As usual, it’s December 26th and I’m sitting down to write my last story of the year! The problem is it’s Tuesday and my column should already be in!
To add to that, I’ve been distracted all day by some beautiful stories that were posted. It seems our Ignazio is engaged to the beautiful Michelle Bertolini! Now what does that have to do with me? I have been getting messages all day with questions about Ignazio and (mostly) Michelle! What I can tell you is she is a lovely lady who will make Ignazio’s life complete! I wish them a lifetime of Love, Happiness and Joy! I promise I will write about this at another time but for now, I have to wrap up the year!
So here it is December 26th and so much has happened this year I don’t even know where to begin. Actually, I do know where to begin. I’ll begin at the end! Last week we learned that the guys will go to Sanremo 2024 and they will sing Capolavoro! So, it’s no coincidence that the title of my story this week is Masterpiece! (Capolavoro). But in all sincerity, this whole year has been a Masterpiece for them.
2023 was about new beginnings! So now let’s go to where these new beginnings began. The best place to start is the televised concerts at Verona in May. The beautiful Frederica Panicucci who was the presenter of the IL Volo concert had this to say about what would happen that evening.
“During the evening Il Volo will show unpublished moments with solos and duets they never performed before. It will be their way of showing their different personalities.”
Yes, Federica was right, that night was different because we’ve heard these voices before but not in the way we heard them that night. The guys introduced us to their personal feelings about their music.
A great example of this is in Ignazio’s words before both concerts:
In the first concert Ignazio said, “I’ve always loved great female voices….”
And in the second concert he said, “I will try to take a trip to the most beautiful female songs in the world tonight.
When Ignazio said this, he brought me back to his childhood. If you recall in Ignazio’s story he talks about meeting Lilliana Adreanò, his singing teacher, for the first time. She asked Ignazio what kinds of songs he likes to sing and Ignazio replies, “You know, Liliana, I like to sing Giorgia’s songs.” Lilliana said: “Strange for a kid to sing this kind of song.”
So, it seems Ignazio still enjoys singing these (female) songs. And why wouldn’t he? He is the only one of the three that can sing that kind of song because they are songs that require a strong voice that is very clear, crisp and very lyrical and a lot of passion must be put into each song! I think I just described Ignazio’s voice! Let me add and, “very soulful!”
Next we met the real Gianluca in his rock mode and he introduced us to his feelings for Elvis, Sinatra, Dylan and the Beatles.
Piero brought us his perfect operatic voice. Whimsical and joyful. He has a great love and sincerity for this music. Opera is in his soul. He opens up that soul to us in these concerts with arias we have never heard before.
Amid a thousand points of light that sparkled like stars in the night sky, our guys were the brightest stars on the stage. They showed not just their love for one another’s music but their love and appreciation for the music of the other performers.
During their solos, the other two guys sat on the side stage and listened. In these moments, we see the admiration these men have for one another. Truly amazing!
This was a nice way of presenting each of them.
I remember Piero saying, in his story, that when he did a solo he couldn’t wait for it to end when Ignazio and Gianluca would return. He has to love this new arrangement.
These concerts were different. They showed a beautiful evolution from where the guys were to where they are now. Their new direction! Their future!
This new arrangement is thrilling because there is a lot of feeling in the music. The songs they have sung from the beginning have always had feeling but in a different way.
Here we feel each man’s thoughts, ideas and mindset. In the soul of each man there is a longing to bring you their music unlike you’ve ever heard it before. It is the movement within their souls when they sing. They were restless to release these feelings and make you feel what they feel. They bring a feeling of sheer bliss to each note in each song. Think about expressing your feelings for someone you love. Put that to music and you have each guy’s mindset.
So where did this go? Individuality!!!
Their new concerts are giving us the opportunity to look into the heart of our guys through their music. It allows us to see them in a deeper and more personal way.
Their idea of “individuality” was not to dissuade you from one or the other. No, in fact, they want you to take a closer look at the other guy. Not to compare but to understand their individuality!
You may have found that some of the music they are singing now you like more than what they were singing or vis versa! It’s called taking a closer look!
Il Volo is magic, and that magic is on the stage, in the concert halls, in Arenas and Amphitheaters, on TV, in videos and CD’s but the true magic of Il Volo is in our hearts!
Every concert I’ve seen is phenomenal. I feel that the guys are new at every concert. What does that mean. It means that even though they’ve sung those songs before and you’ve heard them a thousand times, when they come out on that stage, they make you feel like they are singing those songs for the first time. It’s called caring about your audience! Not just singing for the audience but wholeheartedly wanting to give the audience the most phenomenal experience of their lives. And that they do at every concert.
Just in time for Christmas, the guys released a new EP 4 Xmas ~ Amazing Grace, O Tannenbaum, Feliz Navidad and Happy Xmas (the War is Over)
And how did they end the year?
So everything they did this past year was new! It seems even newer and better things are coming. After the announcement of the Capolavoro the song they will sing at Sanremo, the guys did a very interesting video which tells us about what we will experience next. Sanremo 24, A New Album and A New World Tour! The theme, “All By Myself!!” It seems they are alone in their own universe! Does this say something about the new album? We already know the concerts are about individuality, perhaps the album will be too!
And of course, the new Armani look! Talk about Individual! All Black and all different!
What about the Best Photo of the Year 2023. Well, you’ve already seen it! It is my cover picture today!
This photo says so much about our guys. Look at their faces! This photo says we worked very hard and we’re happy to share all that we’ve done with you this evening. They are so proud to be standing on that stage! Their faces are full of emotion and joy! They can hardly contain themselves! They are very proud of the changes they made in their music! When you look at this picture what does it say it you? To me it says I think we got it right! Yes, guys, you did and that is why this is the Picture of the Year!
Actually, you got it right for 14 years! But this year you opened your hearts in song to us and each song you sang was a Masterpiece! We can’t wait to hear Capolavoro and all the new music you have for us!
In the end, this year was not about moments it was about changes! New beginnings, new songs, new feelings and each and every one was a Masterpiece!
One final note! I’m hoping that Ignazio or all of the guys together wrote Capolavoro!
And from myself, all the staff at Flight Crew and all the Fans we wish you guys a veryHappy New Yearfilled with many new Adventures!
We also wish all the Il Volo Family including Michele Torpedine, Barbara Vitali and all the crew that work so hard to bring us the best productions a very Happy New Year!
Join me next week as I go back Through the Field of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
And for your listening pleasure the full concert from Verona May 2023.
If you would like to share a story with me, please email: susan.flightcrew@yahoo.com
