voice as an instrument are undeniable. So far, in this latest return of classical singing, the foreign public has been more receptive than the Italians.
Il Volo became the first Italian group in history to directly sign a record deal in America, before that in Italy.
Since the release of the first album, this trio has been almost constantly on tour in North America, South America, Europe and Italy.
In 2012, in addition to a tour in Latin America and the Il Volo Takes Flight tour in the United States, the group also did a very rare (and very successful) tour with Barbra Streisand, which cemented their fame in American pop. Since then, every year they do at least two Il Volo tours on at least two continents.
Having been taken away to America at the very beginning of their career and despite a large number of concerts in Italy, since the beginning of last year with the almost fortuitous victory of “Grande Amore” at the Sanremo Festival and with the consequent representation of Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest (third place, but with the prize of the press), Il Volo was still rather unknown in our country (Italy).
2015, on the other hand, marked the true return to the homeland, with their new album Sanremo Grande Amore which earned a triple platinum record, and a very successful summer tour, culminating in a big event at the Arena di Verona in September, re-transmitted in prime time on RAI 1. Well … better late than never: welcome home, guys!
I absolutely love this video because the whole audience sang with them. It really was a welcome home, Sign of Approval!
We crossed this tour more or less halfway, on a date at the Unipol Arena in Bologna, where we found the production manager,Eliana Dalila Biondi.
Elinana:I have been working for Michele Torpedine since 2011. In 2013, during a tour in South America, Michele asked me to follow the production. I am Argentine and, as a matter of language, I was the right person for the role. In that case we did a tour with local productions, 28 dates in 50 days …
This year, instead, it was decided to take the step, organizing the tour in the arenas. We have prepared this project together with Francesco de Cave (lights and show-design) for a world tour, which starts from Italy and then goes to the United States and then back to Europe.
Douglas: With the whole production?
Eliana: In Italy and the United States with the entire production, while in Europe we use local production materials, and we bring the direction, with us.
Douglas: Is this production a big leap forward compared to last summer?
Eliana:Yes, because this summer fundamentally focused on natural scenery: Taormina and other picturesque places where there was no need for much. The guys really don’t need much … they do the show. (Truer words were never spoken)
Douglas: The boys already seem very good at working the stage with professionalism!
Eliana:They are very confident of their abilities, in a positive sense, so they are never arrogant. They’ve been doing this job since they were 14, so they grew up on music and the stage. They have security dictated by experience. On stage they create a very nice atmosphere, thanks to their jokes and complicity with the public they have created over time and in many live performances.
Douglas: How many are you on tour?
Eliana:About sixty, and if we add the orchestra of as many as 34 elements in each city … we arrive at a beautiful number.
Douglas:Are the orchestras different at each stage?
Eliana:Unlike last summer, where there was always the same orchestra, this year due to a calendar issue we chose to take local orchestras.
Douglas: Logistically, for orchestral music rehearsals, how do you do it?
Eliana: There is a lot of work that is done upstream. All the material of the repertoire is collected, and our musical director sends it in advance to the orchestras who do the tests independently. Then there were also rehearsals with the Maestro who, whenever possible, anticipated the production to be able to listen and guide the orchestras before the concert … maybe even the morning of the show or, even, in the case of back-to-back long, a few hours before the concert!
Douglas: I ask Alessio Guerrieri, stage director, if it is difficult to manage, such as artists, Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca.
Alessio:Absolutely not! Indeed: they are very good. They are not used to doing great tests … in fact when Francesco De Cave arrived, who was new to the production and was planning the show, he asked me: ‘But how will we explain a show to them in two days?’ I reassured him by telling him that he had to do only the lineup and explain the dynamics of the show: the artists would do exactly what was required of them, every time. In fact, they come from a lyrical musical setting and training, so they have a completely different kind of discipline. Since they have to do a precise warm-up routine, they have to eat and do everything according to a fixed schedule. If the show is at 9pm, for example, you know they have to eat at 6pm, and they do the same things every day. They are very square, and this is our luck. It is also important as a form of respect. If they give me the time of the show, I send the orchestra at 8:55 pm and the artists are on stage at 9:00 pm. To date we have never started a minute late. They are very professional and attentive to these things. And I assure you that it is not at all obvious.
Douglas: (Asked the sound engineer, Enrico Belli.) How much does the show depend on the orchestra?
Enrico:Very much of course for classic songs. They are songs that the singers sing singularly (in fact they don’t always sing in three, but they also make duets and solo pieces) mostly on classical works that almost completely depend on the orchestra and the piano.
Douglas: We also ask the lighting operator, Emanuele Vangelatos, for an opinion.
Emanuele: In the show there is a good balance between the most static scenes, used on classic, beautiful, colored pieces, developed in depth along with the video, and the more dynamic ones of the pop songs, in which we also push a lot, because we have projectors able to move the scene a lot.
The pieces of the solos, which are almost all purely lyrical, are in fact illuminated with very static and intimate, almost theatrical scenes. When there are the pieces in trio, plus pop, there is a director behind them, and the director has also coordinated and agreed about the movements of the artists on stage.
Paradoxically, says the engineer, despite their young age, they have several years of experience on stage. The presence is there, and the public greatly appreciates it. Everywhere we did the full: it is a confirmation of the fact that they are also strong in Italy.”
Despite my personal tastes, I respect the musical talent of any kind without reservation, and I appreciate a majestic performance of any kind. I didn’t know Il Volo before and when I was told what kind of concert it would be, I was very afraid of having to suffer the evening.
Instead, it is a really pleasant concert. It was taken for granted that the boys were good at singing, but the lineup includes so many songs with an almost universal familiarity that the interest never drops – even during the moments of speech, in which the artists show total control of the stage and the audience. I am amazed by the audience, made up equally of teenage girls and elderly men out for an annual evening, often with the two categories combined in groups of grandparents with their grandchildren: universal appeal!
The mix is very well done, with an orchestra that even seems to come from recorded tracks (called as a compliment!) and a very sensitive hand in following the dynamics of that type of voice taken with handheld microphones. The sound in the room is very beautiful, especially in the platea (the central and lower part of the theater). We believe that a couple of delays would not have done any harm to offer a greater direct reflection relationship at the back of the room.
The visual spectacle is truly remarkable. The effect of the video that comes out and incorporates the orchestra is really effective. The inevitable central staircase to the Broadway, with skyline in LED, immediately imposes the tone of the show, but it is anything but a static set design. Even the light design is very flexible: sometimes it offers bandstand show lighting, with colorful or white scenes combined with graphics and lights, in others it looks like a pop or rock music show with backlight.
I think Daniela said it best when she said, in the original article, “I was pleased to read the admiration towards our guys, from the technical team that supports them on their travels.
It is a very important thing and makes us understand the harmony in the team, also due to the seriousness of Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca, guys sometimes jokers, but also real professionals.”
Exactly right Daniela!
And now we await the World Tour. With less than two months to go, I’m sure the guys are busy putting the finishing touches on the setlist. I’m sure it includes many songs we are familiar with and the wonderful new songs from Il Volo Sings Morricone. And as was mentioned earlier, all the material of the repertoire are collected in advance, and the musical director sends it in advance to the orchestras who work independently. When they arrive on stage in March all teams will be ready to go!
I want to sum this article up by saying, our guys have total control of the stage and the audience. The music in each concert is framed and the setlist is run according to their audience. In some cases, the music in Italy will be different from that of North America or South America but the classics always remain. But above all Italy may have been the last to get on the bandwagon but I’m sure you noticed when they did, they went all out! The trio becomes an auditorium of singers!
They certainly have universal appeal!
And for your listening pleasure here is the complete concert from Milan. Part 1 and Part 2
I must say I enjoyed reliving PALASPORT 2016 and I hope you enjoyed it too!
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
Thank you once again Susan for a very interesting article even though it was revisited from some years ago. It made very interest reading. You can now appreciate just how much work goes into getting the show on the road. Our boys make it look so easy and effortless but it just goes to show how hard they work in the background to give us an evening of pure entertainment and enjoyment. Please keep up the good work Susan along with your colleagues who make it possible for us to get to know our singers a little better. Thank you xxx )
A good look at what being “on the road” looks like. Having been to see them in person, this takes on the expanded view. It brought back memories of being on the road and the comradery and rhythm of the whole troupe. Each day the same and yet different. The ticket price doesn’t begin to give and idea of all that went into bringing the show to you.
Thanks, Susan – always interesting, and the videos are fun too.
As another example of their professionalism, I’d like to mention the concert in Dubrovnik when Gianluca’s earpiece wasn’t working. Piero was on next, and a minute later Ignazio, who, after singing his phrase, replaced the defective item with a new one–all the time holding his mic with his other hand. And Gian didn’t miss a note while this was going on, even though he probably couldn’t hear himself. Pretty amazing.
We know our boys are extremely professional, polite and dedicated but isn’t it nice to hear the people that travel with them to reaffirm this? This was a good look at what goes on to get them to where we see them on stage. Makes me happy that even the workers think they are great too !
What an interesting article, Susan. Great to find out what goes on behind the scenes, the planning, set-up and finally the concert. It isn’t just stand up behind a mic and sing!!! The people who work with them are truly impressed, as well they should be. Our boys are a credit to their families and Italy!
Thanks, Susan. Palasport was so entertaining and informative. Nice to see some of the videos from somewhat earlier. So much work goes into a concert and I was surprised at the large number of people who travel on tours with the artists.
Bardzo, bardzo dziękuję za każdą relację, za każdą piosenkę, za każdy koncert. Nie masz pojęcia jaką wielką radość sprawiasz swoimi cyklicznymi opowieściami o naszych ulubieńcach. Pozdrawiam z Polski.
Just a note in passing. What to do on a very cold day just outside the coldest capital of the world, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada? After a couple of hours doing one of my Christmas present puzzles, I though I’d check to see what was on television. While scrolling through the channels, what did I come across but IL VOLO’S TRIBUTE TO MORRICONE!!! It was from the western city of Seattle, in the state of Washington! What better way to put in a couple of hours? Actually, after the pledge requests, there was only an hour left of the one and a half hour show. But, I got to live the concert over again and enjoyed it tremendously once more.
Lucky you! I watched it five times during pledge programming on New York and/or Vermont PBS just before Christmas 2021 but I wish they would play it again.
Susan, thanks so much for another insightful article, especially helpful for those of us who discovered Il Volo recently. 🙂
Thanks to Daniela, too, for the original article. 🙂
For those who would like to view the Tribute to Morricone Concert again, please try the link below.
Hope it works for you!
Hear ye, hear ye. Never give up. When you least expect it, something unexpected and nice will happen! In a family of computer geniuses who rarely address my technological challenges, it takes a suggestion from Singapore to find the link for the complete June 5 concert – clear and comprehensive even without ads! Sure, you can see it on PBS, but they cut out all the details to fit their hour and their begging time.
Deepest gratitude to Peckyin, Singapore for the right place at the right time for me. I’ve had a beautiful evening!
Thank you, Peckyin, for the complete performance. I watched it in three sittings today. I think PBS showed the best parts but it was nice to see it all. Have stored it in my Il Volo folder for all time!
Thank you once again Susan for a very interesting article even though it was revisited from some years ago. It made very interest reading. You can now appreciate just how much work goes into getting the show on the road. Our boys make it look so easy and effortless but it just goes to show how hard they work in the background to give us an evening of pure entertainment and enjoyment. Please keep up the good work Susan along with your colleagues who make it possible for us to get to know our singers a little better. Thank you xxx )
A good look at what being “on the road” looks like. Having been to see them in person, this takes on the expanded view. It brought back memories of being on the road and the comradery and rhythm of the whole troupe. Each day the same and yet different. The ticket price doesn’t begin to give and idea of all that went into bringing the show to you.
Thanks, Susan – always interesting, and the videos are fun too.
As another example of their professionalism, I’d like to mention the concert in Dubrovnik when Gianluca’s earpiece wasn’t working. Piero was on next, and a minute later Ignazio, who, after singing his phrase, replaced the defective item with a new one–all the time holding his mic with his other hand. And Gian didn’t miss a note while this was going on, even though he probably couldn’t hear himself. Pretty amazing.
Judi, That moment is so impressive. No words needed.
The speed and accuracy of a magician. Thanks.
Wonderful article. Just curious as to why you showed Piero and Ignazio’s solos but not Gianluca’s solo–did I miss it.
We know our boys are extremely professional, polite and dedicated but isn’t it nice to hear the people that travel with them to reaffirm this? This was a good look at what goes on to get them to where we see them on stage. Makes me happy that even the workers think they are great too !
What an interesting article, Susan. Great to find out what goes on behind the scenes, the planning, set-up and finally the concert. It isn’t just stand up behind a mic and sing!!! The people who work with them are truly impressed, as well they should be. Our boys are a credit to their families and Italy!
Thanks, Susan. Palasport was so entertaining and informative. Nice to see some of the videos from somewhat earlier. So much work goes into a concert and I was surprised at the large number of people who travel on tours with the artists.
Bardzo, bardzo dziękuję za każdą relację, za każdą piosenkę, za każdy koncert. Nie masz pojęcia jaką wielką radość sprawiasz swoimi cyklicznymi opowieściami o naszych ulubieńcach. Pozdrawiam z Polski.
Just a note in passing. What to do on a very cold day just outside the coldest capital of the world, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada? After a couple of hours doing one of my Christmas present puzzles, I though I’d check to see what was on television. While scrolling through the channels, what did I come across but IL VOLO’S TRIBUTE TO MORRICONE!!! It was from the western city of Seattle, in the state of Washington! What better way to put in a couple of hours? Actually, after the pledge requests, there was only an hour left of the one and a half hour show. But, I got to live the concert over again and enjoyed it tremendously once more.
Lucky you! I watched it five times during pledge programming on New York and/or Vermont PBS just before Christmas 2021 but I wish they would play it again.
Susan, thanks so much for another insightful article, especially helpful for those of us who discovered Il Volo recently. 🙂
Thanks to Daniela, too, for the original article. 🙂
For those who would like to view the Tribute to Morricone Concert again, please try the link below.
Hope it works for you!
https://youtu.be/yGAPkFn6dno
Best Regards,
Peckyin, Singapore.
Hear ye, hear ye. Never give up. When you least expect it, something unexpected and nice will happen! In a family of computer geniuses who rarely address my technological challenges, it takes a suggestion from Singapore to find the link for the complete June 5 concert – clear and comprehensive even without ads! Sure, you can see it on PBS, but they cut out all the details to fit their hour and their begging time.
Deepest gratitude to Peckyin, Singapore for the right place at the right time for me. I’ve had a beautiful evening!
Thank you, Peckyin, for the complete performance. I watched it in three sittings today. I think PBS showed the best parts but it was nice to see it all. Have stored it in my Il Volo folder for all time!