The boys of Il Volo grew up in a culture that takes singing seriously. That can also be said of their families. Thus, each of them started learning the technique of singing – vowel shaping, breath support, projection, phrasing, etc. – from classically trained people either a grandfather with the same background and/or professional voice teacher. When you learn the art of singing you need something to put that craft and art to work– something to sing and if you are going to do the work right you want the best. That comes in the form of art songs and arias from opera or operetta. This is true here in the USA as well as Italy and all over Europe. In fact, this “Bel Canto” concept is taught all over the world. It is the standard of quality singing.
Here is a very rough idea of these types of music:
Art songis a single song (3 to 7 min, maybe) that conveys the story or feeling of the composer. It stands on its own. “Caruso” is such an art song.
Also and even more so, “En Aranjuez con tu amor” is a very dramatic art song that Gianluca sings with a solo violin as the taunt. This was written by Joaquin Rodrigo back in the 1930’s
Opera is taking a full-length story and acting it completely through music where the actors sing everything. When they are describing action it sometimes the music is called a recitative(reciting the story) but then when they want to share feeling especially love the music gets to be a very beautiful melody and great harmonies and it is called an aria. Even Broadway musicals use that form. The boys have sung“Tonight”and “Maria”from West Side Story. They have sung “Night and Day”, “Memories” and others that come from a musical – each of them can be called an “aria”
Piero took the brave step (and he was a triumph) by doing “ E Lucevan le Stelle” from Toscaof Puccini. Bravo.
The opera world attracts the greatest composers:
Giuseppe Verdi: La Traviata; Aida; Rigoletto and many others
Giacomo Puccini: Madame Butterfly; La Boheme; Turandot; Tosca
Gaetano Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor; L’elisir d’ amore
A few that are not on the list for the boys so far:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Marriage of Figaro; Magic Flute; Don Giovani
Richard Wagner:The flying Dutchman; The Meistersinger
Operetta(very loose definition) is a story being staged where the action parts are actually spoken (thus recitative) but the arias are fully sung as in opera.
We all know the story of how each of our guys progressed on his own, entered into a voice competition and became the first, second and third place winners. They each had experience from youth learning these kinds of music. Even from the first USA concerts they were singing arias such as “No Puede Ser” .
In the Spanish culture there is a type of work called a “Zarzuela” sort of an operetta.
It uses dramatic dance, some spoken parts and arias that are very dramatic. Let’s face it our modern soap operas pale in comparison. Love and sex and death and vendettas all over the place. Everyone has a lot of fun. Extreme drama on steroids. “Ne Puede Ser” is an aria from a zarzuella called : “La Tabernera del Puerto” written by Pablo Sorozabal. Piero loves this song and he comes out on the stage and dies each night for us. Hard work . But he does it so well. He also sings so well. ( I know, bad joke).
2016 and Il Volo in June – my thoughts.
The guys have just finished a concert tour that was very long with almost 100 concerts all over most of the world. They have given wonderful concerts 98% of the time. However, there have been a couple of times when the concerts were too close together and the boys did not get the kind of rest they needed. That usually ends up with a concert that is “good” but not great. I doubt the guys would ever give a bad concert. They are just that good and they will not allow it. But when they are tired and a little out of voice from the heavy schedule like they were in Russia this year then it shows a bit. Those of you who have read my stuff going back 4 years know it is one of my pet peeves when the producers push the guys to do a lot of concerts in short order. When they came to Vegas this year they had traveled by bus from Phoenix through the night and did not have much sleep. It was amazing to me that they still gave one of the best concerts I have ever heard them give. Still I wish the producers would pace it better.
Now they have had a rest and they are preparing to do this THREE TENORSCONCERT. I could not be happier. They are back to basics – working with their voice teachers and voice coach. They are taking on some of the masterpieces of opera repertoire by the greatest composers. Information I have heard says they are singing:
“Nessun Dorma” an aria from “Turandot” by Pucini – one of the most famous songs of any sort in the world. You may not know the title but you will know the melody. Pavarotti and Domingo are famous for this song. They are also doing an aria that is sometimes called “Brindisi” but better known as “ Libiamo” or also known as “ the drinking song “ (hey, it’s a party) from La Traviata by the great Verdi. Through all of this they get to work with Placido Domingo, a mentor of theirs, again. Again, Bravo !
From my standpoint, thinking of the care and nurture of the guys voices which are so precious to all of us, this is the kind of work they should do at least once a year. “Back to basics” I am excited about this program and will buy the cd’s and DVD’s and whatever they come up with.Frankly, I wish they would take this on the road to the USA.
Look into my eyes, you will see What you mean to me Search your heart, search your soul And when you find me there You’ll search no more
Don’t tell me, it’s not worth tryin’ for You can’t tell me, it’s not worth dyin’ for You know it’s true Everything I do, I do it for you
Look into your heart, you will find There’s nothin’ there to hide Take me as I am, take my life I would give it all, I would sacrifice
Don’t tell me it’s not worth fightin’ for I can’t help it, there’s nothin’ I want more You know it’s true Everything I do, I do it for you.
There’s no love, like your love And no other could give more love There’s nowhere, unless you’re there All the time, all the way.
This beautiful photo of the three taken just before going on stage in Paris reminded me of the Bryan Adam’s song, Everything I Do, I Do It ForYou.
Look into their eyes, you’ll see their heart and soul.You will instantly know what you mean to them. Once you find Il Volo, you’ll search no more.You will have no need to look further for music that touches every part of yourlifeand beyond.
Everything they do…they do it for you. Such devotion to their music and to all those who follow them.
Take them as they are...they are giving us their lives…there is nothing to hide…they have sacrificed so much to be where they are…and we wantthem to stay there forever.
There is nothing they want more than to sing for the world.
Everything they do…they do it for you.
There’s no love like their love. They bestow it so freely.
There is no other place to experience this love more than being right there in the audience and watching them on stage.
Everything they do…they do it for you.
Looking at this photo I can just hear them saying, “Ok guys, let’s givethemeverything we’ve got.”
There are lots of things about Il Volo that we love and admire: their talent,their character, their good looks, and so on. But there is much more to these guys. Their comments show that they are intelligent, serious,compassionateyoung men.
IN THEIR WORDS: HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THEIR FANS
Piero: The most important thing to us…we just care about the audience. It’s them who make us succeed. If we travel the world as Il Volo, it’s truly thanks to them.
Ignazio: You, the Ilvolovers, say always that we change your world…the truth is that you changed ours.
Gianluca: Ican’t wait to sing on many new stages, meet who follows us over seas and in Europe, and live in that atmosphere, intense and funny that is only on tour.
HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THEMSELVES
Piero: It seems like just yesterday when we were three children, maybe a little overwhelmed, that slowly began to get used to the stage, to the public in front, to the flash of photographers, moving away from home and the full days of commitments…but time passes.And even though the years have passed and our appearance is no longer that of children, in my eyes, there is always the same emotion.
Gianluca: Sometimes I can’t even acknowledge that I’ve become a world-famous singer. Sometimes it doesn’t seem real to me, because I still keep inside…we keep…that naivety, that innocence and simplicity of children.
HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THEIR HOMELAND
Piero: Only music can express the joy of coming home,singing in my land andpaytribute to this beautiful island. The eyes that I recognize are those of the people with whom I grew up. There are thank yous that are direct from the heart and even more, because nothing makes me feel as special as to know that I am home.
Gianluca: We’re leaving for a trip that will take us away for many months. I already know that I am going to miss you, every one and every thing…my family, my home, my friends, and the love it makes me feel in this wonderful land that is Italy. I’ll bring you all with me in a specialplace inmy heart.
Piero: Every time a new stage, a new audience, and new emotions I cannot wait to find out. The secret? A smile, always, in my mind and heart…nothing more.
Gianluca: Music is my passion, and I would like to do this forever, for all my life. We have to work hard, but we are young. We have all the time intheworld to study and learn and do more. We’re so happy to do anything we have to. Traveling, dreaming, singing…three single words enclosing the sense of my life. Travel has changed me. I was no longer the same person after I saw the moon on the other side of the world.
Dreaming is creativity, imagination, and only those who won’t stop doing that can touch the sky.
Ignazio: Let your dreams be bigger than your fears and your actions be bigger and louder than your words. You never know what’s gonna happen inyour life, so just live it.
Sometimes love is more powerful than anything.
Is it any wonder that we love and admire them? And how much we wish that we could actually know them in person, as part of our lives, but as some wise one once said, “You just have to accept the fact that some people can only be in your heart and in your dreams and not in your life.” Yes, they are surely in our hearts, and maybe in your dreams??
We know how much our boys enjoy a good joke, and that they especially like to play tricks on each other. Here they seem to be poking fun at someone at their table. Barbara? Michele? It can’t be thatpretty ladysitting next to Gianluca…she looks much too happy. Actually she looks rather familiar…hmmm. No matter what, they are having a great time laughing at someone. Notice the differences in their special waysof expressing their enjoyment.
Gian,ever the more sedate one, is containing himself with a knuckle bite. There is atwinkle in his eyes though, and he seems to be enjoying the humor. We’ve seen how far he has come in overcoming his innate shyness and is more comfortable with joining the other guys in their escapades, while still maintaining his dignity. But if he finds himself in the right position, he’s not abovegiving Piero a playful swatwhere he has ample room for one.
Piero, true to his Sicilian heritage, uses his hands to express himself, pointing to the victim as if to say, “I’m watching you, and you are cracking me up.” Piero engages his whole body when engulfed in laughter, bendingforward or backward, and knee slappingis often included in the action. It’s easy to see that he loves to laughand gives it his all.
NowIgnazio, not content with just laughing, throws himself back in a hugeguffaw.Overacting is his style…nothing subtle about this guy. He is the center of attention, and he makes the most of it. He loves to laugh and to make others laugh. Piero is usually the object of his playful antics, and the interplay between them is an entertaining part of the performance. He tends to be more gentle with Gianluca, understanding his sensitive nature. With Ignazio’s broad smile and endearing dimples,just seeing him laugh makes us laugh, too.
Fortunately, our guys have agreat sense of humor, finding the “fun”side of life in whatever they do. And this buffer helps to cushion the pressures of the rigorous schedule and hectic lifestyle. Keep on laughing guys…remember “laughter is the best medicine.”You need to keep the joy in your lives.
MY FIRST IL VOLO CONCERT LONDON PALLADIUM 3 JUNE 2016
In the central English town of Stratford-on-Avon, a little over 450 years ago, during the reign of Good Queen Bess, a son was born to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. They decided to call him Bill but as an adult he preferred to use the long form of his name, William. He grew up to be something of a writer and enjoyed more than a little success. When he was not writing sonnets, he was composing plays or acting in them. Mr Shakespeare had a great love for Italy and many of his plays were set there in times ancient or modern. Well, the middle ages were modern when he was writing! You may have heard of many of his Italian plays – the Merchant of Venice, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Romeo and Juliet, Titus Andronicus, Coriolanus, Antony and Cleopatra and Julius Caesar. He also wrote a play set in our town – the Merry Wives of Windsor! Like the Bard, I also have a strong affinity with Italy and my Italian bride has since become “a merry wife” here in Windsor. In Julius Caesar, the soothsayer warns Caesar to beware the Ides of March. When that date arrives, Caesar teases the soothsayer by reminding her of her warning; “The Ides of March are come,” he says. “Aye Caesar, but they are not yet gone!” she replies. If you know the plot, Caesar does not enjoy a merry evening in Rome that fateful day. He should have stayed in Britain where he was one of our earliest tourists in 55 and 54 B.C. But, I digress and must return to the plot. Unlike Caesar, my wife and I had been looking forward to the “3 Nones of June” for more than six months – ever since we bought our tickets for the London Palladium. As it was the only date in England, we could not do anything about it being on a Friday. My wife had to work and I was entered in a golf competition for which I was the defending champion. I arranged an early start time and played two rounds before rushing home to Windsor to rendez-vous with my wife. With such a full program for the day-time, we were able to maintain a semblance of calm until the last moment. Thankfully, we had only a short drive to the railway station and then it was “all aboard” the iron horse to London town! Descending into the subway (the famous London “Tube”) we came up for air at Oxford Circus station about 150 yards from the Palladium. We had just enough time to wolf down a sandwich and then we headed immediately to the theatre where a host of patrons were already waiting to enter. We heard lots of Italian voices but also plenty of English ones. As befits citizens of Royal Windsor, we had secured our places in the Royal Circle in the middle of the third row. The first two rows were not on sale when we booked and we assumed that these tickets were reserved for a few VIPs. The Palladium is one of London’s most famous venues and all manner of famous artists have performed there over the years; e.g. the Beatles and Frank Sinatra; but, in reality, a veritable Who’s Who of show-business. The atmosphere inside the theatre was electric. Promptly at 7.30 the “warm-up” act came on stage. He was a charming guy who played electric piano and had some interesting percussion instruments set up on his computer. He was given a warm welcome by a generous and kind-hearted audience. We all fell a little in love with his boyish manner and his obvious enjoyment of appearing before such a packed theatre. By 8.00 p.m. his set was over and the crew started to arrange the stage for the evening’s main event. By now, my wife and I were unable to contain our excitement and we were not alone! We saw the orchestra and backing musicians take up their places – sixteen member of the orchestra and four members of the band – including Giampiero Grani on the piano-forte and Giovanni di Caprio on guitars. Giovanni was sporting his usual severe haircut – as in he does not have any! The theatre lights were not just dimmed; they saved a few dollars on the electricity bill and it was pitch dark! Then, the opening bars of “Per te ci sarò.” The stage lighting kicked into action and mid-way through the intro, we saw the guys assembled at the top of the steps and the audience went wild as they were finally able to release some pent-up tension. I recorded the song and you can view it later! I could hardly believe the power of the guys’ voices which I was experiencing “live” for the first time instead of via a CD or DVD recording; or over my “home cinema” sound system when they were on television. The music coursed through my whole being and entered my soul. I was captivated. I decided that I could not spend my precious time recording the show on my cell phone. It was too distracting. The music needed my undivided attention. “Volare” and “il Mondo” followed and the concert was in full flow. Two solos for each guy and three duets so that every pair sang once. They showed off much of their English repertoire but we were lucky to hear “l’amore si muove” and “L’immensità” along with some other songs in Italian. During their first interlude the guys gave a witty and humorous explanation why they would speak in English for the evening. They did their normal interaction with the audience and they also made fun of some English accents. I have recorded a couple of these and hope that Crew members across the USA and elsewhere will enjoy them. As everyone always says, two hours simply flew past; and, all too soon, it was time for ‘O Sole Mio!There was only one encore – Grande Amore, of course!! And strangely, there was no place for “Surrender” in the set. However, it was an evening never to be forgotten. Even more importantly, it is an evening that must be repeated as soon as possible! The guys were clear that they hoped to return to London before too long. Whatever the future, I shall go to see them in Italy at the first available opportunity. After so many months on the road, they will have a well-deserved break over the summer. Once they have been refreshed, I will be standing by with my passport at the ready!
~ Bernard
Come in and share the love of life, friends and Il Volo!
