In a few days the guys will step on a plane in Italy and step off in North America where the magic will begin again so, Get Those Cell Phones Ready!
Where have these last two years gone? It seems like so long ago, yet it seems like yesterday. Perhaps because the guys, more than ever, never left us. When past concerts were over the guys went home spent a short time with their families and then out on tour again. But this time, they stayed home with their families and stood by our side for two years. They entertained us. Kept us apprised of projects they were working on. And kept us up to date with their lives. This unusual event brought us closer to them. It gave us a new feeling of togetherness and family!
And what they’ve done in two years is amazing! They have a new face! They’ve matured and when we greet them, we will see a new beginning for them. No, they haven’t given up the Bel canto, they’ve added it to it with their beautiful Morricone collection. I think the biggest difference we will see is in the production!
We all found ourselves on an unusual journey these last two, two and a half years! Life as we knew it changed so much so that we almost forget how great it was before! But now we come away with an even better understanding of what lies ahead and as the North American concert dates draw closer, we wait and anticipate the moment we will live it LIVE!
Each one of us has a great memory of past concerts. For me, of course, it’s Radio City Music Hall!
Radio City Music Hall February 6, 2020
But what I love more than anything is looking back at the beginning of their career and watching how they grew! One of the nice things about living in New York is you get all the interviews and promos firsthand!
In the late summer of 2011, the guys were getting ready for their first North American Tour. This involved a lot of preparation and a lot of appearances on TV talk shows to pave the way! I remember watching them on “Good Morning America” and thinking this is going to be an amazing journey for them. They had so much going for them but above all they had their youth! Their voices were enticing and, they were adorable! Every teenage girl was going to fall in love with them. So would their mothers, and above all the grandmothers! It was the beginning of a journey that was going to take them to every corner of the earth. They would steal the hearts of all who came into contact with them. And, given their age, we could count on their music being around for a long time.
That was the thing about their music, it came from the past, fit right into the present and would go well into the future. Everyone would come to love it! Yes, there were others who sang the same songs but, they were not Il Volo! Only Il Volo could pierce our hearts with their beautiful voices and leave us memories that would grow with age and expand with every new song!
Before there was Radio City Music Hall there was the Detroit Opera House December 2011. This was their true introduction to America! Their PBS Special opened a door to one of the most exciting events in music!
No question they were on a rollercoaster that was headed for the stars! In this PBS special, I realized how special Il Volo was! This was the moment I knew what love was because I fell in love with three handsome teenagers!
Staying with the early days….
From the very first moment they stole the hearts of the American people! How was it possible three teenagers could have such amazing voices. America wanted more….
Their first morning show was The Talk where our guys were first introduced on American TV.
Then there was The Today Show where they sang “Smile”….
During the last days of summer in September of 2011, the guys were taping the “Today” show. They were teenagers and they were belting out their favorite song “O Sole Mio” in front of projections of stained-glass windows. Their appearance capped a few months that brought them from “American Idol” to the morning talk shows to the final episode of “Entourage.” The idea was carefully designed to expose them to both mothers and daughters, before their first North American tour, which included theaters like the Beacon Theater in Manhattan.
In the NBC studio at Rockefeller Center, a sleepy-eyed Gianluca, 16, crooned the opening verse, and Piero, 18, and Ignazio, who was turning 17 the following Tuesday, released ringing high notes. Hoda Kotb, “Today’s” co-host, put her hand on her heart and smiled wistfully behind the cameras.
“We are Il Volo,” Ignazio said at the end with a heavy accent and a dimpled grin. “It means ‘flight.’ Thank you for flying with us!
After the taping Hoda said, “Believe me, everyone’s going to come running. They’re going to beat down the door.” How right she was!
So, let’s go to that moment the guys waited for from their first visit to America! The moment their dreams came true!
Radio City Music Hall….
Let’s watch some special videos from September 27, 2013, their first time performing at Radio City Music Hall. The first video says it all!
Let the show begin….
Who was more excited? Us or Them?
Can you imagine any other group stopping a show to express their feelings and above all sharing it with their fans. That’s what makes these guys special. We, the fans, are included in everything! Totally amazing!
Let’s move forward a bit and stop at February 6, 2020. Their last phenomenal performance at Radio City! And let’s begin with their solos….
Ignazio’s riveting rendition of “Tonight!”
Gianluca’s sensational “She’s Always a Woman!”
Piero’s Vibrant “Love Story!”
Extremely emotional moments for all of us!
And then, together the excitement continues….
Those absolutely emotional moments.
And the absolute joy when the audience joins in!
This is the joy that is IL Volo!
If you haven’t already booked one of the upcoming concerts, there’s still time….
Now, I want to jump forward to their most recent concert at Tagliacozzo….
I am grateful to our own Daniela Perani for the beautiful description she gave us of this concert in her article, Il Volo: Concert in Tagliacozzo.
So, what was it about this article that captured me? Giorgio Algherini.
Since Daniela couldn’t go to the concert, Giorgio said he would send her pictures. Well, he did more than that! What he sent her was some of the most beautiful comments about the concert and his description of his first live concert of Il Volo.
In the past, Giorgio has taken pictures of the guys including the pictures of them at St. Peter’s Square, but this was the first actual concert he attended. Let me turn it over to Giorgio Algherini to give you an eyewitness account of what he experienced that evening at Tagliacozzo….
It was my first live Il Volo concert.
I have always followed them on TV from their first appearances on “TI LASCIO UNA CANZONE”, now years ago.
Now that I’ve heard them in concert, I have a very strong and positive opinion of them.
I attended the soundcheck and their voices had already amazed me, but live they are wonderful.
The concert was of absolute professionalism in all its nuances, even in terms of acoustics, lights, orchestra, the whole organization, beautiful location. The conductor, Jacopo Sipari di Pescasseroli, besides being my friend, is a great professional.
Il Volo conducted the whole concert without any flaws, without holes (he means without pauses).
The audience was absolutely ecstatic, applause and … I will tell you when they went down to sing in the midst of everyone, the delirium …. each of the three, went down to different sectors in the audience and created panic, absolutely brilliant to share certain moments with the fans.
The audience has always acclaimed them in each of their songs and the moments of talk between one song and another.
Difficult to choose a better song for me, all to applause!
Surely their voice have matured a lot, the result of studies, I believe, in addition to their gift that nature has reserved for them. Surely those who believed in them are to be admired, then I know that at the beginning they were followed in America for almost two years, by many professionals.
They all three voices are absolutely clean, beautiful and deep, in my opinion Ignazio seems more incisive but the choice is very difficult.
I hear many people who ignore Il Volo, then however, when you attend their lives, you understand that there are bad, incompetent and very envious people. I do not consider myself a great connoisseur of music but … here it is not difficult to understand what is in those voices.
Of the national press, which hardly ever writes about them, more than journalists, I consider them pennivendoli. (pens, sold)
I went to the concert with two fan friends, which was the seventh concert they attended, plus a friend who is almost always in Rai and was greatly admired, even though she already knew them very well.
Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca, are absolutely of a kindness unique. Personally, I was lucky enough last night to be close to them after the concert, 3 delightful guys, playful, easy-going, never over the top, absolutely humble!
Yesterday there was the whole family of Gianluca and his grandfather, very friendly.
During the concert, there was a very beautiful thing, a very, very meaningful photo. They brought a little boy up on stage….the shrewdness of this child who sang with them, really touching. It was a beautiful moment, very touching and also to laugh at.
Giorgio went on to say….
Courtesy of my friend Giancarlo Gneme, present at the concert, could I not post it? It was such a fun moment for everyone and the love that the guys from “Il Volo” have for Mattia!
Thanks to Monica Carducci, Mattia’s mother for allowing us to publish videos and photos!
Monica said: Here is the video of when Piero Barone called Mattia, who, up to that moment, had not stopped singing for a second, asking the security to take him on stage! Mattia, who lives for music, I think it was the most beautiful of his life ….. indescribable!
Monica Carducci (Mattia’s mother) to Giorgio Algherini: we lived a crazy dream …. Mattia is a driver who wins hearts, it is his innate gift.
The boys of ‘Il Volo’ are of a crazy humanity …. And with them a lot of people present at the concert who showed us so much affection. A beautiful music page performed by three great artists but also a great message of humanity. Mattia loves music and also sings very well.
He had never been on a stage of this thickness, and he was very charged …. I sincerely hope he will soon meet these wonderful artists again …. He faces many trials, sometimes even tough ones, but the little lion that is in him makes him love life without reserve and music is all his life, lymph that gives him great emotions. Thanks to all of you, really.
Those three big-hearted boys noticed the passion for music of that ‘wren’ who sang among the large audience and when Ignazio, Piero and Gianluca asked the security to bring him up ….. I could not believe my eyes!
Thank you for giving my baby an emotion that is impossible to describe … really so much bigger than him!
When Mattia got off that stage …. he held me tight and tight and whispered to me…. ‘Mom, I’m happy!’
I saw you next to three splendid voices, I saw you sure of yourself ….. and as always ….. you glowed.
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU ….
Please take time to read Daniela’s article it is beautiful.
So, let me close by saying you need to Get Those Cell Phones Ready because the concerts are just around the corner.
Having said that, I want to mention something that the guys said. Since people started taking photos and videos at the concerts, they seem to be so involved that they are missing something important. The guys miss the uproar and applause at the end of each song. They love the standing ovations, but it was wonderful hearing the applause and watching the reaction of the audience.
So, fans, remember, stop recording at the end of the songs and start showing the guys how much you love them. Applause! Applause! Applause!
I know the guys will be anxiously waiting for you at the concerts and I will be waiting for you at Radio City Music Hall. See you there!
One last word, many of you have asked about my book! On September 9th, 2022, my book “Welcoming the Christ Child with Padre Pio,” will be released at the Padre Pio Foundation of America, 463 Main Street, Cromwell, CT. A book signing will take place from 9 am – 2 pm. If you live in the Tri-State area, come and join me. I would love to meet you!
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
If you would like to share a story with me, please email: susan.flightcrew@yahoo.com
To read more Il Volo stories visit us at www.ilvoloflightcrw.com
From Japan to Abruzzo, here we are in Tagliacozzo for the closing of the Midsummer Festival. This concert was not included, in the Il Volo program, but it was added with great pleasure.
This is the beautiful Piazza Obelisco where Il Volo will perform. It is a pity not to be present, but a friend of mine, a good photographer, Giorgio Algherini, who managed to photograph Il Volo in St. Peter’s Square during the armored exhibition of Christmas 2020 (due to Covid), he’ll be there.
Here is one of his photos during rehearsals in December 2020.
Therefore, Giorgio is present and will give us an account of the concert.
Let’s start with the view of the square, but I leave the floor to Giorgio.
Giorgio: Impressive at first glance, almost everything ready, only the final touches and … here we are! The Midsummer festival in Tagliacozzo has always, every year, its charm and its great growth thanks to the dedication of fantastic people, including Chiara Nanni councilor for culture and entertainment, the Mayor of Tagliacozzo and the artistic direction of the master Jacopo Sipari Of Pescasseroli.
Giorgio: We are almost at the start !!
Giorgio and I spoke just before the concert began and he promised me that he would contact me the next day, instead at 11:30 pm immediately after the end of the concert, I received this nice comment from him that encompasses everything.
Pure magic, unique show, wonderfully good, stratospheric, even humanly speaking.
So the next day he sent me his shots that I put here for you immediately, and then he kindly agreed to answer my questions, the result of which you will read immediately after.
Some videos by Giorgio Algherini.
CARUSO
GRANADA
Giorgio: Closing of the Midsummer Festival in Tagliacozzo with Il Volo concert.
Every word is superfluous, WONDERFUL EVENING I would say stratospheric from every point of view, thanks, thanks to Il Volo, and thanks to the whole organization.
GRANDE AMORE – click the photo below to view the video
And here are the impressions of Giorgio Algherini:
It was my first live Il Volo concert. I have always followed them on TV from the first appearances to “TI LASCIO UNA CANZONE”, now years ago.
Now that I’ve heard them in concert, I have a very strong and positive opinion of them.
I attended the soundcheck and their voices had already amazed me, but live they are wonderful.
The concert was of absolute professionalism in all its nuances, even in terms of acoustics, lights, orchestra, the whole organization, beautiful location. The conductor, Jacopo Sipari di Pescasseroli, besides being my friend, is a great professional.
Il Volo conducted the whole concert without any flaws, without holes (he means without pauses).
The audience was absolutely ecstatic, applause and … I won’t tell you when they went down to sing in the midst of everyone, the delirium …. each of the three, went down to different sectors in the audience and created panic, absolutely brilliant to share certain moments with the fans.
The audience has always acclaimed them in each of their songs and the moments of talk between one song and another.
Difficult to choose a better song for me, all to applause !! Surely their voice has matured a lot, the result of studies, I believe, in addition to their gift that nature has reserved for them. Surely those who believed in them are to be admired, then I know that at the beginning they were followed in America for almost two years, by many professionals.
They have absolutely all three voices very clean and beautiful deep, in my opinion Ignazio seems more incisive but the choice is very difficult.
In Italy, we have many excellences but …, I hear many people who ignore Il Volo, then however, when you attend their lives you understand that there are bad, incompetent and very envious people. I do not consider myself a great connoisseur of music but … here it is not difficult to understand what is in those voices.
Of the national press, which hardly ever writes about them, more than journalists, I consider them pennivendoli. (pens, sold)
I went to the concert with two fan friends, which are the seventh concert they attended, plus a friend who is almost always in Rai and was greatly admired, even though she already knew them very well.
Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca, are absolutely of a kindness unique . Personally, I was lucky enough last night to be close to them after the concert, 3 delightful guys, playful, easy-going, never over the top, absolutely humble.
Yesterday there was the whole family of Gianluca and his grandfather, very friendly.
During the concert, there was a very beautiful thing, a very, very meaningful photo. They brought a little boy down on stage, it was a beautiful moment, very touching and also to laugh at the shrewdness of this child who sang with them, really touching.❤
Giorgio = Courtesy of my friend Giancarlo Gneme, present at the concert, could I not post it? It was such a fun moment for everyone and the love that the guys from “Il Volo” have for Mattia!
Thanks to Monica Carducci, Mattia’s mother for allowing us to publish videos and photos!
Monica says:
Here is the video of when Piero Barone called Mattia, who up to that moment had not stopped singing for a second, asking the security to take him on stage! who lives for music, I think it was the most beautiful of his life ….. indescribable!
Monica Carducci (Mattia’s mother)= Giorgio Algherini we lived a crazy dream …. Mattia is a driver who wins hearts, it is his innate gift❤️.
The boys of ‘Il Volo’ were of a crazy humanity …. And with them a lot of people present at the concert who showed us so much affection. A beautiful music page performed by three great artists, but also a great message of humanity ❤️Mattia loves music and also sings very well. He had never been on a stage of this thickness and he was very charged …. I sincerely hope he will soon meet these wonderful artists again …. He faces many trials, sometimes even tough ones, but the little lion that is in him makes him love life without reserve and music is all his life, lymph that gives him great emotions ❤️ Thanks to all of you, really. ❤️
Those three big-hearted boys noticed the passion for music of that ‘wren’ who sang among the large audience and when Ignazio, Piero and Gianluca asked the security to bring him up ….. I could not believe my eyes!
Thank you for giving my baby an emotion that is impossible to describe … really so much bigger than him! ❤️When Mattia got out of that stage …. he held me tight and tight and whispered to me…. ‘Mom, I’m happy!’ ❤️❤️
I saw you next to three splendid voices, I saw you sure of yourself ….. and as always ….. you glowed.❤️
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU …. ❤️❤️
In the newspaper article that I am attaching, I translate the title:
THE BIG HEART OF IL VOLO, ON THE TAGLIACOZZO STAGE, THEY CALL A CHILD TO SING WITH THEM.
In addition, during the evening, a tender episode that moved all present. Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca noticed, in the audience, a child singing their songs. They invited him to go up on stage to intone a fragment of a song. To account for what happened to little Mattia’s mother: “Thank you for giving my child an emotion that is impossible to describe …. really a lot, a lot bigger than him!”
We can only imagine the happiness of a mother who sees her child fulfill a dream.
And then there was this other very beautiful moment, where Gianluca sang a short song dedicating it to his grandfather who was in the front row, very sweet !!
Other video and shots of the evening.
Here’s to You – click on the photo below to view the video
Dedication to Piero’s grandfather.
IGNAZIO = Thank you very much Abruzzo !!
GIANLUCA = Thank you, HAPPY Abruzzo !!
IGNAZIO = (He approaches Piero and Gianluca) We wanted to dedicate the concert to a very special person for us, but above all for Piero, to grandfather Pietro who is watching us from up there. ❤❤❤
The master, Jacopo Sipari Di Pescasseroli, with Ignazio, Piero and Gianluca.
And some splendid shots by Sara Allevato.
Piero, reposted the above photo from Sara Allevato on his Facebook profile with sweet words and Sara thanked Piero:
Sara Allevato = This photo says it all, I was happy to be there in this moment, I was happy to immortalize it.
Piero is right:
“Faces and hearts full of joy”.
Thanks Piero for the repost and thanks to both, Mattia and Piero for the emotions.
Beautiful concert, wonderful voices and many sweet attitudes that make our boys the best artists in the field.
There was a lot of effort on the part of everyone for a splendid success and there were also many beautiful photos and videos, thank you all!
Thanks Giorgio Algherini for giving us a wonderful review and kindly answering my questions.
But now it’s my turn !!! The next concert will be in Brescia and I will be in the front row !! I can’t wait.
It seems hard to believe that so much has happened over the last two years. We were in quarantine but that didn’t stop the guys from moving forward and making phenomenal strides.
`We watched the guy’s release “Your Love,” on the stage of the Ariston Theater, which was beautifully presented in a bittersweet moment, and with great Gratitude we thank the guys, especially Ignazio, for that performance.
We followed them to the stage of the ancient Arena of Verona where we witnessed the dawn of Il Volo’s new adventure and the magical moments that would shape the new beginning of Il Volo.
In my story “Phenomenal,” about the Tribute to Morricone in Verona I said: “If I wrote what I felt, saw, experienced in this concert, I would have to write a book!”
That is just the tip of the iceberg to where we are today! The truth is a book could be written about this event. Not only did we witness the guys first Live for TV Concert for Rai1, but it also marked the beginning of a new era in the life of Il Volo.
After the death of Enno Morricone, it made sense that someone would have to step up to the plate and record all his achievements for posterity! Who better to do that than Il Volo!
Back Then
In their teens, the guys sang with Morricone and their voices were and still are perfect for his music. Morricone has taken his place in the history of music and now Il Volo follows him down that path.
And Now
On their own, Il Volo has achieved worldwide fame! Since the first time they stepped on stage they won the hearts of people around the world. Every place they perform at you will find thousands of people waiting for them. Why? Because they deliver the perfect concert every time. It’s always about the delivery. It’s always about giving the fans what they want! Every performance is an event to be written in our minds that we look back on when we hear a certain song or remember a moment when they first touched our hearts! It’s a feeling you get. It’s not just a song, it’s their voices that capture our inner being and draw us to them! Many people will say, about other groups, “isn’t that a wonderful song” but with Il Volo they say what phenomenal voices. Gianluca said when he first heard “Grande Amore,” he didn’t like it, but he said what he should have considered was that “our voices change the song.” It’s not the song that changes, no, it’s their voices that make every song phenomenal! It’s how their voices draw us to them and to our past and important moments in our lives. Yes, all their music, all their songs are amazing but above all it’s the VOICES! And this explains their continued success worldwide! Three absolutely phenomenal voices.
I get messages every day from people who tell me how Il Volo has touched their lives. How they have helped them move on in difficult moments. Why is this? It’s simple! It’s because we are more than just fans to them, and they are more than just performers to us. They let us into their lives, as a part of their families! How did this happen? It happened because we were with them when they needed family and their family couldn’t always be there for them. In the beginning they traveled with their families but when they turned 18 that changed. At a time when young adults turn to their families for guidance, they found themselves away from home with no one to turn to. They learned how to allow their fans, who loved them, to play an important role in their lives. In a sense that we filled the void! They made us all one Il Volo family. That’s why when they lose someone dear to them, we grieve with and for them! That’s what family does! Sounds crazy, doesn’t it! Not as crazy as you think. Even though they may not have reached out to us in their difficult moments, they did know we were always there to support them, and they relied on that support to keep them going!
Let’s go back to the Arena and the Morricone Concert….
When I spoke about the opening of that Concert, I couldn’t help but talk about the intensity of their voices when they sang “The Ecstasy of Gold.” What force! But it doesn’t stop there! Watch how their bodies react to the music! They are in motion. Look at Gianluca! Watch his fist come at you! This is the punch, just the beginning. Listen to Ignazio ride the note that guides us into the story! Now we’re sailing on the wind! Piero intensifies the moment with his powerful voice that says the journey has begun! Follow us in this new adventure!
Their voices, their expressions, their movements blend into the background becoming a part of the movie behind them. They themselves felt this and they looked back from time to time to absorb what was going on behind them. The movie, the orchestra, the phenomenal lights constantly changing color and reflection! Just intense!
The soundtrack of “the Ecstasy of Gold” from the 1966 Sergio Leone film “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” is considered one of the most influential soundtracks in history. It was so important that it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. It is one of the most well-known of Morricone’s themes and one of the most iconic pieces of cinematic score in history.
When the major video for the album, “Il Volo Sings Morricone,” needed to be produced we followed the guys to Sardinia for the videoing of “The Ecstasy of Gold” which brought back memories of American cinema in 60’s, 1966 to be exact, the year “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” was released! Some of the early American Western Films were made in Italy and Spain. Remember Clint Eastwood made many Italian Westerns.
The Morricone project in conjunction with the Storaro film has opened up so many new avenues for our guys!
Going forward, the name Il Volo will always be attached to Ennio Morricone. They will take their place next to one of the greatest composers of our times! They have taken their place in the Musical History of Cinema and will share their music with a music legend!
All of this is a part of our guys lives since the Morricone project began! And now they have found their place in the Golden Age of Cinema.
This concert was a restart to what the guys left behind in 2020 but even more so, it is a concert about a new direction. It’s about taking all that we love about Il Volo including and above all their bel canto and developing a new kind of concert.
On June 5, 2021, the guys had the performance of a lifetime at the ancient Arena of Verona! We will never forget it!
So where do we go from here?
For one, let’s start with the awards!
We witnessed the events of the Venice Film Festival and cheered for our guys when they won a Film Italy Movie Award.
And we arrived at the Seat Music Awards where they won a DIVA Award for the tribute project to Ennio Morricone.
The guys received an award from the Italian Red Cross, which was presented to them by Sarah Fergusson, in recognition of their commitment and awareness carried out and addressed to the public and to the new generation to whom they have dedicated positive messages and hope during the hardest period of their country.
This story wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t include this!
Looking at the picture of Ignazio holding the Red Cross Award, I was struck by something very funny. I remembered the story in their book about Ignazio and his friend Nicholas. It seemed Nicholas was the mischievous one and Ignazio followed him doing a good share of his own mischief. Let me let Ignazio tell you this story.…
In the official classification of the class, I was the second most mischievous. Nicolas was in the first place. But ours was an open challenge, a race to the last red cross. Now the question arises, what are the red crosses? The teachers invented this billboard on which they had written all the names of the students in alphabetical order and, they marked each student, according to their behavior in the classroom and their academic performance. There were two types of crosses: If you got good marks in the task in class or if you behaved well, if you did not run, did not shout, did not disturb during lessons and a whole series of “NOT” you got a blue cross.
However, if you got a bad grade or if you behaved badly, then you got a red cross. And evil was everywhere! Nicolas and I were the most popular! Our billboard line was a red fire specimen.
Ignazio did you ever think the day would come when you would want a Red Cross?
Congratulations guys on these and all the wonderful awards you won!
Just a few words about the album “Il Volo Sings Morricone” before I move on! After its release, I wrote….
This album is the genius of Il Volo combined with the genius of Morricone. It’s a leap forward and a throwback to the 50’s and 60’s. A time when musical theme songs and scores from movies where produced. When life was simple and, you put the kids to bed on a Saturday night and had a romantic dinner with your husband while listening to beautiful music on the record player. It was date night for parents! Such a romantic time in our American history! Today so much has changed but not romance. These very romantic songs will be shared between lovers but in a very different way, in a very different world.
These are melodies that are familiar to everyone but with a new energy. When I listen to these songs, I remember that night in Verona when they stepped out on that stage to present the first song of the evening, “The Ecstasy of Gold.” This song will go before them on their world tour leading the way to an exciting new experience for all of us. It will resonate around the world! Their presentation was the best presentation by far of any song of cinema, EVER! It vibrated and resonated throughout the world! And it will be talked about for many years to come!
This reawakening of Morricone’s music is truly amazing. What was missing from Morricone’s music was beautiful voices! Each song brings to life the genius of the composer, writer and singer. Unlike any other album made today this album will stand out because it presents a new and different idea! The songs are phenomenal. They’re romantic! And exciting! This truly is a leap in a new direction for our guys. Not a movement away from their music but a movement forward, combining all that makes Il Volo superstars!
Going forward, the name Il Volo will always be attached to Ennio Morricone. They will take their place next to one of the greatest composers of our times!
All that said, the music and the words are nothing without the voices!
This milestone in the life of our guys was realized at an important time in our history! Being forced indoors for so many months provided the opportunity to look to the future and see where their careers were going.
There have been so many stages in their lives. We’ve watched teenagers become young men and now we see men who have taken hold of their careers and catapulted it in a new and interesting direction.
I would like to remember another event that took place, in fact the first event which took place, during COVID. The Seat Music awards.
When they returned to the stage at the Seat Music Awards, they “Turned on the Lights! And Hit the Restart Button,” making way for the industry to reopen and entertainers to go back on stage.
Click Below
That evening Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca had this to say about the restart of the music industry.
Ignazio: 2020 will be remembered as the year where the world would be constrained to be turned off.
Gianluca: For the music employees the verb turn off means the end of the show, when the curtains close and it is the waiting moment for the next show, but this time the waiting lasted more than expected, the silence was unavoidable.
Piero: Now, the world is getting ready to start again! Now the moment has arrived to raise the curtain! Now, we will turn on the music!”
This beautiful statement was followed by the performance of the evening.Their choice of“Nessun Dorma”sent an even stronger message. It’s saying we may have to perform under these new world conditions, but we don’t have to change who we are or why we’re here. In this ancient Arena we look to the past while following the path to the future. From their first note the whole arena lit up. Their voices were clean and crisp. Their presence was illuminating. Their notes rose above the Arena into the night sky to let the world know music is back! The final note of their song sent the final statement. All three voices rose in unison and their voices sent forth a note that took our breaths away!It said We Have Returned! “Turn on the Lights.”
Our guys did anything and everything to try to keep the industry alive. Their concern for their crew was foremost in their minds. Their people needed to work and through their persistence, the crew was back on stage in June 2021 at the Tribute to Ennio Morricone.
And finally, a great interview!
You know how I love to include interviews in my stories. There was an interview that stood out in my mind during this time. So, I will include excerpts from “4 chiacchiere con il volo” (4 chats with Il Volo) with Marco Montemagno.
What I liked in this interview was the guys talked a lot about their relationship. They talk about how they’ve grown. What their priorities are and how they got to where they are. This is only a small part of the interview but, I think you will enjoy it.
Piero saidthere have been moments of tension and quarreling in the past, but since they have matured, this attitude has disappeared.
Indeed, he says, that if he thinks of the last time they disagreed, he must go far back, because lately they no longer argue.
A meeting point and a compromise to move forward, clearly as a group, caused them to create three roles. Each has his own role and, there are those who commit themselves to some other things. It is a fact that all three are a little good, bad and ugly but these days they are happy and, they have become three mature guys who above all have a lot of understanding of each other.
It is clear, they were three soloists put together and when one is small you notice the various facets. They are more instinctive now. The fear of being judged is no longer there. Between them today they get along because they have learned to know you cannot expect to change another person or at least think that you think the same way so, you change so as not to offend the sensitivity of others. They say the most important thing in their relationship is “Us Three.”
The fundamental thing all three have learned in these years is gratitude. Gratitude and being grateful to someone and, also grateful to oneself. This is what is important! It is important to recognize what others do for you. This is the thing that made them grow.
Of course, the guys always go back to 2015 when they felt this need to do something in their country because they feel the most beautiful thing for an artist is when you walk down the street and people recognize you. They don’t need to ask for an autograph. You know that look, that smile, they know who you are and, they congratulate you and that look is the most beautiful thing that can happen.
So, all this started from “Grande Amore.” As a results, Italy has joined the world tour. The guys always wanted to have some concerts in Italy. After Sanremo they began!
For the guys preparing for the tour is as important as the tour itself! When they start to prepare, they look at the deadline and they say in the last tour you were here, I was there and so now they better understand each other. So, they decide, what is a better way to work. How do you best express the movements?
Everything is based on experience. They know each other now and it is beautiful to share movements. They have a dynamic on stage and clearly there is an artistic director there. They talked about a meeting to plan and define the production for the American tour. The whole lineup with the conductor. It takes a lot of patience to arrange everything.
Marco asked the guys, “How do you do a tour and every evening bring it to a level of a fresh performance?” The answer….
Every night you must come to the level that one expects so you must love what you do and prioritize it!
They have an understanding between them and with a look they can say they are okay. If one feels bad, he can look at the other two and they will know how to help.
The guys explained, what they do is difficult. It takes a lot of perseverance.
The one thing they know for sure is, they have truly faithful audiences that have been following them for 13 years. They grew up with their audiences and it was really a new thing in the world to see three children as a bit reminiscent of the three tenors with the slightly big voices who sang the Neapolitan songs as well as singing Elvis.
They also joked with one another. Remember when Ignazio showed up with that bandage on his left eye. Ignazio pointed out the scar. It seems when they were playing one of their famous ping pong games, they were playing two against two. Gianluca shot a right, incredible, at a certain point he was standing next to Ignazio and Gianluca hit him. It looked like a crime scene in Turkey. Gianluca said he felt so bad watching Ignazio sleeping on the plane.
What I truly loved about the interview was it was very open and very truthful. The guys have truly grown in these last thirteen years. They have presented a united front, a true unity between brothers who love their music and love one another!
I would like to think that somewhere in the back of their minds our guys knew that someday they would be famous but, no that wasn’t the case they never knew that their love of music would bring them around the world and make them superstars!
Now we find them on a path to their 15th Anniversary together. I’m sure the guys are already talking about an album and a magnificent grand tour to mark the milestone. Whatever it is I’m sure it will be magnificent!
Every song they sing they sing with love! They have a passion for music which drives them to create and recreate themselves time and again. We never know what project is waiting around the corner and what surprises they have in store! Every song they sing they sing for our pleasure. Not a note will advance unless they feel it will please us! And they will continue to work their magic for years to come because to them it isn’t all about any one person, no, it’s always about, the three and their Gratitude for all their fans who are out their supporting them at every concert.
If you haven’t already booked one of the concerts, now’s the time to do it. We are less than three weeks away from the beginning of the American Tour. I will be at Radio City Music Hall in New York and the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. I hope to see you there!
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
For your listening pleasure I have included the Complete concert at Verona in Tribute to Morricone.
If you would like to share a story with me, please email: susan.flightcrew@yahoo.com
To read more Il Volo stories visit us at www.ilvoloflightcrw.com
In the first days of August, Il Volo flew to Japan, where, after an absence of three years, three concerts were scheduled.
Before the concerts there were some interviews and appearances in programs, moreover our boys like to visit beautiful Japan and therefore Il Volo left in time for Japan.
Here are some beautiful photos of Ignazio , Gianluca and Piero in the beautiful Japanese places.
And here they are during some interviews and participation in radio and TV programs.
KBS TV
Nice interview of Il Volo with Italianity that we translate:
It has been more than 10 years since it debuted in its teens and has found success in the American market right from the start. The three young vocalists of Il Volo have become beautiful young people and have returned to Japan for their third performance.
They have already won many fans in Japan and around the world and responded to the interview. At the end of the article, there is a video message from Il Volo to ITALIANITY readers.
On this visit to Japan, in addition to the aforementioned performances in Japan, live footage was recorded at the World Heritage “Kiyomizu Temple” with no audience. Subsequently, the scheme will be turned into a film and will be screened in Japan and other countries around the world.
The first foreign artist in the world to perform in Kiyomizu-dera ー ー For this visit to Japan, I heard that you will be recording live footage at the World Heritage-listed Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Please tell us what you think about this project.
Gianluca (G): I believe that the musical power of the opera Bel canto allows us to sing in such a historic and wonderful place. Perhaps it is because of the magic of Puccini’s “Nessun dorma”, the music of Maestro Morricone, and our music becomes like the soundtrack of the place. It was like this in 2016 when I performed the Concert Dedicated to the Three Tenors in Piazza Santa Croce in Florence, and when we performed the concert in memory of the great maestro Ennio Morricone at the Verona Arena. We are very honored to be able to return to Japan and do our best in music. We would like to thank everyone who believed in us and we are delighted to be able to play our music in this wonderful country.
Ignazio (I): We are particularly grateful that you have chosen us as the first foreign artists to perform at Kiyomizu-dera. And I am happy that it will be a benefit concert praying for peace and freedom in this world.
ーー This is your third visit to Japan, has your impression of Japan changed compared to the first time?
G: 2017, 2019 and 2022. Compared to when we started, we have grown a lot and to some extent got used to Japan, but I feel that Japan is a wonderful country that always surprises us and amuses us with its differences. Fortunately, we have the ability to absorb everything and even enjoy the differences in places, people, food and culture. I am happy to be with people who share the same experience. We love Japan now.
ーー What do you want to convey to the Japanese audience this time?
I: Sure, I want to convey various things every time. Hoping to give you something different from the last time. It all comes down to our passion for music. And we want you to feel like you are in Italy. We want you to feel the culture and background of Italy at our concerts. I always have that thought in mind.
A group that sings not only the songs of the past but also the new ones ーー Do you have any special secrets for singing in a trio?
G:I think we have been very lucky. Because they had three different voices. All three have a different charisma. Despite these great differences, everyone had the same passion for music. When we combined three different voices with this passion, it all boiled down to our unique vocal quality.
ーー You held a concert in memory of the great Italian composer Ennio Morricone, who passed away in 2021, and also released a studio recording album. What kind of person is Morricone to you?
I:Ennio Morricone is a true genius. It had the magical power to transcend music in movies and to convey so much more. We are very honored to have the opportunity to cover his songs with beautiful melodies.
ーー Many of your original songs were written by famous Italian artists such as Francesco Boccia, Tommy Esposito, Francesco Renga and Gianna Nannini.
G:For us, singing new original songs alongside singing many historical songs in bel canto is an attitude that we are not just a group singing songs from the past. We are very happy that great artists provide music for a young group like us.
ーー You have a repertoire of many covers, but is there something special about singing original songs?
I: It’s much easier to sing songs from the past. To sing a new song, you have to look for new sensations, new techniques, new feelings and so on. However, when we covered the great master Morricone, he was already dead, so we couldn’t directly ask him to teach us, so it was difficult.
ーー When you were in your teens, you made your debut in the world of music in 2009 when you appeared on the talent show “Ti Lascio Una Canzone” for young people. What are your memories of that period?
G: All three of us were kids, and we were still young, and we just started chasing our dreams and we got our calling. I think I was very lucky. Being able to live with your passion without suffering setbacks. We only believed in our dreams, but it was like a miracle that the three of us were able to catch that dream.
ーー Famous singer and talented producer Tony Renis and another talented producer Michele Torpedine have contributed to your expansion in the American market.
G:Yes, yes. They are the benefactors who worked hard to make our childhood dreams come true. Michele Torpedine was also a talented manager who nurtured artists such as Andrea Bocelli and Zucchero who would later become big names. We weren’t strong enough to sell a group of 15-year-olds singing non-commercial songs. But it was they who found the market for it.
I:I think the exact same thing!
ーー At the end of the interview, please deliver a video message to ITALIANITY readers.
G= Hello everyone, we are Il Volo, there are two of us, Piero will arrive tomorrow. (Piero went to Japan a couple of days after Ignazio and Gianluca, due to his grandfather’s health condition). Piero also greets you. We send a greeting to all the readers of Italianity.
I =He said it all, see you soon in concert. Hello, Arigato Gozaimasu!
*The live recording video shot in Kiyomizu-dera will be streamed on Sunday 19th September. After that, it will be made into a worldwide movie. Details will be announced on the official website of Sony Music “Il Volo”.
And here we are at the three concerts, very few videos that have come to us and then you will also understand why, few even the photos, but something has come.
Here is the list of songs that will be sung by Il Volo. The orchestra will be conducted by Maestro Marcello Rota.
Our friends, Yukio and Kumiko, from Japan, had tickets to Taormina, but due to the closures for Covid, they couldn’t come, and they were delighted that Il Volo was going to Japan, and so not one, but all three concerts were attended.
Here is what they wrote to me:
Impressions of Il Volo’s Japan Tour
In May 2019, Il Volo left a message to Japanese fans, “we would be coming to Japan again in the following year”, but due to the global outbreak of COVID-19, Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca were not able to come to Japan.
This August, we are very happy to see them and listen to their voices after this long-awaited visit to Japan in three years.
We are also very grateful to them for traveling over 20 hours to come to Japan, as they had no choice but to take the southbound route due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
This visit to Japan was marked by the first charity live concert without an audience, as a foreigner, on August 5 at Kiyomizu-dera Temple on Mt. Otowa, wishing for world peace, and following concerts in Tokyo (August 8), Osaka (August 10) and Nagoya (August 12). The Kiyomizu-dera concert will be streamed on September 18.
Concert in Tokyo The concert in Tokyo was held at the Tokyo International Forum Hall A (about 5000 seats).
After the end of their 10 Years Anniversary, the cancellation of their performances due to COVID-19, and the memorial performance for Ennio Morricone in the meantime, their activities have been introduced on their official website, YouTube, etc. for the past three years. We were excited to listen to and see how much they have grown up over the years.
Since this July, the number of people infected with COVID-19 in Japan has increased dramatically. We thought it might make people a little hesitant to come to the venue, but it was almost full, showing how many fans had been waiting for the concert.
However, due to COVID-19 measures, strict conditions were imposed, such as the wearing of masks, no loud voices, and no gifts, etc. If anyone stood up or held up a penlight, theater attendants would fly in and warn them, giving the venue a different atmosphere.
Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca were probably a little confused by the masked audience and their lack of reactions, as mask-less performances are the norm in Europe.
As the lights dimmed and the stage was lit with a dark red color scheme, Piero, Ignazio, and Gianluca appeared from backstage and began to sing “The Ecstasy of Gold”, a tribute to Ennio Morricone. When Gianluca started singing, the hall was filled with thunderous applause.
Many of the songs were based on “the best of 10 years”, and were interspersed with songs dedicated to Ennio Morricone, “Se”, “Conradiana”, which was a very good selection, I think.
Between songs, they sang the Japanese song “Shiawase nara te o tatako (If you are happy, clap your hands)”; which they had learned at the previous performance, and talked to the audience, which the audience enjoyed very much. It was a pity that Caruso, which was on the program, was not sung at all the performances.
Piero has been relentlessly challenging himself as an opera singer, and his voice range has widened, giving him a beautiful voice that is balanced and effortless.
Ignazio successfully combined the contrast between the taut tenor voice that overwhelmed the audience and the soft high tones of falsetto.
Gianluca’s velvet voice seems to have changed to a deeper, thicker, more voluminous voice instead of the light sound of the past. I thought it was probably due to his muscular, macho body from his daily gym training, as can be seen from the photos uploaded on social media.
After the final encore piece, Grande Amore, the audience rushed under the stage like a wave even though they had been quiet until then. The venue staff rushed to stop them, but Piero stopped them with a loud “It’s OK”, and Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca shook hands with the fans as usual.
Concert in Osaka The second performance was held one day after in Tokyo at the Festival Hall Osaka, which has a capacity of approximately 3,000 people. Unlike the Tokyo performance, the stage of the Festival Hall Osaka had low steps and a short distance between the audience and the stage, allowing the audience to feel a sense of unity.
The program was the same as Tokyo’s.
Before this concert, there were interview programs with Il Volo on FM broadcast stations in the Kansai area on August 3 and 4 (unfortunately, Piero did not attend). On August 5, they appeared on a TV broadcast in Kyoto, attracting the attention of the audience in the Kansai region.
The audience was in a groove from the beginning of the performance. Because people in Kansai area realized the humorous talks of them, which create a good resonance between their witty conversation and the traditional Kansai sensibility, then their singing was much better than at Tokyo. Their ceaseless talks between songs also had the same feel as Kansai’s, so Michiko-san, translator, had a hard time interpreting.
After the encore, the audience was allowed to take pictures, and after the Grande Amore, they rushed to the stage edge to shake hands with Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca, which was a usual scene at such performances.
Concert In Nagoya Aichi Arts Center Concert Hall (1,800 seats) Nagoya is located between Tokyo and Osaka, where cultural performances are scarce and audiences often travel to Tokyo or Osaka.
This was Il Volo’s first time to perform in this area, and although I had heard that tickets were not selling well, the venue was more than 80% full by the time the performance began. Unlike other venues, there were audience seats in the back of the stage, and the acoustics were very good compared to others, allowing the audience to enjoy the voices of each Il Volo member.
The small size of the venue also made it easy to convey the audience’s sensibilities, making it the second-best performance following the Osaka concert.
During the encore at the end of the show, as in Osaka, photographs were allowed and the usual offstage contact with the audience took place.
It was a great pleasure to hear the three singers up close and in tune with each other. Many thanks to Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca.
Love from Japan.
Kumi and Yukio
Now, Kumico explains to us the importance of Kiyomizu-Dera Temple, where Il Volo recorded a concert that will be broadcast via streaming in favor of world peace.
Here is a brief introduction to Kiyomizu-Dera Temple, excerpted from what is described on the temple’s website in Japanese.
Kiyomizu-Dera Temple Website – Click Here
The temple was built about 1,250 years ago, and was registered as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites “Cultural Properties of Ancient Kyoto” in 1994.
Kiyomizu-dera Temple is famous for its “stage” which extends out from the main hall and is approximately 13 meters high. The current stage was rebuilt in 1633.
There is a Japanese proverb, “Jump off the stage at Kiyomizu”. It is a phrase that expresses the seriousness and determination required to jump off the stage of the main hall of Kiyomizu-dera Temple, which is perched on a sheer cliff.
The fact that this performance started at Kiyomizu-dera Temple may mean that they started the performance with a serious determination.
Beautiful experience of the Il Volo concerts in Japan.
The Japanese public, despite the limitations and impositions, was very numerous and loving, even challenging the strict rules imposed in order to see, adopt and interact with Ignazio, Gianluca and Piero.
Thanks Japan and thanks to Yukio and Kumico for the nice description of the concerts.
Daniela
Unfortunately, the return of our young men was marred by the sad news of the death of Piero’s grandfather, the one who has always supported our tenor, who has been very ill for a long time.
Courage Piero, our hearts are with you, condolences to the whole family! ❤
Who was Pietro Ognibene? He was a great discoverer! No, he didn’t discover lands or the cure for anything. He discovered something even better; he discovered Piero Barone!
On Tuesday we awoke to the news that Pietro Ognibene, Piero’s grandfather had passed away. When we heard the news, we immediately felt the loss because he is a man we are all familiar with and he played an important role in Piero’s life. In fact, Piero would probably not be a singer today if it had not been for this man.
When I write about the guys I always like going back to their childhood and read about all their beautiful experiences. Their stories are so rich, so full of life.
In order to tell this story properly, I should start by saying this story, in fact, the story of all the guys, is so unique because unlike any other entertainers in the world these three men share their lives and their families with us.
In their book, “Un’avventure straordinaria, la nostra storia,” there are stories about how each one was discovered. But Piero’s discovery story is more than that, it is Piero’s story about his grandfather.
Pietro was married to Rina. Rina and Pietro are the mother and father of Elenora Ognibene, Piero’s mother. They are the maternal grandmother and grandfather of Francesco, Piero and Mariagrazia.
In this video we find Pietro Ognibene and a very young Piero Barone accompanied by the choir.
These were the remarks that went along with this video:
Piero grew up breathing deeply the musical environment that has surrounded him since the age of 5: it was his grandfather Pietro Ognibene who discovered his talent and Piero recalls in a 2010 interview that his grandfather, blind since before his was born, had written a song in Sicilian dialect and asked him to perform it. His grandfather was struck by his voice.
On that same day, helped by a friend, Pietro Ognibene recorded Piero singing “Un Amore Così Grande.” In an interview Mr. Ognibene declared that all their fellow villagers were enchanted by Piero’s voice and, therefore, he had made it a habit of making him get on a table, used as a stage, to sing. Later the Barone family helped Piero cultivate his gift. His grandfather contributed by paying for his piano lessons for six years. Piero Barone from a small stage has conquered the world. Pride for the real Naresi!
So, now, I will let Piero tell the story of this great man his grandpa! The man who discovered Piero Barone….
My grandfather lost his sight when he was forty-five and since then he began to cultivate a great passion for music.
If I think back of the first image I have of my grandfather, I see him sitting on the terrace in the country with a stereo in his hand. A small stereo that worked with cassettes.
Alone he would sing, compose and record songs on the stereo. He was the first real family celebrity in Naro. He listened to the radio, he composed poems and recorded the verses on the cassettes. Always sitting on his terrace there in the countryside.
Picture this, in front of the terrace there was a typical swing from the past hanging from a mulberry tree. One morning, my grandfather sat in a cool place on the terrace with his faithful stereo next to him. He enjoyed the peace of the countryside. And, then he sang a song that I believe, he had made up: ‘E lu suli talia, talia, talia. Sopra ‘sta petra luci ci duna,’ that is ‘And the sun, look, look, look, to this stone gives the light.’
I was swinging on the swing, I was about four or five years old, I was really, very, small. I listened to him a little and at a certain point, when he stops singing, I started: “E lu suli, talia, talia, talia. Sopra ‘sta pedra luci ci duna”.
What can I tell you? It just came out like that. My grandfather turned off the recorder and stood there on the balcony: imagine the terrace and the swing right there in front of you and he says loudly to my grandmother:
‘Rina, veni ca’ (Rina come here)
‘Chi è Pitri?’ (What do you want Pietro?)
‘Unni è Piero?’ (Where is Piero?)
‘In altalena’ (On the swing)
‘Ma cu cantava? Iddru?’ (But who was singing? He?)
‘Eh, sì.’ (Yes)
‘Chiamalo’ (Call him)
I got up and went to my grandpa, he lifted me up, put me on the table next to the recorder and told me: “Sing the song again.” And I, without repeating it twice, I sang the song as he had sung it. He listens to me. He thought a bit and then he says: this afternoon we go to ‘Nto’Nto, that is Antonio. He is a friend of my grandfather who shares a passion for music with him. At his home he has what we called at that time a ‘recording studio.’ The means were not very powerful, but we did what we could with a bigger stereo and a microphone. So, we went to Antonio and my grandfather made me record his song in Sicilian. Not only that, but the next day also we went to the countryside to the Riolo house. As I have already told you, there was a good relationship between my grandfather and Mr. Riolo, because my grandfather had worked for him in the past. So, we go to the Riolo (house), and we talked, sitting under the carob tree because there is always fresh under those trees. They chatted and I, in the meantime, ate prickly pears.
‘You know, Mimmo’ says my grandfather to Mr. Riolo, ‘yesterday I discovered that my grandson has a nice voice.’
So, Mr. Riolo has an idea: ‘I want him to listen to one of my favorite voices.’ This is how I listened for the first time to ‘Un Amore Cosi’ Grande’ by Mario del Monaco. And I learned it right away, but right away. I cannot explain how. Grandfather was very proud. Something told me that the next day we would go to record ‘Un Amore Cosi’ Grande’ da ‘Nto’Nto.
Another beautiful thing that happened in the countryside was every evening at dinner the whole family gathered. During the winter we had this meeting only on Sundays, but during the summer every night. My family which I refer is as follows: mom and dad with me and my brothe and my sister, my grandfather, my grandmother and my uncle, my great-grandmother, my grandmother’s sister, her husband and their three children, who are the same age as us and for me they are like another brother and two other sisters. We all dined together, then we played soccer while the adults sat outside chatting and enjoying the cool of the terrace. At the table everyone had his ‘place,’ or rather, almost all: my grandfather Pietro at the head of the table, on his right my father, on the left my uncle, my mother’s brother, and then from there down the rest of the family in random order.
The day after our visit to the Riolo and my discovery of Mario del Monaco we went back to ‘Nto’Nto to record ‘Un Amore Così Grande.’ In the evening my grandfather was sitting at the head of the table, as usual. An evening like many others, quiet, in the family. When we finished dinner, even before the table was cleared, my grandfather says. ‘Rina, get the recorder.’
Grandma takes the recorder and puts it in front of him. He had already prepared the cassette. He turns to my dad and says, ‘Listen to this voice, Gaetano.’ He pushes PLAY and starts my recording of ‘Un Amore Così Grande.’ My father makes a face. He is amazed, like he has just heard a good thing, and says, ‘It’s beautiful, who is it Daddy?’ (he calls my grandfather Daddy even though he is my mother’s father).
‘Piero’ (Silence)
‘How did Piero?’
‘So.’
From that day in some way my father changed his life, for him I have become a priority.
Since then, he started taking me to the first festivals, but I was too young. We understood that I needed to ‘put a base,’ because the voice alone was not enough. Then Dad asked himself: ‘What must Piero start to do?’ And the answer was: ‘Piero must start playing the piano.’
When dad thought I could take piano lessons, I was four or five years old. When I actually started, I was eight or nine. In those four years between the cassette with the recording of ‘Un Amore Così Grande’ and my first time sitting at the keyboard of a piano, in practice who took care of my ‘musical education,’ my grandfather.
As I told you, my grandfather had a great passion for music, composed songs in dialect and is a popular singer of popular music in the country. In Naro there are many folk groups because it was the capital of the Almond Blossom Festival, which today is still celebrated but with the name of Primavera Narese. Keeping this traditional festival alive meant keeping alive the musical tradition of folk groups. So many guys are singing in these groups, and I was singing too. That’s how I started, learning the songs of Sicilian folklore.
So, I began to study piano at the age of eight, but there are two things. First of all, my father really wanted me to train musically in a serious way starting from the piano, but economically we could not afford the costs of the lessons and the purchase of the plan. It was my grandfather who paid for everything, and not just from the material point of view. Yes, because every Monday it was he who accompanied me to class. Stefano Tesè, my first piano teacher, lived right under his house. Or rather, the mother of the teacher Tesè lived in the floor below my grandfather’s house and the master came to see her every Monday from Realmonte, a town thirty kilometers from Naro. Taking advantage of the visit, he had agreed to give me lessons. So, every Monday at six I showed up at his door.
The road was very short to my grandfather’s house, I could even go there alone, but here is the second thing, to get there I had to face a dog that was going around in that area, that dog approached and began to bark furiously. And I have a fear of dogs. Squeezed under my grandfather’s arm, he who being blind and needed to be guided, I felt protected as behind a shield: when the dog approached, he shouted: ‘Passa arrassu!’ (fast pass), go away, and the dog went away.
I confess there is a third thing. Besides the nightmare of the dog, every Monday six in the afternoon was a nightmare for me, because I did not like going to the piano lesson. Or rather, I liked it only when the lessons were good, when I could play, but at the beginning I was bored a lot with the hammers, solfeggios and all the things that you rightly have to learn to play the piano. Maestro Tesè, then, was a tough guy and I was always worried that he would scold me.
After a while I started to understand how the piano worked and the lessons started to please me.
Isn’t it funny that we have heard this story so many times before but today it has such a deep meaning?
Pietro Ognibene (Nonno Pietro) singing the Ave Maria accompanied by Piero.
In this video, Piero has a great surprise.
Let’s hope dreams come true in life, and you did it. If you look to your right, there is your grandfather and grandmother. Your grandfather Pietro.”
Massimo Giletti comments:This is a moment that you live alone, good morning. (greeting Piero’s Grandparents) Here it is an embrace from his grandfather who passed on the passion of life to him: the music.
Piero: I’m speechless.
Massimo:We also made a gift to you. (Pietro)
Pietro:Thank you
Massimo: You have never experienced the thrill of a live concert and we are not giving it to you today. But when you heard him singing ~ he was little and you understood that he had something more.
Pietro: Always, always I believe in him. But I have always told him it is difficult to fly high, but it is easy to be on the ground. Be careful what you do, and always walk in your footsteps.
Massimo: But he (Piero) said: with the family that I have I will always kept the balance.
Pietro: Because the tree has been cultivated since it was small.
Massimo: And you have cultivated it well.
Pietro: We have cultivated it well, but I always say to all my grandchildren: Be careful because facing the door, when you leave the house there is the stepmother (understood as a bad thing, bad company).
Massimo:But we are strong, and he (Piero) is young, he will keep the honor of the family high.
Look at how excited Piero is and how proud his grandfather is of him!
Many times when Piero was in concert at Taormina, his grandfather would be there and even when he wasn’t there, he always took the time to thank his grandfather for all he did for him.
The first time Mr. Ognibene heard Piero sing, he vowed he would do everything in his power to make his phenomenal voice heard, and so it is that we hear that voice today.
Thanks to Mr. Ognibene for recognizing it. He was truly The Man Behind The Man and I know Piero will never forget what he did for him.
A couple of months ago I wrote a story about Piero called “The Man has a Dream.” Piero, as you know, dreams that one day, he will be an opera singer. Without Pietro Ognibene, this dream would not be possible!
My story would not be complete without a final farewell from Piero. What better way to send Pietro Ognibene to Heaven than with the Ave Maria!
Italians believe if you die on the feast day of Our Lady, it is a special privilege. Our Lady will come to meet you and take you home! Pietro Ognibene went to his final rest on Ferragosto the feast of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. I’m sure Our Lady met him and his reward in Heaven will be great! Rest in Peace, Nonno Pietro.
Piero’s Final Farewell to his grandfather.
The Message:
Hi Grandfather,
This is for all the times I turned, and you were close to me.
For all the stages I went up hoping to find you underneath listening to me.
For all the days when I couldn’t, and you made me find the strength to continue.
For all the joys we have shared and the hardships we have shared.
Because even if it seems incredible, it was you who showed me that all of this really could come true!
This was the announcement on August 16th in Quotidiano Nazionale
Piero Barone’s grandfather died. It was he who paid for his grandsons singing studies
The singer of “Il Volo”, Piero Barone, loses a great point of reference: grandfather, Pietro Ognibene has died. It is by his will that the singer has been studying singing since childhood, allowing him to realize his dream, paying his singing lessons since he was a child, taking him by the hand and accompanying him from an early age on stage. Grandfather Pietro was well known and esteemed to Naro who mourns him and remembers him with immense affection as “a great man and grandfather who left an immense legacy.”
One final note: I want to thank Alessandra and Stefi for their help in preparing the pictures. I also want to thank Daniela for helping me with the translations.
Credit to the owners of photos and videos.
If you would like to share a story with me, please email: susan.flightcrew@yahoo.com
To read more Il Volo stories visit us at www.ilvoloflightcrw.com
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