Category Archives: 10 Year Anniversary

10 Year Anniversary, Article or Video Translations, Tour News

INTERVIEW WITH THE DRUMMER OF IL VOLO by Daniela

April 27, 2020 pitterpat0 43 Comments

On YouTube, this video was published which I found very interesting.

It is an interview, but also a report, made with Il Volo drummer, Bruno Farinelli.

The interview actually deals with highlighting the job of a drummer on a tour and therefore I will skip overly technical notions. At some point the interview also extends to the master Gianpiero Grani.

I found the video very nice, also to find out a bit about the background of an Il Volo concert.

Enjoy the reading!

At the beginning of the video, the interviewer says he would have liked to have a long interview with Bruno Farinelli, the drummer who played for Il Volo during the World Tour, but since the virus intervened, he had to change his plans and asked Bruno to do reports from where they were playing.

The first question he asked Bruno was to tell about this experience of a great world tour with Il Volo around the world.

Bruno replies that it is a fantastic tour that started, speaking of the Italian part, from Matera, with the PBS Special, which was followed by the Latin American part of the tour, starting from Mexico and they had to take 42 planes in two months.

The interviewer asks Bruno if the set (for the sound) has brought him with him or if each time he has to play on a different one, and if he has had surprises, or if everything went well.

Bruno says I’m in San Diego, with six concerts left at the end of this wonderful American tour.

He says the set (of drums) is extremely simple and they found it there in America. He details all the drums and cymbals, and then says that the cymbals were brought directly from Italy. He says that the real news for him, on this tour, was the introduction of the iPad for reading the songs.

Off-camera we hear the voice of Alessio Guerrieri, stage manager, who in turn explains the connections with the drums and the details requested by Farinelli.

The interviewer asks if they are traveling in America on a tour bus and asks to show if they are really comfortable as told.

Bruno shows the inside of the bus, he says it is like a huge camper, but much more beautiful. He says that the beds are very comfortable and that they have Wi-Fi and all possible and imaginable comforts on board and says, “This is our wonderful traveling home.”

The interviewer says that they have been in wonderful places, famous stages and asks to show some photos of those stages and says that he is very envious of this.

Bruno shows the Microsoft Theater, Bruno says it’s a wonderful view and in the evening there will be 4,500 full seats, and it’s a really nice theater.

Guitarist Andrea Morelli is asked what he and Gianluca were talking about and he replies that they were talking about a CD by John Mayer who shot the video in that theater.

Bruno shows other panoramas of two other stages: Indio and Laval.

Then, he shows a rehearsal with the orchestra made by the master Grani.

He says it is a very important moment, because moving from state to state, they always meet new orchestras to which Giampero must give all the directives before the concert. The master has about a couple of hours to try all the songs. Clearly the orchestra has already received all the songs before, however the rehearsals are a decisive and important moment (Bruno speaks softly so as not to disturb the rehearsals).

The interviewer asks Bruno that, although they are a band, they must also play with the orchestras of the various cities and asks to explain how the whole ensemble works.

The answer is given by the master Grani.

His role is not easy, because he is the pianist and the musical director of the tour, so he has a lot of work and responsibility.

Grani says that the work starts long before the concert, because he has to send all the songs to be played to the orchestra.

He has the entire archive of Il Volo songs and has also the archive of both the band and the orchestra. He says they have to be very organized, because in America they have very tight times for soundcheck, he only has one hour for rehearsals and they absolutely must be done at that time, because otherwise there are fines.

The parts of the orchestra are sent much earlier and delivered to a contact person. This year they also noted the performance variations directly on the parts, and at the end of the concert the sheets of the parts (sheet music) are recovered to be used for the next concert.

During the day of the concert, in addition to taking care of the parts, the band and connecting with the artists, he comes first to organize the work with the orchestras and see the repertoire which is vast because there are 26 songs. So he arrives and has an hour of time to tell the orchestra the basics, and try the more complicated pieces.

Grani says that he arrives before the others to try the more difficult songs – NESSUN DORMA, GRANADA, NO PUEDE SER, MARIA, MATTINATA, CORE N’GRATO – then communicates with the camera men the concert schedule and names the songs of the most classic repertoire which are also the most difficult to perform and film.

During the concert Grani does more things, plays the piano, follows all parts of the orchestra, he with the microphone, communicates with the artists (Piero, Ignazio and Gian), with the band, with the orchestra and with the stage manager, Alessio Guerrieri.

As soon as he rehearses with the orchestra, he arrives on stage, makes the soundcheck with the band, then the orchestra arrives and then they make the soundcheck all together, band, orchestra and artists.

The soundcheck is very fast, because there is little time, but everything is very well organized.

Maestro Grani shows that he uses the iPad, and says it is an indispensable thing, because on his iPad he has all the versions of the songs, those for the band, those for the orchestra, those for him and those for the director. He also has the parts of other Il Volo songs that the boys could change at the last minute, for example he says that Gianluca asked to replace a song that day and this also happens when the concert changes and they prefer to perform certain songs rather than others. Therefore if all these parts of songs were still in sheet music form there would be hundreds of sheets to carry.

The interviewer asks Maestro Grani what characteristics the drummer of the band must have.

Grani replies that playing for Il Volo means having many different styles, we go from pop to classic, so the first thing is versatility and then the ability to adapt to things that are often sudden and all this along always guaranteeing a very high level.

The skill of the drummer, who is very important in pop songs, is in knowing how to follow the other songs with elegance.

Now bass player Pier Mingotti is asked, what he expects from a drummer who plays with you on a tour like this.

He replies that he expects a great musicality, not only the technique.

The guitarist Andrea Morelli says that he is interested in a drummer who loves playing with him, he does not care for an individualist.

The bassist says that the Il Volo concerts are more difficult than others, because each verse is different and therefore the songs must be memorized well.

Even the drummer agrees and says that for them at the beginning it was a challenge, but they are satisfied because they are already at 54 concerts, but it was not easy and together they remember the first “SMILE” saying it was hard !!

In fact, even the guitarist says that it is very difficult for him to follow the part, at a certain point, he doesn’t even look at the iPad anymore, but looks at his companions and plays following the music and the hands of the master.

Then he tells about the difficulty he has with the guitars, which are his, when they encounter very different climates, therefore he has to make some very important adjustments, but everything is part of the game.

The interviewer, asks our drummer a wonderful question, asks what this tour was like on a human level, since he has already worked at high levels, but Italian artists who travel all over the world are very few.

Farinelli replied that it was a fantastic experience, there were no inconveniences, he said that unlike an Italian tour, you have to have great physical-food attention for yourself, try to sleep as much as possible and eat healthy, because it is a physical need, having to travel across time zones.

Then he shows a hotel gym, saying they start their days there.

Last thing, Farinelli wants to explain the diversity between his cymbals …………. but Ignazio intervenes – he, seeing that they are interviewing Farinelli, says that nothing he is saying is true !! (he jokes)

Farinelli, amused, says to him, “Ignazio there are two cases, either you sign me the release or you ruined this 16 minutes of my interview”.

Ignazio puts his hands in his hair and immediately says: “I’ll sign you the release.”

Farinelli laughs and says that this is the best summary of the climate they have during this tour …. Ignazio still intervenes saying that he wants at least 45% and Farinelli, always laughing, says that they give him at least 50% and says that yesterday he and Ignazio played tennis, and says the atmosphere is absolutely fantastic.

He says this is the classic tour you dream about when thinking about America – touring, seeing beautiful places, together with people who you like and know very well.

Thanks and final greetings.

Personally, I found this interview very interesting, but as I am very curious, I went to Bruno Farinelli’s Facebook page and found many of his really nice little posts and I wanted to share them with you.

Sonic Ranch Studio Complex !!! EL PASO!
This place on the border between the United States and Mexico is indescribable.
Six connected studios equipped with all the best you could wish for in an atmosphere that is a color bath! A sensational place where anyone would like to register !!
A “Travel Day”
Really out of the ordinary, a unique experience !!!

SHOW # 13! FORT LAUDERDALE (MIAMI) ….. a unique emotion to play for 7,000 people at the BB&T Center !! It was particularly exciting for the presence of my friend and colleague John Favicchia, but also for the presence, in the first rows, clearly visible from my position, of the very l, very great GLORIA ESTEFAN!

Show # 9! This is the FOX THEATER with its 4,000 seats.

It is one of the most enchanting theaters in America, perhaps the most beautiful
Theater I’ve ever played in!

It was exciting to think how many artists have performed from this stage !!!
….. and now we leave for Chicago !!

DETROIT! This is Motown’s Studio A! It is incredible to think how much wonderful music has been made in this room, with the microphones hanging from the ceiling (mostly in 4 tracks) and the hole in the ceiling for the reverberation (impossible to photograph it, it was not allowed).

The Temptations, the Supremes, Jackson Five, Stevie Wonder ….. these are some of the artists who started here!

And tonight the Fox Theater awaits us !!

This was Radio City Music Hall !!

A fantastic night in a city that I love to die for !! In front of 6,000 wonderful people!
I swear to you that from the stage it is a unique emotion !!!

Goodbye New York ❤️

A typically New York evening:

Let’s go to Greenwich Village to see some shows. How beautiful Greenwich is and my friend Mary rightly thinks of stopping a passerby to capture the moment in front of the Smalls.

Nobody passes …… here is a gentleman …Sorry would you take a picture” ….. “sorry, but do you play the guitar? “…” sorry, but you are Peter Bernstein?”(one of my heroes, an incredible guitarist)

He is surprised, we talk a little bit about Italy, about our tour, and he tells me that his son is called Bruno.
…. And I tell him that my son is named Pietro.

“I hope to play 4 measures with you Peter,” I tell him when I take my leave …… “We hope to play a whole piece,” … he tells me ….. this is NEW YORK.
And tonight we play at Radio City Music Hall !!! ….

I wonder how many times I will still be in a room before going to sleep to thank this wonderful thing called MUSIC! ❤️

I read that Michele Torpedine had personally contacted Bruno Farinelli. I remind everyone that Torpedine is a good drummer, but I believe that after you have read this you will have noticed how important the human side also is during the tour of the boys. In fact, Farinelli himself, says in the video that the band was chosen also considering their socialization ability, so as to create together a nice group, that works a lot, but also has fun while in each other’s company.

And we like this very much.😉

Daniela

Credit to owners of all photos and video.

10 Year Anniversary, IL Volo Off Stage

IL VOLO TO PORTA A PORTA by Daniela

April 13, 2020 pitterpat0 23 Comments

The day before Easter there was a short connection from Il Volo to the Porta a Porta transmission, conducted by Bruno Vespa.

For those who follow Il Volo recently, it is news like any other, but for those who have long been fond of boys, remember well the beautiful episodes of Porta a Porta, when the boys, here in Italy, had not yet won Sanremo and therefore still little known and then immediately after, when they were at the height of their popularity.

This time was short, but we all want a whole evening with who the boys called “Uncle Bruno”, and hopefully this will happen soon.

Remember the three guys from Il Volo?

Of course you remember them, they are now famous in Italy and in the world. We baptized them 10 years ago, then they really broke out everywhere.

This is the tenth anniversary of their activity and at the beginning of March they were completing an extraordinary tour with seven thousand people every night all sold out, through America and Canada, then at some point in America things started to go wrong, in Italy, very badly, and they decided to cancel some concerts and come back.

Returning from the US, they made the mandatory quarantine, then the quarantine that we all do. They are locked in the house, in three different houses and have put together their voices to sing a symbolic song: IL MONDO/THE WORLD, the famous 1965 song by Jimmy Fontana, which brought them a lot of luck, let’s listen to them.

IL MONDO starts

BV = Good evening guys, good evening, Gianluca Ginoble from Roseto degli Abruzzi, Ignazio Boschetto from Bologna, Piero Barone from Naro.

G = Good evening.

I = Hi Bruno.

P = Hi Uncle Bruno, how are you.

BV = Hi, I’m fine, with a lot of nostalgia to see you, the RAI1 audience will see you and applaud you again on Tuesday before Porta a Porta.
On Tuesday we will broadcast one of your 2015 concerts made at the Arena in Verona, you will comment on it from your homes, and then we will arrive (in the sense that Porta a Porta is broadcast after the concert).

Of course you are terribly young still, 25 years old, the oldest is Piero who is 26.
How did it go in America?
Sold out every evening.

P = This tour was full of emotions, especially at the beginning, from Italy worries came to us, but we honestly didn’t realize the situation, so we continued to do concerts.

The last three concerts we were forced to cancel, because they closed all the connections from Europe, to Italy from the United States, so we canceled the concerts and returned to Italy.

But we had a nice tour and now we are happy to be at home with our family members safe.

BV = Honestly, you were never at home, what impression did it make you, being locked in a house, with the few movements allowed to each of us, you who are used to crowds of thousands and thousands of people?

I = (Ignazio and Gian answer at the same time, then decide that Ignazio continues)

Personally, I am used to it and I like to stay at home, when I can and we are here, I often stay at home, but now, the nice thing is to have re-found the love of the people close to us, our family members, they are always here, and it is often an affection that we take for granted and even though we always travel, we have had the confirmation that our family is a great reference point.

BV = This I think also applies to Gianluca and Piero, I guess.

G = Of course. We returned on March 13, justly the restrictions imposed by the government to stem the infection have forced everyone to stay at home and we must lead by example.

Staying at home for us who are 9-10 months a year away from home is not entirely negative, because as Ignazio said, our family is the most important thing and now we are together 24 hours a day.

I started playing the piano again, with my brother we sing and play all the time, therefore, in the tragedy, there are also positive things, so we try to have a little “spirit of adaptation”, stay at home and rediscover those passions that were hidden.

P = Objectively, Bruno, we are experiencing a completely new situation, but this moment, however extreme and complicated, calls everyone’s attention, in applying the rules that are indicated to us.

But we, like Il Volo and all artists like us, must lead by example and using today’s technology, to communicate to more people that the situation is serious and everyone’s help is needed.

BV = Guys, thank you, good luck, ready for a brilliant recovery in Italy and worldwide, the appointment is on RAI1 on Tuesday evening.

I = Can I say one last thing?

BV = Of course, Ignazio.

I = I wanted to say something that has been a point of discussion in many broadcasts, I want to tell people at home to listen only to official news, to follow only official sites, because fake news and misrepresented news are very dangerous for everyone, for everyone’s mood, for the Country and for the world. So just read the right news and stay at home like us.

Bruno, grazie mille, because you were one of the first to believe in us.

BV = I’m glad that this fake news is said by a young man, because young people are often victims of social media, and in these days we are listening to everything.

Below is the video of the promotion of the Il Volo concert, made in the Arena in 2015, and which will be re-transmitted on RAI 1 on Tuesday 14 April at 09:30 pm, Italian time.

The concert will be commented directly by Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca from their homes.

For those able to connect and view RAI 1, it is always a good concert to see and also the guys will sing many songs, and also LA VITA, whose words are really significant in this period.

Daniela

Credit to owners of all photos and videos.

10 Year Anniversary, Flashback

ONLY FOR IL VOLO – THEIR SONGS by Daniela

April 10, 2020 pitterpat0 37 Comments

As we all know, IL VOLO mostly performs songs from an already known repertoire. But on every CD, there are texts written specifically for them, or songs that only they led to success, and are songs really beautiful. Too bad that, often in concerts, these songs are not always performed. So I thought I’d group them here.

Happy listening and enjoy!

2010 E PIÙ TI PENSO from the CD, IL VOLO, Music by Ennio Morricone. The lyrics was written by Tony Renis, for Il Volo.

2011 HASTA EL FINAL from the CD, IL VOLO, Spanish edition.

2012 WE ARE LOVE from the CD, WE ARE LOVE, it won the Billboard prize. This video was shot in Bologna.

QUESTO AMORE, Italian version of I DON’T WANT TO MISS A THING from Aerosmith.

IL CANTO, written for Pavarotti, but he never sang it.

NON FARMI ASPETTARE

2015 GRANDE AMORE, from the CD, SANREMO GRANDE AMORE winner of Sanremo 2015.

2015 SI ME FALTA TU MIRADA, from the CD, LIVE AT POMPEI, the video was filmed at the Arena in Verona.

2015 L’AMORE SI MUOVE, from the CD, L’AMORE SI MUOVE, written by F. Renga for the birth of his son and the words rewritten by Renga for Il Volo. The beginning of the video is taken in Montepagano – Gianluca is sitting in the alley near his home.

2015 IL TUO SGUARDO MANCA

2015 PER TE CI SARÒ, video shot on Lake Tenno, in the province of Trento.

2015 TORNERÀ L’AMORE

2015 ASPETTERÒ

2016 AVE MARIA MATER MISERICORDIAE, from the CD, NOTTE MAGICA, video recorded in Panama 2019 during the mass officiated by the Pope for WYD.

2018 MUSICA CHE RESTA, from the CD, MUSICA, third place in Sanremo 2019.

2018 VICINISSIMO

2018 FINO A QUANDO FA BENE

2019 NOCHE SIN DIA, from the CD, AMAME – this CD was not released in Italy and the video is not visible here.

I don’t know your thoughts, but as we are forced home, nothing is better than enjoying these beautiful songs. And some videos have the words to the songs, so we can practice singing with ***Piero,* *Gianluca*** and Ignazio.

I would like to hear these beautiful songs several times in their concerts …….. and you? 😊

Daniela

Credit to owners of all photos and videos.

10 Year Anniversary, General news, Our Stories

TO TALK ABOUT OUR GUYS: IL VOLO by Susan

April 8, 2020 pitterpat0 70 Comments

Reading, here and there on the various sites and fan pages, I found this beautiful article written by Susan De Bartoli. Several fan pages have recognized the goodness of this beautiful article by publishing it. Since maybe not all of you who follow Flight Crew may have read it, I thought I’d post it here too, and I asked Susan for her confirmation to do so. Here’s what she wrote.

Rejoice by reading: Daniela

Over the last few days, I’ve been thinking about how our lives have changed in just two weeks. It’s surreal! I try to distract myself but it’s difficult to get away from it all. So, I decided to focus on something else. I can usually get lost in my writing. You know before I started my business in 1990, I worked in the motion picture industry. I used to critique films. It was a good job but, I decided I wanted to do more with my life so, I quit my job and I spent two years writing. The best years of my life. So, where am I going with all of this?

Like most of you, right now, I spend a good deal of my day listening to those three amazing guys sing and I said maybe I should do a review of what’s been going on in their lives for the last 10 years. I think, over the last few days, I must have watched hundreds of video clips including interviews and some full concerts and now I’m ready to talk about our guys.

Let me start off by saying these three young men are extraordinary! They are remarkable, exceptional, persons. And, they have revolutionized the music industry. Let’s take a look at each one.

Gianluca is known as the Velvet Voice! I don’t who coined the phrase but, that is right on. Let’s use our senses to understand what that means. Take a piece of velvet and hold it in your hand. Now take your other hand and, gently pass your hand across the velvet. What do you feel? You feel a smooth even surface that is crisp with no breaks in it. The sensation is so good that you automatically go back and do it again. And every time it’s the same. It’s pleasing!

Now take Gianluca’s voice, let the notes pass into your ears, what do you hear? A crisp, smooth, even voice with no breaks in it. The note barely passes into your ear and you are going back for the next note. It’s always pleasing!

Gianluca is a lyrical baritone. He is exceptional because he can sing from the lowest to the highest note in the baritone range. Most baritones are limited in range. Gianluca’s voice is huge. He has a very rich chest resonance which creates a feeling of depth and drama in his voice.

A baritone voice is very romantic, very pleasing to listen to and is always inviting. Most songs are written for baritones. Gianluca starts, almost, every song. Why? In order for a song to be received well you must draw your audience into it. Gianluca’s voice draws you in in a romantic way and you hang on to every note. He can mesmerize you with songs like “Mi Mancherai” where he reaches into the depth of your being. His interpretation of “Surrender” is electrifying. But, when Gianluca sings, “She’s Always a Woman”, he takes your breath away. The highs, the lows, the emotion, the expression. His voice expands like nothing I ever heard before. He has total command of the song. You walk away with your senses lifted to another level.

Let’s talk about Ignazio, who I call the bridge. He is a lyrical tenor. He, like Gianluca, is exceptional because he can sing from the lowest to the highest note in the tenor range. And, God knows he can, easily, hit the high C. Waiting for it and knowing it’s going to happen is so exciting! He brings so much to the production and I’ll talk more about that later!

A lyrical tenor has a warm graceful voice which is bright and strong but not heavy and it can be heard over an orchestra. Ignazio’s voice is smooth, clean and clear, with an acute extension. His voice has the ability to increase the baritone voice of Gianluca while softening the spinto tenor voice of Piero. Ignazio has many faces. He is very whimsical in his songs as in “Libiamo ne’ lieti calici” from La Traviata.

In the aria “Una Furtiva Lagrima” from L’elisir D’amore, Ignazio makes you feel the innocents of Nemorino’s love for Adina. In his dedication to Pino Daniele you hear an interpretation that is emotional and a delivery that is so amazing that you get the sense that Daniele wrote his songs for Ignazio.

And finally, Piero. Piero is a spinto (meaning pushed) tenor. A spinto tenor has the brightness and height of a lyric tenor, but with a heavier vocal weight enabling the voice to be “pushed” to dramatic climaxes with less strain than his lighter-voice counterparts. His voice is warm, graceful, bright, and can be heard over an orchestra. Piero has a powerful voice that easily reaches the higher notes. Every note that comes out of his mouth reaches us with such intensity and remains with us for a long time. It’s the voice that reaches out to you and demands your attention. Think of him singing “E Lucevan le Stele” from Tosca. Or singing the beautiful Spanish aria “No Puede Ser” from A Tabernera del Puerto. From the first note Piero pierces your soul! His passion comes through in his music. Arias are very dramatic and, Piero brings all the drama of the aria into his performance. Always a showstopper!

Now let’s put the voices together. Gianluca starts most songs because he is a baritone and most songs are written for baritones. As I mentioned he draws you into the song. Gianluca will sing (in most cases) to Ignazio and Ignazio to Piero. This is how the three voices become one. Select one of their songs. Now close your eyes and listen to them sing. What can you say about this song? You can say, that is Gianluca or Ignazio or Piero singing. In the progression of the song you hear the voices blend to form a symphony for your ears. Their voices are very distinct.

Most groups sing and you hear just a song but with Il Volo you are surrounded by voices. And, the individuality of their voices entices you and it stays with you. “Musica che Resta”. (Music that Remains) Think of what Piero says when he introduces one of the solos, “After we were together a while, we realized we had three different voices.” He wasn’t saying that they suddenly found out they had different voices he was saying we are three voices and one song and, we need to show you those voices individually.

Let’s look at how they described one another when they first started out. I think Ignazio said Gianluca was the serious one, and Piero was the Intelligent one and Gianluca and Piero said Ignazio was the funny one. So, let’s take a look at that.

Gianluca, in most cases, is the spokesman for the group. I’m not sure if this is by chance or choice. He seems to always take the lead when they are in interviews. And, he is constantly monitoring the conversation. A good example is the video that was going around recently. It’s the one with the story about the shrimps. The boys were appearing on a Spanish show and Piero was telling the story about Gianluca and Ignazio’s food fight, when they were teenagers and he mistakenly used the Spanish word cama (bed) instead of the Spanish word cara (face) which turns the story from them throwing shrimps into one another’s face into throwing shrimps at each other in bed. Gianluca picked up on this and immediately corrected the mistake while Ignazio and Piero got hysterical laughing.

Piero is the intelligent one perhaps because he thinks everything through. In interviews he thinks before he speaks, and his answers are always intelligent. He’s very serious and you can tell he thought out the answer before he spoke. And I’m sure that’s what makes his performance so great!

And, Ignazio, the funny one. And that he is! But, is it really about the joke? Or is it more about the production. Let’s turn to the production.

The stage is simple. One sign that says it all – Il Volo. There’s the orchestra. Guitars, drum, piano, violins and whatever other instruments are needed for the performance. I want you to stop and think about the performance. We know these guys have three amazing voices but, what if they got on the stage and for two hours, they did nothing but sing. I don’t think it would work. A performance needs the ability to move on. There’s no change of scenery and no intermission so how do you move the performance along? Ignazio!!! The joking he brings into the performance provides the levity to relive the seriousness of the performance. He brings a certain ease and suspense to the performance. The audience is always wondering, what will he do next. But is it always about joking? I want you to think about what I’m saying. Ignazio is constantly moving around the stage. He’s dancing and keeping the rhythm. He’s swinging the microphone around and constantly nodding towards the orchestra, Gianluca and Piero. Is that the lead up to a joke? I don’t think so. Let me tell you what you are looking at. Ignazio is following every note that is sung or played on that stage. His mind is in motion. He is sensitive and passionate with the music. He has the ability to see the music as it is happening. He knows where every instrument should come in and out. That’s why you notice little things like him smiling, nodding, pointing towards the musicians, Gianluca or Piero. He also grabs the baton from the conductor, sometimes to joke but more often to conduct. Think about him conducting the Asti Symphony Orchestra while Marcello Rota sang his tenor part. He wasn’t joking, he was conducting. And, that’s why everyone was watching him in amazement. And when it was over, they were speechless. Look at Michele Torpedine go across the stage to embrace him. He is in awe of this young man. Ignazio is music! You call him funny I call him brilliant! I am going to make a prediction here! Remember you heard it here first. Ignazio will compose a great opera and will probably also write the libretto for it.

Let’s go to the beginning. When these three young men started out, they were 15 and 16 years old. Think of being 15 or 16 years old and you have a dream, and someone tells you that that dream, needs to be shared. To fulfill that dream you have to leave your family, your friends, your home, you have to go to another country and you have to share this journey with two people who you really know nothing about except that they had the same dream you did. You have to trust that the decision that was made by you and your family, was the right decision. If not, it’s back to square one! You’re going to be lonely and you have to learn to survive without the people you love. So, you learn to lean on one another. That dependence turns into a friendship and that friendship into a brotherhood. It enabled them to trust enough to collaborate and perfect something truly amazing. Something that revolutionized the music industry. Let me go further by showing you a collaboration by these three amazing, very, very talented, young men that is so unreal that it boggles your mind. This is a collaboration of love. Stop and listen to this performance of “Por Una Cabeza”.

Look at how they smile at one another during the performance. A smile that says yes that’s it! Their faces are ablaze! Their expressions let one another know that it works. And, finally, when it’s over, they are so excited they can hardly contain themselves. Look at their smiles, their faces are lit up in joy and their embrace says it all! They are brothers who love one another! So, in the beginning I said they were three voices and one song. I can now say they are three voices and one Love! We Are Love! ❤️❤️❤️

Susan De Bartoli

Susan, I really have to thank you for your nice words, you hit the mark in the description of Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero.

Thanks also for allowing the publication.
We will be happy to have your other posts if you wish.

A hug from the whole Flight Crew family.

Credit to owners of all photos and video.

10 Year Anniversary, Concert Photos/Reviews, Editorials, Our Stories

Giovanna in Taormina & Lecce 2019!

April 2, 2020 Jana 18 Comments

Finalmente il Primo (e il Secondo) Concerto (Finally, the First and Second Live Concert)

By Giovanna

After Italy and our planet recover from the current viral onslaught, the world may be different. As Gianluca said in his live videocast last week, when this is over, it may be hard for many people and many things to go back to the way they were. But we can still look forward to the fact that music and laughter are universal and unstoppable.

In my last submittal, I promised to describe my first Il Volo concert(s) from 2019. But first, I wanted to recount a funny story from my 2018 trip to Sicily. That was my fourth hiking or cycling trip in Italy. Due to the travel dates, I knew I would not be able to hear any Il Volo concerts. I spent the time becoming addicted to the Mediterranean and Ionian coasts of Sicily.

When we first arrived a few days before the start of our hike, I had trouble calling our bed-and-breakfast host near the Palermo Vucceria. So I ended up pressing the citofono and climbing stairs looking for his suite. A middle-aged guy in the street, who was a friend of his, called him on the telefonino (cell phone). While on the phone this buddy was ribbing me in Sicilian, telling Claudio that he better come down quick, because his guests “si stanno impazzendo” (are going crazy) and every other tease he could think of, winking the whole time. My helper was a typical Sicilian – extraordinarily courteous and kind on the one hand, and ‘nu sperto (smart aleck) on the other. Then he hugs us and tells us his name is Piero. I burst out laughing. Of course, it is. What else would it be? (But it’s a common name, right?)

Even wilder was the historian/guide at Segesta a few days later. He was a little bantam rooster of an athlete in his 20’s. Black jeans, dark curls, trim beard, soft eyes, deep dark voice, movie actor face. He announced his name was Gianluca.

I was in tears laughing at this point, and just had to ask him if he sang tenor or baritone. He pulled me aside and we promptly got into an argument (‘na schariatina) in Sicilian. Two Sicilians arguing – what else is new? He insisted that our driver, Maurizio, lied when he said we were Americans. As short as I am, and with my left hand in the air for every other word, I had to be Italian. I also learned that this particular Gianluca refers to himself as “Sicilianissimo” (ultimate Sicilian) and considers himself an expert in recognizing his own kind.

I’ve had this happen in a number of places in Italy over the years, where Italians sometimes confuse me for an Italian, not an American. A few examples:

**Near Catania: “Si pare dalla faccia” (It shows on your face).**

**Rome: “L’accento si senti” (I hear your accent).**

**Giardini, Sicily after two days of swimming in the Ionian Sea: “Una verissima Siciliana – nera, nera come ‘na magrebina” (A real Sicilian – dark as the rest of us Mediterraneans.)**

Storekeeper in a negozio in Florence: “You remind me of my mother in Calabria. I’ll take off 40 euros if you come in the back with me for an espresso e una chiacchierata” (some conversation).” I told him the last thing I wanted to hear from a handsome young Italian is that I looked like his mother.

**Our driver outside Cefalu: “How long since you emigrated from here to the States?” My answer, “Non ho mai messo piede qua!” (I’ve never set foot here!).**

Near Milano: If you’re a ciclista, you’ll know who the great designer Ernesto Colnago is. He refused to make me a custom road racing frame years ago. “Sei Italiana, ma sei troppo bassa. La bici uscira brutta!” (You’re Italian but you’re too short. The bicycle will come out ugly.)

Eventually I gave up arguing.

I didn’t meet any Ignazios in 2018, but I didn’t need to. I have two Sicilian-American cousins called Ignazio. One’s tall, one’s funny.

Despite following Il Volo for years, and even going back and forth to Italy, I never attended a live concert until 2019. As I mentioned, I returned to Italia to hear them on their home turf in Taormina, Sicily and Lecce, Puglia, both shows in July. It gave me an excuse to be around the beaches, the white marble architecture, the restored synagogues, and the marketplaces of eastern Sicily and southern Italy for a month. Americans haven’t discovered these areas, but the northern Italians flock there for vacanze and ferragosto. I was delighted not to hear a word of English for a month. Siracusa and Ortigia, with exotic fruit, baking hot sunshine, blinding white marble, noisy markets, singing in the stalls, street signs in Greek and Hebrew, the sparkling Adriatic visible at every turn, make me ubriaca di gioia (drunk with pleasure). I finally found a place I feel really at home.

Besides, there’s nothing like Sicilian pasta al salmone, and the Pugliese really know how to roll their dark bread dough in black sesame seeds. And where else do the vending machines along the beach have bottles of Inzolia Sicilian white and Nero d’Avola red instead of Coca Cola? Antonio, one my limo drivers, told me that Italians have a name for a meal without wine. They call it colazione (breakfast). E magari, a volte… (Even then, sometimes, too). Using wine all day is not the case for every Italian since, for example, Piero Barone, and even my landlord in Giardini, sono astemi (don’t drink at all).

Ora Arriviamo al Dunque (Now We Get to the Point)

Jana, Daniela, Pat and others in the Flight Crew reviewed last year’s concerts as they occurred. I wanted to tell you about some things that didn’t make the web pages or the blogs. These things will not change, even if the Meet and Greets, Wine and Dines, and whatever else they’re called, come to an end. I’ve never been to any of those things, anyway.

Aside from their voices and their stage presence, in the short time I was around the Il Volo concert setting, I was most impressed with the humanity and grace of these young men, and what veri gentiluomini (real gentlemen) they can be, when they choose to. Non fraintendermi! Don’t get me wrong! I raised an Italian Jewish son exactly their age. With young guys, including mine, sometimes they are delightfully charming, and other times “it gets real.” I suppose these three guys are the same as mine. Here are some examples of what they can be:

First, my all-time favorite, and Sicily’s greatest mystery writer, Andrea Camilleri, died the Thursday before the Il Volo Taormina concert. If you’ve ever read Il Commissario Montalbano Mysteries or watched them on TV (starring Luca Zingaretti, Cesare Bocci and Peppino Mazzotta), you know who Camilleri is. I didn’t hear the news until I went up to Taormina that Friday to buy some paperbacks in the tabbacheria and catch the local gossip in the cafés on Corso Umberto. Those of us who are Sicilians were still lamenting his death a few nights later at the Il Volo concert. (Sicilians are really good at that). During the concert, Piero and Ignazio, Sicilians both, had the extraordinary sensitivity to ask for a few minutes to honor the memory of our Sicilian hero with a farewell aria in the middle of the show. Lots of hugging and swaying in the audience – but well deserved.

Second, some of you may have seen the 2019 Taormina concert photo of Piero holding a teenaged girl at the left side of the stage, late in the show. I think I even saw the picture on the Flight Crew page. What wasn’t obvious is that this very disabled young lady, in her prettiest summer dress and barely able to walk on her brace supports, spent the length of two songs being held by Piero, while he sang his parts. To take care of this young lady who had trouble standing, Piero had to crouch and sit at the edge of the stage to hold her so she wouldn’t fall, as her caregivers temporarily took her walking equipment away, and he stayed that way a long time. This brave young lady didn’t want any crutches in her arms; she wanted Piero in her arms, and he obliged her. I was really touched by the look on his face afterwards, as he sighed with compassion, moved by what this young girl went through to get near him, and watching her struggle on her supports as she left him with her helpers around her. I didn’t expect a young star to be that human. In Yiddish we would say What a mentsh! and in Italian Che persona! (What a person he is!) But of course, if he’s like his coetani (guys his age) there are probably other sides to him.

These are Flashes of Memory and a Few Things to Look Forward to When Italy Recovers

Snapshots from Taormina Concert

Ignazio teasing that every time Gianluca tries to speak Sicilian, he growls like a Mafiusu.
Ignazio doing a fake Italian TV commercial with a dial-in phone number to raise money to save Piero’s home village of Naro. Every time the other two interrupt him, he starts the “tape” over.
Piero charging up the center aisle to sing at the back of the amphitheater, then unable to get back to the stage because he’s nearly covered in girls.
Gianluca completely cranked up, running victory laps back and forth at the front of the stage hand-slapping all the young kids, while everyone in the audience is standing and singing “Volare.”
Late night after the concert, people singing Il Volo songs up and down Corso Umberto, even those who didn’t go to the show.

Snapshots from Lecce Concert

After centuries of never having public entertainment in the Piazza del Duomo, watching as the stage was being built up each day across from the archbishop’s palace – for Il Volo,
Gianluca accidently delaying the show because he left his stage clothes at the hotel. Ignazio joking that they decided to wait for Gianluca’s clothes because it didn’t seem right to make him do an entire concert in front of the Archbishop of Lecce in mutande (in his underwear).
Gianluca personally thanking Archbishop Michele Seccia “chi mi ha dato la crisma” (who gave him the oil of anointing at his confirmation 12 years ago), because look what happened to his life since then.
Folks watching the show for free from the roof of their apartment building above the piazza teasing Ignazio. Ignazio, always in fine form, yelling at them to go buy a ticket.
Gianluca doing a goofy American accent to make fun of how badly Americans pronounce “Arriverderci Roma.”
People in front of me betting on whether Gianluca could make it to the end of the show without climbing off the stage to play with a small boy down front. (He didn’t make it to the end).
Piero describing how ten years ago they were so young that they were this short . . . except Ignazio, who was this wide . . .

Che Dio vi benedica tutti voi, e anche i ragazzi e le loro famiglie.

May God bless you all, and the guys and their families, too, during this time.

Some pictures….

They need more publicity than this — They needed more publicity than this!

Taormina The light crew can do wonderful things on that backdrop in the Teatro Antico — Taormina – the light crew can do wonderful things!

String bending on a Fender Stratocaster Brownie

Lecce Gianlu got his pants back but he may be noticing his shoes are different. — Gianluca got his pants back, but notices shoes are different?

Alessandro Quarta actually wore a T shirt long enough to cover his belly when he bends backwards — Alessandro got a shirt long enough to cover his belly!

10th anniversary thank you poster — 10th Anniversary thank you poster…

This is how short I am. I cannot even reach the floor. — Yours truly – my feet do not touch the floor – kind of like an Il Volo concert!

C’è di più.

There is more to come.

Jo Ann…

Come in and share the love of life, friends and Il Volo!

On YouTube, this video was published which I found very interesting.

It is an interview, but also a report, made with Il Volo drummer, Bruno Farinelli.

The interview actually deals with highlighting the job of a drummer on a tour and therefore I will skip overly technical notions. At some point the interview also extends to the master Gianpiero Grani.

I found the video very nice, also to find out a bit about the background of an Il Volo concert.

Enjoy the reading!

At the beginning of the video, the interviewer says he would have liked to have a long interview with Bruno Farinelli, the drummer who played for Il Volo during the World Tour, but since the virus intervened, he had to change his plans and asked Bruno to do reports from where they were playing.

The first question he asked Bruno was to tell about this experience of a great world tour with Il Volo around the world.

Bruno replies that it is a fantastic tour that started, speaking of the Italian part, from Matera, with the PBS Special, which was followed by the Latin American part of the tour, starting from Mexico and they had to take 42 planes in two months.

The interviewer asks Bruno if the set (for the sound) has brought him with him or if each time he has to play on a different one, and if he has had surprises, or if everything went well.

Bruno says I’m in San Diego, with six concerts left at the end of this wonderful American tour.

He says the set (of drums) is extremely simple and they found it there in America. He details all the drums and cymbals, and then says that the cymbals were brought directly from Italy. He says that the real news for him, on this tour, was the introduction of the iPad for reading the songs.

Off-camera we hear the voice of Alessio Guerrieri, stage manager, who in turn explains the connections with the drums and the details requested by Farinelli.

The interviewer asks if they are traveling in America on a tour bus and asks to show if they are really comfortable as told.

Bruno shows the inside of the bus, he says it is like a huge camper, but much more beautiful. He says that the beds are very comfortable and that they have Wi-Fi and all possible and imaginable comforts on board and says, “This is our wonderful traveling home.”

The interviewer says that they have been in wonderful places, famous stages and asks to show some photos of those stages and says that he is very envious of this.

Bruno shows the Microsoft Theater, Bruno says it’s a wonderful view and in the evening there will be 4,500 full seats, and it’s a really nice theater.

Guitarist Andrea Morelli is asked what he and Gianluca were talking about and he replies that they were talking about a CD by John Mayer who shot the video in that theater.

Bruno shows other panoramas of two other stages: Indio and Laval.

Then, he shows a rehearsal with the orchestra made by the master Grani.

The interviewer asks Bruno that, although they are a band, they must also play with the orchestras of the various cities and asks to explain how the whole ensemble works.

The answer is given by the master Grani.

His role is not easy, because he is the pianist and the musical director of the tour, so he has a lot of work and responsibility.

Grani says that the work starts long before the concert, because he has to send all the songs to be played to the orchestra.

The parts of the orchestra are sent much earlier and delivered to a contact person. This year they also noted the performance variations directly on the parts, and at the end of the concert the sheets of the parts (sheet music) are recovered to be used for the next concert.

During the concert Grani does more things, plays the piano, follows all parts of the orchestra, he with the microphone, communicates with the artists (Piero, Ignazio and Gian), with the band, with the orchestra and with the stage manager, Alessio Guerrieri.

As soon as he rehearses with the orchestra, he arrives on stage, makes the soundcheck with the band, then the orchestra arrives and then they make the soundcheck all together, band, orchestra and artists.

The soundcheck is very fast, because there is little time, but everything is very well organized.

The interviewer asks Maestro Grani what characteristics the drummer of the band must have.

Grani replies that playing for Il Volo means having many different styles, we go from pop to classic, so the first thing is versatility and then the ability to adapt to things that are often sudden and all this along always guaranteeing a very high level.

The skill of the drummer, who is very important in pop songs, is in knowing how to follow the other songs with elegance.

Now bass player Pier Mingotti is asked, what he expects from a drummer who plays with you on a tour like this.

He replies that he expects a great musicality, not only the technique.

The guitarist Andrea Morelli says that he is interested in a drummer who loves playing with him, he does not care for an individualist.

The bassist says that the Il Volo concerts are more difficult than others, because each verse is different and therefore the songs must be memorized well.

Even the drummer agrees and says that for them at the beginning it was a challenge, but they are satisfied because they are already at 54 concerts, but it was not easy and together they remember the first “SMILE” saying it was hard !!

In fact, even the guitarist says that it is very difficult for him to follow the part, at a certain point, he doesn’t even look at the iPad anymore, but looks at his companions and plays following the music and the hands of the master.

Then he tells about the difficulty he has with the guitars, which are his, when they encounter very different climates, therefore he has to make some very important adjustments, but everything is part of the game.

The interviewer, asks our drummer a wonderful question, asks what this tour was like on a human level, since he has already worked at high levels, but Italian artists who travel all over the world are very few.

Farinelli replied that it was a fantastic experience, there were no inconveniences, he said that unlike an Italian tour, you have to have great physical-food attention for yourself, try to sleep as much as possible and eat healthy, because it is a physical need, having to travel across time zones.

Then he shows a hotel gym, saying they start their days there.

Last thing, Farinelli wants to explain the diversity between his cymbals …………. but Ignazio intervenes – he, seeing that they are interviewing Farinelli, says that nothing he is saying is true !! (he jokes)

Farinelli, amused, says to him, “Ignazio there are two cases, either you sign me the release or you ruined this 16 minutes of my interview”.

Ignazio puts his hands in his hair and immediately says: “I’ll sign you the release.”

He says this is the classic tour you dream about when thinking about America – touring, seeing beautiful places, together with people who you like and know very well.

Thanks and final greetings.

Personally, I found this interview very interesting, but as I am very curious, I went to Bruno Farinelli’s Facebook page and found many of his really nice little posts and I wanted to share them with you.

Show # 9! This is the FOX THEATER with its 4,000 seats.

It is one of the most enchanting theaters in America, perhaps the most beautiful Theater I’ve ever played in!

It was exciting to think how many artists have performed from this stage !!! ….. and now we leave for Chicago !!

DETROIT! This is Motown’s Studio A! It is incredible to think how much wonderful music has been made in this room, with the microphones hanging from the ceiling (mostly in 4 tracks) and the hole in the ceiling for the reverberation (impossible to photograph it, it was not allowed).

This was Radio City Music Hall !!

A fantastic night in a city that I love to die for !! In front of 6,000 wonderful people! I swear to you that from the stage it is a unique emotion !!!

Goodbye New York ❤️

A typically New York evening:

Let’s go to Greenwich Village to see some shows. How beautiful Greenwich is and my friend Mary rightly thinks of stopping a passerby to capture the moment in front of the Smalls.

Nobody passes …… here is a gentleman …Sorry would you take a picture” ….. “sorry, but do you play the guitar? “…” sorry, but you are Peter Bernstein?”(one of my heroes, an incredible guitarist)

He is surprised, we talk a little bit about Italy, about our tour, and he tells me that his son is called Bruno. …. And I tell him that my son is named Pietro.

“I hope to play 4 measures with you Peter,” I tell him when I take my leave …… “We hope to play a whole piece,” … he tells me ….. this is NEW YORK. And tonight we play at Radio City Music Hall !!! ….

I wonder how many times I will still be in a room before going to sleep to thank this wonderful thing called MUSIC! ❤️

And we like this very much.😉

Daniela

The day before Easter there was a short connection from Il Volo to the Porta a Porta transmission, conducted by Bruno Vespa.

This time was short, but we all want a whole evening with who the boys called “Uncle Bruno”, and hopefully this will happen soon.

Remember the three guys from Il Volo?

Of course you remember them, they are now famous in Italy and in the world. We baptized them 10 years ago, then they really broke out everywhere.

IL MONDO starts

BV = Good evening guys, good evening, Gianluca Ginoble from Roseto degli Abruzzi, Ignazio Boschetto from Bologna, Piero Barone from Naro.

G = Good evening.

I = Hi Bruno.

P = Hi Uncle Bruno, how are you.

Of course you are terribly young still, 25 years old, the oldest is Piero who is 26. How did it go in America? Sold out every evening.

P = This tour was full of emotions, especially at the beginning, from Italy worries came to us, but we honestly didn’t realize the situation, so we continued to do concerts.

The last three concerts we were forced to cancel, because they closed all the connections from Europe, to Italy from the United States, so we canceled the concerts and returned to Italy.

But we had a nice tour and now we are happy to be at home with our family members safe.

BV = Honestly, you were never at home, what impression did it make you, being locked in a house, with the few movements allowed to each of us, you who are used to crowds of thousands and thousands of people?

I = (Ignazio and Gian answer at the same time, then decide that Ignazio continues)

BV = This I think also applies to Gianluca and Piero, I guess.

G = Of course. We returned on March 13, justly the restrictions imposed by the government to stem the infection have forced everyone to stay at home and we must lead by example.

Staying at home for us who are 9-10 months a year away from home is not entirely negative, because as Ignazio said, our family is the most important thing and now we are together 24 hours a day.

I started playing the piano again, with my brother we sing and play all the time, therefore, in the tragedy, there are also positive things, so we try to have a little “spirit of adaptation”, stay at home and rediscover those passions that were hidden.

It is one of the most enchanting theaters in America, perhaps the most beautiful
Theater I’ve ever played in!

It was exciting to think how many artists have performed from this stage !!!
….. and now we leave for Chicago !!

A fantastic night in a city that I love to die for !! In front of 6,000 wonderful people!
I swear to you that from the stage it is a unique emotion !!!

He is surprised, we talk a little bit about Italy, about our tour, and he tells me that his son is called Bruno.
…. And I tell him that my son is named Pietro.

“I hope to play 4 measures with you Peter,” I tell him when I take my leave …… “We hope to play a whole piece,” … he tells me ….. this is NEW YORK.
And tonight we play at Radio City Music Hall !!! ….

Of course you are terribly young still, 25 years old, the oldest is Piero who is 26.
How did it go in America?
Sold out every evening.

I don’t know your thoughts, but as we are forced home, nothing is better than enjoying these beautiful songs. And some videos have the words to the songs, so we can practice singing with ***Piero,* *Gianluca*** and Ignazio.