Christmas has arrived and on the night before the CHRISTMAS CONCERT was broadcast on TV from the Valley and the Temples of Agrigento.
A wonderful concert, celestial voices elevated beautiful songs, the atmosphere (even though it was summer when it was recorded) was magical and enveloping. The temple in the background rose majestically and the beautiful, sparkling lights rose into the sky, with different colors depending on whether the song was strictly Christmas or not.
An excellent orchestra and an equally excellent choir formed the crown.
The interludes between one song and another were very beautiful and representative, it’s a shame not to be able to understand what was said, but in this, I’ll help you.
Here’s a wonderful Christmas concert!!
Try this Mediaset link which may not be visible in the US.
IGNAZIO= There is an ancient land, cradle of civilization and crossroads of cultures where the past meets the present…
PIERO= ….and where the ancient breath of the sea embraces history, it is SICILY….
GIANLUCA= ….in the heart of this land there is a timeless place, which this night under the starry sky is immersed in a unique atmosphere, that of CHRISTMAS.
IL VOLO, CHRISTMAS IN AGRIGENTO from an idea by Michele Torpedine and Barbara Vitali
(Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero advance from inside the Temple of Concordia to the stage, the concert begins)
O HOLY NIGHT
IGNAZIO= Good evening and Merry Christmas to everyone from the VALLEY OF THE TEMPLES of Agrigento.
PIERO= This place rich in history speaks to us of eternity, beauty and faith, and tonight it is dressed in a new, unprecedented light, that of Christmas.
I am personally proud because Agrigento will be the Italian Capital of Culture in 2025 and singing a few steps from home fills me, fills us with pride.
GIANLUCA= And in this union between past and present, between history and music, we will spend this evening together, as if we were truly family.
IGNAZIO= And after this whole introduction I would say that it’s time to get into the spirit of Christmas and therefore….maestro!!
CHRISTMAS MEDLEY
PIERO= Thank you.
GIANLUCA= Thank you.
IGNAZIO= Thank you very much everyone. Do you know, we often listen and sing Christmas songs without knowing the real story, because behind each one there is a great story and we, by choosing the songs from tonight’s Christmas repertoire, have gone to the bottom of all the stories…
PIERO= ….about how they were born…
IGNAZIO= About how they were born and so what better opportunity than to tell them this evening.
PIERO= So, can I start telling one?
IGNAZIO= Go!
PIERO= This next song that we all know was born in 1940.
IGNAZIO= I remember, good times!
PIERO= Imagine this author from New York moves to Los Angeles and there with the heat and nostalgia, he writes the next song which remains one of the most beautiful songs that have ever been written in the history of the Christmas repertoire, but there is a What….
IGNAZIO= But I know the story, you have to tell them (audience).
PIERO= Wait, maybe you didn’t know this. What happens? This piece is the only piece from the Christmas repertoire that wins an Oscar in the musical category.
GIANLUCA= But there is also a nice story at the end. On the evening of the awards ceremony, a unique episode occurred in the history of the Oscar awards, because the author of the song was also the host of the evening.
IGNAZIO= That is, he hosted the evening?
GIANLUCA= Yes, he was the host, and it was up to him to open the Oscar winner’s envelope and read his name. This was certainly an inconvenient circumstance, so much so that the following year, the Academy changed the rules of the competition to prevent the situation from happening again.
IGNAZIO= If I’m not mistaken that author was called: IRVING BERLIN (He jokes about the pronunciation of the name)
GIANLUCA= The pronunciation Ignazio, you have been traveling the world for 15 years….Irving Berlin
IGNAZIO= Okay, what Gianluca said. The song is White Christmas which in all these years has been translated into all the languages of the world and in Italy it has been translated into:
WHITE CHRISTMAS
IGNAZIO= Thank you, thank you very much everyone!
GIANLUCA= “What can be said with music is much more effective”, is what the author of the next song thought, a former Neapolitan lawyer who in the 18th century, disappointed by the corruption of justice, decided to dedicate himself to the most needy, becoming priest and then saint. His name was Alfonso de Liguori and he left us the most famous Christmas carol.
TU SCENDI DALLE STELLE (Piero)
PIERO= Thank you
GIANLUCA= We are at the foot of the Temple of Concordia and I like to imagine that almost 2500 years ago people gathered right here to pray to the goddess Concordia who symbolized harmony between people.
IGNAZIO= The next song, more than a song, is a hymn that underlines the importance of union.
PIERO= This song was written by John Lennon together with his wife Yoko Ono to send a message of peace against the war in Vietnam, a message that unfortunately is still relevant after 50 years.
HAPPY XMAS (War is Over)
PIERO= Thank you very much! This evening we are celebrating the magic of Christmas in this spectacular setting that Sicily offers us, which both you and I, Ignazio, know well.
IGNAZIO= Absolutely, even if to make me feel a little at home it would take a song in front of a fireplace, two or three chestnuts crackling on the fire, a little coarse salt put on……mmmm
PIERO= There was also an author there who wrote the song about the fireplace and the chestnuts.
IGNAZIO= Oh yes? Gianluca will make us hear it with the next song.
THE CHRISTMAS SONG
GIANLUCA= Thank you
(continues immediately without introduction)
IL MONDO
GIANLUCA= As we all know, this is the night of waiting.
IGNAZIO= The wait… for the panettone, at the end of dinner….😁
PIERO= You are very obvious…
GIANLUCA= Wait a minute, I was referring to that wait to unwrap the gifts, but did you ask for them? Have you asked for any gifts this year?
IGNAZIO= But what’s the point, the same gifts always arrive anyway. 😁
PIERO= Just curious, have you ever written the letter to Santa Claus?
GIANLUCA= Yes, some time ago, not now.
IGNAZIO= Yes, as a child and you?
PIERO= Never me.
IGNAZIO= But you must have written it, at school they make it written.
PIERO= Just once. I got home, there was an uncle dressed as Santa Claus and I couldn’t believe it, I went to my room to cry.
IGNAZIO= Maybe we wrote it (the letter) as children, but like Il Volo we never really wrote it.
PIERO= Do we want to do it for the first time? Let’s write a letter.
GIANLUCA= Let’s write a letter.
PIERO= Where are we tonight, in which city?
GIAN+IGNA= Agrigento.
PIERO= Where was I born?
GIAN+IGNA= In Agrigento.
PIERO= At the hospital here in Agrigento.
I’ve prepared something, look. Did you think that the other two members of Il Volo were also coming and I wasn’t preparing something? Look at what a beautiful desk I brought from home, I brought the desk, a paper and a pen. (meanwhile Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio have moved to the right of the stage under the Christmas tree where there is a desk)
IGNAZIO= But do you really want to write the letter to Santa Claus?
PIERO= Don’t worry, don’t worry.
GIANLUCA= Let’s do it the old-fashioned way: pen and paper!
PIERO= (He sat down to write) Dear….
IGNAZIO= Meanwhile, get up, you have writing that looks like a doctor’s, get up.
GIANLUCA= I’ll write that it’s better.
Dear Santa Claus…
PIERO= That is Santa Claus…
IGNAZIO= What a Santa Claus: Nicola, you write Dear Nicola….
GIANLUCA= Dear Nicola, then…
PIERO= We are writing to you from Agrigento…
GIANLUCA = Leave it to me.
DEAR NICOLA, In the meantime, thank you for this Christmas that you gave us and which cannot be taken for granted.
IGNAZIO= But what do we ask him? Because we have to ask for something.
PIERO= Let’s try to be alternative, ask for non-gifts.
IGNAZIO= What does it mean?
PIERO= For this year we are asking for non- gifts.
IGNAZIO= This year we ask you for non-gifts! (and Gianluca writes)
PIERO= For example, take away social media and mobile phones for a week, at least let’s go back to talking a little more, talking to each other looking at each other’s faces, in the eyes, and socializing more.
GIANLUCA= This actually seems like a good idea to me.
IGNAZIO= It’s true Gianluca, a nice gift.
GIANLUCA= I agree, but now I have one too. Dear Nicola, you who are at the North Pole have seen that it is no longer as cold as it used to be, there is less and less ice and in an instant you will have to replace your red velvet costume with a swimsuit. So, this year don’t give bulldozers and chainsaws to those who think trees shouldn’t be there. ❤️🌲
IGNAZIO= Well done!
PIERO= Good, I like this.
GIANLUCA= Maybe it’s a good start to fix things.
IGNAZIO= And you did yours too. Now since there’s time, write.
GIANLUCA= Bring me the paper because it’s windy.
PIERO= I’ll keep it.
IGNAZIO= Write: Dear Nicola, what do you say, if you have some time left over to remove all those toys to play the game of war, you know those toy soldiers, rubber guns and tanks, because we know that WAR IS NOT A GAME ❤️ (applause)
PIERO= To finish, because I liked this one (handshakes)… but bring one thing, especially to those children who didn’t have the opportunity this night, the chance to write you a letter, because you know, among the rubble it’s even difficult to find a pen and a sheet of paper, give them all the opportunity to celebrate Christmas, because if Christmas is an opportunity for adults to become children again, children need time and the future to become adults ! ❤️ (applause)
I+P+G= Signed: Il Volo!
GIANLUCA= Done.
PIERO= The letter is written.
IGNAZIO= The letter is written, we still have to wait for us to deliver the letter in person because in any case:
SANTA CLOUS IS COMING TOWN
(immediately after that it starts:)
ROCKIN AROUND CHRISTMAS TREE
I+G+P= Thank you, Thank you very much. See you soon. (commercial break)
GRANDE AMORE
PIERO= Thank you, thank you very much. Let’s continue with the story of the most beautiful Christmas songs. The next one, just think, has only 19 words, 13 in English and 6 in Spanish, because for the author Christmas unites everyone and speaks only one language, the universal one.
GIANLUCA= Just think that the author we all know comes from Puerto Rico, was the fourth of eleven children and in 1970 he was recording an album of Christmas covers but at the last minute, the producer asked him to include an original piece in the album Christmas, so he wrote it in ten minutes but without importance.
IGNAZIO= That song that he wrote in ten minutes, he didn’t hope so much, but in the end it not only became the most famous song on the album, but the most famous song of his career.
It’s the best known Christmas song in the world, I’m talking about Josè Feliciano and the song you understood is:
FELIZ NAVIDAD
PIERO= Now is an important and exciting moment because Ignazio is your turn.
IGNAZIO= Is it my turn? (he is sitting on the piano).
PIERO= You will sing one of the songs that made the history of Italian music.
Ladies and gentlemen, from the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento. Ignazio.
ALMENO TU NELL’UNIVERSO
IGNAZIO= Thank you, thank you all.
PIERO= Tonight there is an element that everyone has in common, from us who are on stage, to you who stay at home, it is the great protagonist of every Christmas, we all have this element at home.
As you have understood, we are talking about the Christmas tree, this evening we wanted to exaggerate.
IGNAZIO= I think the Christmas tree is also the symbol of union, because at home we make the tree together with the family.
PIERO= All together, of course.
IGNAZIO= There are those who put the ball….it’s a way for us all to be together and then, when the period ends we all take it down together…..that is, they take it down!!
PIERO= Have you never taken down the Christmas tree?
IGNAZIO= Never! I’m there to decorate it, to dismantle it… a little less.
GIANLUCA= Think that there is an author who wrote a song about the Christmas tree, he talks about him in the next song, so:
O TANNENBAUM
IGNAZIO= Now it’s time to listen to a song taken from one of the most famous American musicals in my opinion: The Phantom of the Opera, this next song is titled: La Musica della Notte, Gianluca!
THE MUSIC OF THE NIGHT
PIERO= Imagine for a moment that these temples could talk, what would they tell us? Maybe they would tell us about nights similar to this one, in which men and women gathered under the stars seeking comfort, maybe they would tell us about hopes, dreams, or prayers raised to heaven.
HALLELUJAH
GIANLUCA= We want to remember and dedicate this moment to our Barbara because it is as if she were here with all of us, truly and we wanted to say it with all our hearts, with emotion. ❤️🙏 Thank you!
See you soon (commercial break)
AVE MARIA
GIANLUCA= Thank you, thank you.
PIERO= I would like to dedicate a big round of applause to this magnificent orchestra conducted by maestro Edmondo Savio.
GIANLUCA= The next song is a tribute to beauty and I would say that tonight we are truly surrounded by it, these ancient columns are the result of a search for beauty that has been able to overcome time and space and become a true masterpiece:
CAPOLAVORO
GIANLUCA= Thank you.
PIERO= Thank you very much. Christmas, as you know, is the holiday that brings us back to memories, mine doesn’t go back that long ago, it dates back to 2019.
IGNAZIO= So?
PIERO= In 2019 we had a concert in Croatia. The concert was on December 22nd, on the morning of the 23rd we were all at the airport to return, I had to return to Catania and I had to return for the Christmas party.
Due to bad weather they canceled all direct flights to Catania, I was desperate, the only solution, and you should remind this (to Ignazio)….
IGNAZIO= Who am I?
PIERO=…. yes because you were close to me. The only solution to get home was to land in Paris, stay in Paris for two days and then arrive home on the evening of the 25th. I, along with other families who were there at check in, were desperate, we didn’t want to go to Paris, but to return home for Christmas…
GIANLUCA= Okay, it wasn’t bad, but for us who travel around the world, going home is better.
PIERO= Bravo! So we were desperate.
What happens? At a certain point a woman comes near us and says: “Last night I was at your concert, you were wonderful.”
I turn around and she was wearing her airline uniform.
IGNAZIO= She’s called a hostess anyway. 😁
PIERO= Before saying thank you I say: “Hold up for a moment, lady, who are you, why are you dressed in the airline uniform?”….
IGNAZIO= Because it’s carnival!! 😂(laughter)
PIERO= …. “You have to help me”…..but how can I talk to you (Ignazio) who whispers to me?
GIANLUCA= You make him finish! 😁
IGNAZIO= I understand, but how can a woman dressed as a stewardess, excuse me???
PIERO= I thought I had to make this commitment for myself and for the four families who were there, so I tell you: “Ma’am, thank you for enjoying the concert, but you have to take us back to Sicily.”
And she somehow managed to put me and the four families on a flight to Palermo and on the evening of the 24th I was at home for dinner! (applause)
And this was the best gift I’ve ever received! (applause)
IGNAZIO= What is the limit for Piero Barone? Missing the flight (il volo) at Christmas!! 😁😁
GIANLUCA= Shivering with cold!
Can I tell you one too? Mine is nice too.
I remember that for many years, on the morning of the 25th I found the window open, the biscuits crumbled on the ground that Babbo Natale (Santa Claus) had eaten and brought to the tree and once I also found his red hat which had remained near the open window…
IGNAZIO= But whose?
GIANLUCA= Babbo Natale’s!
PIERO= Nicola’s!
GIANLUCA= Just think that one day I was desperate, I came back from school because my classmates told me that Babbo Natale didn’t exist. So I went home crying and went to my mother and she told me that it couldn’t be like that, since he had left all that evidence of his presence in our house.
IGNAZIO= Yes, all those tracks.
GIANLUCA= So today two things come to mind: or that Babbo Natale would be a terrible criminal, or that my parents were Oscar-winning set designers for years, because they were good at keeping a child’s dream alive, like all parents do. (applause)
IGNAZIO= Or that in life you were right to be a singer because if you were a detective you were denied! 😁
PIERO= And you, dear Ignazio, what is your memory of Christmas?
IGNAZIO= I don’t have many memories, yes, like everyone else, Christmas has always been one of the most beautiful moments of the year in recent years because for us who didn’t spend much time with our families, we came back in the last days of December to have Christmas and New Year’s Eve with them.
Don’t you know that I, I, you see me? I am a living Christmas present.
GIANLUCA= Oh yes?
PIERO= But something normal in your life???….😁
GIANLUCA= Wait, let him finish, don’t always interrupt!
IGNAZIO= I am the living Christmas present because my sister wrote a letter to Babbo Natale on Christmas 1993, like the one we wrote before, and she wrote: “Dear Santa Claus, take material gifts to the poorest children, but I ask you for a little brother”……and I was born….in ‘94! 🥰
The stork brought me, this stork was immense!! If I can, I want to dedicate this next song to my sister, because it was she who encouraged the stork to pass through Bologna, so this one is for her.
PIERO= Ladies and gentlemen, let’s leave the stage to Ignazio.
I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
GIANLUCA= Guys, are you enjoying this evening? And you who are in the audience, how is it going? (applause)
IGNAZIO= Make yourself heard by the Canale 5 audience, up, up. (applause)
IGNAZIO= Tonight as per tradition, we don’t go to bed before midnight.
PIERO= And we’ll take care of keeping you awake by dedicating the next aria to you.
NESSUN DORMA
I+G+P= Thank you very much everyone.
(commercial break)
AMAZING GRACE
PIERO= Ladies and gentlemen: Pretty Yende.
YENDE= Thank you very much.
PIERO= Opera star. (applause)
GIANLUCA= Thank you for being here with us, it’s truly a great honor.
YENDE= It’s a pleasure for me, thank you very much.
PIERO= Let’s sing another song.
YENDE= Yes.
IGNAZIO= The next one is a piece taken from an opera, one of the most famous, LA TRAVIATA by Giuseppe Verdi, which tells of a moment of celebration.
GIANLUCA= It’s a hymn to happiness, to love, and on those occasions like this, which remind us how beautiful it is to be together and toast.
IGNAZIO= What better occasion than Christmas Eve to make a toast?
PIERO= So at home, let’s raise our glasses and toast together.
LIBIAMO DE LIETI CALICI
PIERO= If in this Valley of the Temples the stones and columns tell millenary stories, this evening we are telling the stories of Christmas songs and there is one in particular that deserves to be told.
GIANLUCA= 110 years have passed since the night of Christmas Eve 1914, a night like this.
The First World War began five months ago, enough time to already cause a million deaths.
The German soldiers, on one side of the front, sing this very song, on the other side the English listen and are moved and decide to exchange not bullets, but smiles for this time. From the backpacks of the English suddenly a ball comes out, a leather ball, the doors made with coats, the enemies discover they are simply human beings.
IGNAZIO= (he reads a letter written from the front after that evening).
My dearest mother, I am writing this to you from the battlefield, it is so incredible that I am writing from here, but it is so. I think there was something very magical about Christmas Day. At many points along the line, the Germans began lighting candles and singing, then shouted: “A merry Christmas to you Englishmen”, and we responded by wishing them the same.
It’s incredible, but we didn’t shoot for a while. This morning some of them began to advance towards our lines with their hands raised, and we went out to meet them.
We exchanged cigarettes and chocolate and showed them photos of our families. We also buried our dead who lay between the trenches together. We shook hands, talked to each other, shared stories and laughs. At this moment it almost seems that the war is over, but of course we know that this is not the case. I can’t help but wonder how this is all possible.
For today at least, there has been peace on earth and good will among men, let’s hope that this spirit can last.
With all my love: Dogan ❤️🙏😭
ASTRO DEL CIEL
ADESTE FIDELES
GIANLUCA= This starry sky that envelops the Valley of the Temples of Agrigento is the perfect backdrop for the next song, so we leave the stage to Piero.
E LUCEVAN LE STELLE
PIERO= Thanks everyone.
GLORIA IN EXCELIS DEO (beautiful Gregorian chant)
GIANLUCA= Thank you
(commercial break)
SE
IGNAZIO= Thank you.
PIERO= The next song takes the three of us back in time, to when we were children and didn’t even know each other.
GIANLUCA= Before becoming IL VOLO, each of us sang where we could, especially in church, which was the best stage to test ourselves.
IGNAZIO= Yes, also because singing in church also meant earning some money and this next song was one of the most requested, I’m talking about:
PANIS ANGELICUS
CARUSO
GIANLUCA= Stay with us, it doesn’t end here, see you soon. (commercial break)
PIERO= We have reached the end of this wonderful evening, we are very happy, in this magical place, the Valley of the Temples is a theater under the stars.
GIANLUCA= Thanks also to maestro Edmondo Savio, thanks to the orchestra, thanks to the musical director Giampiero Grani, to all the musicians and the choir, but above all thanks to you. (applause)
IGNAZIO= Grazie mille. For us it is very exciting to spend Christmas with you, with you who have supported us every year since our inception, but above all we are proud because on this evening we wanted to give you emotions but in particular to send you messages.
GIANLUCA= May you carry in your heart every day a little of the magic that the Valley of the Temples gave us this night. Merry Christmas everyone and goodnight!
PIERO= Thanks everyone!
AVE MARIA MATER MISERICORDIAE
What an incredible concert!!!
It was broadcast on Christmas Eve and had maximum ratings, as you can see from the list of TV shows that evening.
Furthermore, the concert was repeated in the early afternoon of Christmas Day, still obtaining the maximum audience in the afternoon. A great ratings success.
A few days earlier, Maestro Grani had published this post with great pride:
“I had the pleasure and privilege of taking care of the musical direction of this wonderful event!
In Italy we have places of absolute beauty. This is a concert that will leave its mark.
Thanks to @ilvolomusic.”
It was truly a magical Christmas Eve, as only Il Volo can do.
On December 13, just returned from the U.S., Il Volo was a guest in Milan on Radio 102.5, this radio also broadcasts on a television channel and therefore there is the video of the interview.
Before starting the translation, I propose the arrival of the boys at Radio 102.5, as you can see, Ignazio arrives with Michelle 😍 and Piero with Torpedine.
The show is called THE FLIGHT(not on purpose 😁) and the two presenters are La Zac(woman) and Matteo Campese(man).
The part dedicated to Il Volo lasted an hour but was interrupted by various songs from Il Volo.
M.CAMPESE= Not only on the wave, they have arrived in the studio: Il Volo ladies and gentlemen.
IGNAZIO= Hello, hello everyone.
GIANLUCA= Hello everyone.
PIERO= Hi, explain to me why you who work on radio all have a voice like that (you mean deep, persuasive).
GIANLUCA= It’s a setting that works.
LA ZAC= But it’s not true, it used to be like that, Piero.
M.CAMPESE= But you actually say that you’re a singer.
PIERO= It’s like….vroom…
M.CAMPESE= Yes, because once upon a time we wanted to be pilots and we have wheel friction!
GIANLUCA= Hi everyone, it’s nice to be back, we’re really happy, after a long time, to return to: The Flight.
LA ZAC= We were talking before, we were imagining your passports, how many times did you have to renew them, because there were no more pages to put the stamps on?
IGNAZIO= If I’m not mistaken, I’m on my fourth, fourth passport.
M.CAMPESE= Do you keep them? No, you can’t?
IGNAZIO= Yes, you can, just cancel them.
GIANLUCA= We’ll play cards then, it’s a new game.
LA ZAC= What country are you missing, so to speak.
GIANLUCA= I would like to go to India, or Iceland, or Alaska, they are places we have never been.
PIERO= I would like to go to Sardinia.
M.CAMPESE= Easy!
GIANLUCA= You don’t need a passport there.
IGNAZIO= By the way, you gave me some news the other day, without your knowledge.
M.CAMPESE= Tell me.
IGNAZIO= Your Instagram published a video of a restaurant in Bologna.
LA ZAC= Yes.
IGNAZIO= That’s the restaurant where I went.
M.CAMPESE= That is, when you had a quarter of an hour free you rushed over there?
IGNAZIO= It’s near my house.
M.CAMPESE= Ok.
IGNAZIO= And so every now and then I had sushi there, those quick things….you published that video…
LA ZAC= That of fish made outdoors?
IGNAZIO= My stomach was bad for half a day! (laughter)
LA ZAC= Anyway, let me introduce you to Ignazio, the married man.
IGNAZIO= Hi, what do you mean….
LA ZAC= Okay come on, that’s an achievement, we’ve literally seen you grow, professionally but also humanly and see someone getting married…….
GIANLUCA= Sleep the signs of time passing for everyone!
LA ZAC= That’s right.
GIANLUCA= When you reach that age where you get married and you are no longer a fifteen year old, a twenty year old.
M.CAMPESE= Who sang at your wedding?
IGNAZIO= Me.
GIANLUCA= To our ??? Of the three of us? When we get married we get married alone, not as a threesome.
IGNAZIO= I sang at my wedding. In truth it wasn’t one of those weddings where you feel obligated to sing.
PIERO= No, you just set up a stage that looked like the one at the super bowl.
IGNAZIO= There was the band, but really, whoever wanted went on stage and did what they wanted. Think my sister sang too. We had fun.
LA ZAC= Well, Il Volo is with us today, send your messages. Soon we will give you a series of dates and information, we’ll talk about it shortly, but in the meantime FRAMMENTI DI UNIVERSO, Il Volo!
LA ZAC= The voices of Il Volo that magically intersect (Ignazio screams saying ABRACADABRA and everyone laughs) I knew it, I try to make a good presentation and Ignazio as usual….
M.CAMPESE= But why ABRACADABRA?
IGNAZIO= Because she said magic voices. (laughter)
LA ZAC= Then in your concerts there is always this atmosphere that lends itself to this type of presentation, but that’s enough, I won’t say anything more! You continue.
IGNAZIO= We are very happy with this album, because it is an album for everyone, it is Il Volo as perhaps you don’t expect it or as you expect it.
I personally am really happy because it’s that side that I liked people to be able to notice and see.
LA ZAC= Piero is showing your side.
IGNAZIO= Ah, ok, the side. I’m also very happy especially with TRA LE ONDE, which we left there, and so I suffered a bit, waiting for the right moment to arrive…
GIANLUCA= TRA LE ONDE is the new single you listened to a little while ago.
LA ZAC= Yes.
M.CAMPESE= The whole journey actually started from Sanremo for this latest album.
PIERO= We returned to Sanremo after 5 years, from 2019, we decided to participate in the festival by highlighting humility and modesty and we titled the song CAPOLAVORO (MASTERPIECE, he jokes)
M.CAMPESE= Rightly so.
IGNAZIO= Obviously inspired by our colleague and friend Gianluca Ginoble!
PIERO= The song was dedicated to him (Ignazio and Piero are joking, meaning that Gianluca is a masterpiece).
Jokes aside, it all started from Sanremo, then after Sanremo the world tour began from Nagoya in Japan, it was April 25th, and on April 25th 2009 we sang together for the first time, in the program where we met.
M.CAMPESE= Was it 2009? So 15 years this year of an honored career!
PIERO= Yes, almost 16 years, we are celebrating this milestone with a demanding tour, 150 dates in a year and a half, so we are really happy.
M.CAMPESE= How old were you in 2009?
IGNAZIO= We were 15 years younger. (laughter)
PIERO= 14 (Gianluca) 15 (Ignazio) 16 (Piero)
M.CAMPESE= Did you recognize the narrative of a slightly sacrificed childhood or not?
IGNAZIO= But, sacrificed……it depends on your point of view…
M.CAMPESE= Let’s skip beyond the pleasantries…
PIERO= Do you mean if we missed some stages?
M.CAMPESE= Yes, that.
IGNAZIO= Exactly, it’s exactly that because maybe you missed the whole phase where you say…can you say bad words??
M.CAMPESE= Yes, you must.
IGNAZIO= Where you do shit with friends…
LA ZAC= Piero turned off his microphone!!
IGNAZIO= …..but we got to know the world….
PIERO= You met me!
IGNAZIO= Yes, what an ass! (laughter)
LA ZAC= You got it, it’s going to be such a fun hour.
IGNAZIO= We have learned many things about the world that perhaps we would not have known.
PIERO= He’s the one speaking, you must know that he doesn’t know anything in the world, ……
IGNAZIO= I met the hotels.
PIERO=….because he travels… and always stays in the hotel, while Gianluca and I go around, see monuments, various things, he always stays in the room.
IGNAZIO= You have 10 more seconds to denigrate me, go! (laughter) Go.
LA ZAC= Well friends, stay with us, more incredible surprises with Il Volo in The Flight.
LA ZAC= Until the end, rightly so, MASTERPIECE, Il Volo on RTL 102.5.
IGNAZIO= You should have said “CAPOLAVOLO”
LA ZAC= Gianluca you have something.
GIANLUCA= I want to say that this song was an important step in our career, especially in Italy, but also around the world it was much appreciated and getting back into the game after 5 years and proposing a project of unreleased songs, the first album of unreleased songs after 15 years of career, in short our fans, like everyone else, know that we have based our career for 80% on a repertoire of “covers” (already known songs) taking inspiration from the great songs of the past and re-proposing them, certainly for those who already have them knew, but also for the younger ones that we had never heard some songs from the past.
So from GRANDE AMORE our construction of unreleased songs began, and then finally, after this project, we can say that we are really satisfied with this new adventure, with CAPOLAVORO, with this album, with the new single TRA LE ONDE, because we are expressing a part of us that perhaps most people didn’t know, so we are satisfied.
LA ZAC= Well your career is made up of many pieces, you have truly conquered every corner of the globe and you have added different things each time. There’s also an appointment with Christmas, we’re there now, right?
PIERO= Now on December 24th, Christmas Eve, Christmas Eve, you will see this concert that we created at the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento. In 2025 Agrigento will be the Italian capital of culture and we created this concert. I must say that we are satisfied because it was really complex to hold the event there, but now we have had the opportunity to see the initial images of the concert and it is impressive to see the Valley of the Temples in that way.
M.CAMPESE= With your repertoire it is a little easier to access those places that are the right setting.
IGNAZIO= Yes absolutely.
PIERO= It’s also the reason why we had the opportunity to sing in more exclusive places, like perhaps the Kiyomizu Dera Temple in Kyoto or inside the Tower of David in Jerusalem two years ago for the Christmas concert.
IGNAZIO= But also singing for the Pope, as much as I adore Vasco Rossi (Italian rock songs) I listen to him every day, but I don’t see him singing in front of the Pope.
M.CAMPESE= I couldn’t wait. (he says this meaning that it would be a really strange thing – laughter)
GIANLUCA= Actually recently Blanco (Italian Hip-hop/rap singer) sang… (in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican), so it is not only linked to our musical genre. Surely what we want to convey is that it is an experience to live, for example the Nessun Dorma, even if you don’t listen to classical music, it is an experience, something that must excite you, because it is not earthly as a melody, it is almost linked to an energy, I don’t know, universal! Do you understand that there are types of music and writing that truly embrace all ages, it’s almost not tied to a genre, it’s an experience like walking through the streets of Rome or Tuscany, you understand? It’s linked to that sensation there, to that emotion!
M.CAMPESE= True, but is there an absurd location that they proposed to you, like the first concert in space in history?
PIERO= The Kiyomizu Dera Temple. You must know that it is the oldest temple in the city of Kyoto and no one has ever held a concert there, because it is a temple overlooking a forest, so there is no audience there, and because they had to make a special to then broadcast in cinemas in Japan and therefore we recorded this concert without the audience, so it was the conductor or the orchestra who applauded. It was special and I also remember the heat and humidity of that evening, but it’s beautiful!
M.CAMPESE= ….and you can’t forget the overhang either…
PIERO= But it was dark, so you didn’t notice.
LA ZAC= While waiting for this festive event in Agrigento, I would say to get into the mood with the song Happy Christmas War is Over.
LA ZAC= This is the international version (they laugh because at the end of the song Ignazio was humming the song)
M.CAMPESE= Sorry but abroad, what is the Italian song that they ask you to sing the most?
PIERO= The one he was singing (Ignazio)
IGNAZIO= GELATO AL CIOCCOLATO (it is the title of a much sung Italian song). No, no, you know one of the most coveted is always IL MONDO, it’s one of those songs that….
M.CAMPESE= Where you go, they ask you.
IGNAZIO= …..everyone sings it, our audience, wherever we are, always sing it. Like now we’ve finished the tour in Europe and IL MONDO was one of the last songs on the set list and everyone was singing it.
GIANLUCA= And most don’t speak Italian, so they know the text by heart.
PIERO= Actually, I agree with what Ignazio said, on the European tour IL MONDO was the third to last, then after two or three dates we realized that it was the most awaited and therefore we decided to end the concert with IL MONDO .
IGNAZIO= But then the nice thing, there are a lot of people who meet us and tell us:
“You know we started studying Italian for you. I speak a little Italian because I wanted to understand your songs, because I always listen to you and I want to learn Italian.”
That’s also one of the goals we’ve always had, to be an example, to encourage people to do something good with our songs, whether it’s listening to them, or singing them and learning Italian.
PIERO= The best thing we heard, we were in the U.S. last week…..
IGNAZIO= But did you put THE FLIGHT on because we are guests or is it the title of the program???
LA ZAC= Both!!
PIERO=…… we were in the U.S. in Chicago, a lady comes to us and asks us: “But do you sing PAVAROTTI in your concerts?”
Do you know what that lady meant? NESSUN DORMA was titled PAVAROTTI for her.
LA ZAC= How would the NESSUN DORMA Pavarotti version do?
IGNAZIO= Okay, MUSICA CHE RESTA!
LA ZAC = Now begins a tour called ALL FOR ONE AD ASTRA LIVE in the Palasport, from January 10th in Iesolo, then followed by Milan, Treviso, Florence, Bologna, Turin, Rome, Eboli, Bari and Messina, and then there is it’s the whole European session in autumn 2025, so, in short, the guys are always around.
M.CAMPESE= When they come back through Italy they withdraw 200, like in Monopoly and then they go. Stay with us if you have any questions, see you soon with Il Volo in the studio at RTL 102.5.
In THE FLIGHT it is 3:48pm. I imagine people stopping you on the street and out of nowhere asking you: “Excuse me, are you giving me a sharp note?”, coldly, like that!
IGNAZIO = On the fly (immediately)
PIERO= (turning to La Zac) Do you remember I told you about the airport?
LA ZAC= Ah it’s true: “Take a flight to Il Volo” (in Italian THE FLIGHT is IL VOLO – laughter)
IGNAZIO= No, come on, guys, please!!
M.CAMPESE= But it doesn’t happen that many times.
IGNAZIO= Always.
M.CAMPESE= Come on!
IGNAZIO= I swear, always!
M.CAMPESE= But isn’t it true, come on, in Italy?
IGNAZIO= Always, the best thing is that whoever says it also feels cool. “On the fly with Il Volo ah ah ah”
PIERO= Matteo (Campese) always does this.
M.CAMPESE= Of course, I always do this.
IGNAZIO= Ok, and now what are we talking about?
LA ZAC= There are many things to say, and precisely because there are many we try to skim and say the most immediately important things.
PIERO= A little while ago you spoke about the Palasport. Will you come to Milan?
LA ZAC= Yes, I really think so.
GIANLUCA= Yes, Zac, also because we are returning to the Palasport where we will always play the important songs of these 15 years, but we will also play all the new songs from the new album AD ASTRA and then we are building things for the first time, also in the musical part different ones we’ve never done. So in the musical part there will be some interludes…..
PIERO= Don’t spoil anything….
GIANLUCA= Let’s not spoil but also the beginning, it will be a very exciting beginning, so it will be a show for everyone, not just for lovers of this musical genre.
IGNAZIO= Let’s say that the tour in the arenas will be more of a show in all respects, rather than a television concert.
GIANLUCA= And I would like to say that this summer we were on tour, but now we are going to propose a totally different type of show compared to what they saw this summer, furthermore in Palasport a different concept of tour is usually proposed compared to theaters or to summer outdoor seats. So we are very happy to be able to return to the Palasport.
LA ZAC= We remember: 10 January IESOLO, then Milan, Treviso, Florence, Bologna, Turin, Rome, Eboli, Bari and Messina, then maybe we will also give you the European dates, but then we said that there is also the appointment with this great concert from Agrigento for the holidays, so in short, we will have Il Volo available.
GIANLUCA= Yes, we’ll join you for dinner on the 24th.
PIERO= Christmas Eve.
LA ZAC= Good, good. And now SATURNO E VENERE.
M.CAMPESE= RTL 102.5 at 3:53pm, a lot of messages have arrived in the meantime at this time here, there is one asking if you are planning the release of a new book.
GIANLUCA= No.
PIERO= We are not Fabio Volo (writer)
GIANLUCA= I also wanted to say hello to IRAMA, Filippo (real name of Irama who sang Saturno e Venere with Il Volo), apart from the fact that he is a friend, and we are very happy to have made this contrast of musical genre, which then we are the first to have done it, it all started with MISERERE with Zucchero and Bocelli and then with Pavarotti and Friends which brought this series of vocal collaborations. And then it’s nice to be able to follow in the footsteps of our idols again and with Irama we are happy to have brought lyrical pop to everyone again after so many years, even with Irama it was a beautiful collaboration.
M.CAMPESE= (in the meantime Piero and Ignazio and La Zac were laughing and then Matteo asks why) What happened?
IGNAZIO= Nothing, you’re a curious guy. He’s right (Gianluca), the beautiful thing is not to put barriers to music, it’s one of the most important things, not many people understand it and so we are happy that Filippo, Irama, has agreed to do a duet with us, especially here in Italy where perhaps our gender is always seen as something unusual for three thirty year old boys and we tend to avoid it, it was like this until we won Sanremo and we are following the path we are following, it is useless to deny the evidence, therefore for we are very grateful to Irama for this.
LA ZAC= Incidentally, just yesterday Matteo and I were remembering the time Barbra Streisand called you on stage: “Ignazio, Gianluca, Piero, Il Volo.”
PIERO= That was one of the best collaborations because in the end we were busy for 12 dates, about two months in the U.S. with her, we weren’t the opening act, we were an integral part of the show and we entered with the background of this song (he hums the tune), a very nice thing, and then the situation changed because we sang SMILE by Charlie Chaplin and when she entered , I remember it was 10 years ago now, she came in with this voice, I can’t describe that voice…
IGNAZIO= Magical!
PIERO= Magical! Ignazio found it and so I have to say that the tour with Barbra was a great school.
LA ZAC= It was also one of the first great goals of your career.
IGNAZIO= We leave you in AMONG THE WAVES.
LA ZAC= Il Volo on RTL 102.5.
GIANLUCA= I want to take a few seconds to thank all the authors, the producers who are truly the best in Italy at the moment, who we have relied on in this year and a half to be able to pull together and write this album, so I don’t all the names otherwise I’ll forget some but thank you so much for your support and for helping us express ourselves musically like we’ve never done.
M.CAMPESE= Thanks to you guys for this magical hour, it must be said!
IGNATIO= Abracadabra!!! (laughter)
LA ZAC= Thanks to Il Volo!! In January in Palasport.
PIERO= Happy holidays!
IGNAZIO= See you in the Palasport.
GIANLUCA= Bye everyone!
Ignazio, Piero and Gianluca have participated in several radio interviews in recent days, I won’t give you any other full translations, also because the questions are repeated, there aren’t even full videos, and therefore I will translate the best things for you, except for one of them, the interview with RAI RADIO 2 which is really very beautiful. Later, perhaps after the Christmas holidays, I will send you the entire translated interview because the questions and answers really deserve to be read!
The short video I propose below is part of the ISORADIO interview. Turn on subtitles!!
The next video is part of the RADIO NORBA interview.
In the short telephone interview they talk about the new tour, the new projects for the new single and the meaning of the lyrics of the new album. Then they talk about the Christmas concert, then remember the dates of the Palasport and wish them Christmas wishes!!
While I’m writing to you, I’m listening to the interview live onRAI RADIO 1,so I can’t keep up with these three who NEVER stop!!
Furthermore, just today on the weeklyTV SORRISI E CANZONI TVthere is a nice interview with Il Volo.
It will be a magical eve, the evening of December 24th on Canale 5. With the special Christmas Concert from the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento.
SO THE HOLIDAYS TAKE IL VOLO
Guys, the time difference is bothering you!
IGNAZIO= The Melt stops being melted and we become melted….
PIERO= We sleep on the plane and don’t feel tired.
GIANLUCA= We’ve already done 45 minutes of running.
When we reach them on a video call, in Italy it is 7pm and at their place it is 10am. The artists of the Il Volo trio, connected from the U.S., appear relaxed and relaxed. Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto and Gianluca Ginoble are in America because they participated as super guests in a special Andrea Bocelli event in California.
On the stage of the Kia Forum in Inglewood (Los Angeles) you sang IL GLADIATORE and O SOLE MIO in duet with Bocelli, with the audience in a frenzy.
GIANLUCA= When Andrea, who was next to Zucchero, announced our entrance on stage by saying “Make way for the young people” a roar could be heard.
IGNAZIO= Enormous affection.
PIERO= It means that, even if we are still guys, in 15 years of our career we have sown. But you never get used to certain emotions.
Now another magical night awaits you: on December 24th you will be the protagonists of the Canale 5 concert, Il Volo – Natale ag Agrigento.
PIERO= The opportunity to admire the Valley of the Temples as you have never seen it. It is a special moment: Agrigento will be the Italian Capital of Culture in 2025.
Will you perform with the orchestra and choirs?
GIANLUCA= Complete package: there will be 120 of us on stage. Lineup of the evening?
IGNAZIO= If I’m not mistaken there will be 28 steps 😁
PIERO= Ignazio loves to joke, but in reality, as in any self-respecting concert of ours, there will be our successes, unreleased ones, hits like Capolavoro, but also all the great Christmas classics.
What is your favorite Christmas song?
GIANLUCA= White Christmas, in the 40s version of Bing Crosby, because it started Christmas songs as we understand them today.
PIERO= For me Feliz Navidad by José Feliciano
IGNAZIO= I say “Astro del ciel” , because I sang it as a child in school plays. What a beautiful Christmas atmosphere, with family lunches and all the gifts.
Do you three exchange Christmas presents every year?
PIERO= It’s not obligatory, because we think about it when it happens, without waiting for anniversaries.
GIANLUCA= Promise, we’ll make it this year.
IGNAZIO= Just don’t give me books that only you like and that I will never read.
PIERO= Ignazio, don’t do that, come on. This year is his first Christmas as a husband, you have to understand that.
Ignazio, tell me: how did you get on with the decorations? Have you delegated everything to your wife Michelle?
IGNAZIO= No, we made the tree together. In mid-November it was already decorated, because my wife is Venezuelan and the Christmas atmosphere starts earlier, on October 31st.
An essential Christmas Eve ritual?
PIERO= Dinner with relatives.
GIANLUCA= With bingo, cards, but not only: I like many unconventional board games.
IGNAZIO= Panettone with raisins and almonds.
If each of you were a character from the nativity scene, who would it be?
IGNAZIO= Right now the ox, maybe I should go on a diet a bit.
GIANLUCA= The little child who brings light to the other two.
PIERO= Then I am Saint Joseph who will give you a stick on your head. 😁
In the Canale 5 schedule, however, you are like the Three Wise Men. You have just hit the Auditel, even in reruns, with the TUTTI PER UNO concerts, three evenings at the Verona Arena. Does Mediaset already pamper you for other events?
IGNAZIO= With Pier Silvio Berlusconi (CEO of Mediaset) we have established an excellent relationship of trust and mutual respect.
PIERO= The conditions are there.
GIANLUCA= We have many ideas that we would like to realize. Meanwhile, the 2025 agenda is filling up with commitments….
IGNAZIO= In January we return to Italy in the indoor stadiums, in March we then fly to America for the World Tour.
GIANLUCA= And in autumn we have added new dates in Europe and others will arrive soon.
Good resolutions for the new year?
PIERO= I would quote maestro Franco Battiato (Italian composer and singer) “Being the best version of us.”
What do you wish the readers of Sorrisi?
IGNAZIO= To spend the holidays in harmony with the family, not only at Christmas but every day of the year: this is the most important thing.
GIANLUCA= To put aside grudges, forgetting problems.
PIERO= To watch the concert on Canale 5 and sing with us!
And these two short videos have just been published, they concern the wishes sent by Il Volo during the presentation of the Mediaset schedules!
And with this for the moment we want to close by sending everyone our warmest wishes, from all the Flight Crew staff: ✨🎄
O HOLY NIGHT
May the weapons fall silent and peace triumph everywhere. ❤️❤️🙏❤️❤️✨
Il Volo has been present on Italian television programs and beyond and therefore I am preparing to give you a summary.
November 27, Il Volo is a guest in an episode of the show on Canale 5THIS IS ME, hosted by the talented Silvia Toffanin.
This program is an invitation to young people who have attended the show AMICI(a talent show like Saranno Famosi) and who have been successful. Years later, these guys revisit their first debuts in music and then duet with some guests. Needless to say, the broadcast started at 9:30 pm and Il Volo performed at 0:10 am, two and a half hours of waiting to see them sing with Sarah (student of Amici) to the tune of Capolavoro which I now propose to you.
Nice performance, I liked Sarah Toscano too, but what a long wait just for one song.
Piero had the opportunity to announce that on the evening of December 24th there will be their concert recorded in Agrigento.
Silvia Toffanin who greatly admires our young men said that Ignazio got married this summer and Ignazio complimented her.
Sarah posted these words: “I sang with Il Volo and I was very nervous. They immediately put me at ease, they were really nice towards me so it was really beautiful.”
Small detail, the following day the audience figures were published, which are very popular here in Italy, THIS IS ME was the most followed program of the evening and of all the Italian channels.
The peak audience took place in two moments, at 9:58pm and at 0:10am (the moment Il Volo performed).
As I announced, the three concerts in Verona held in May would have been repeated on 7, 14 and 21 December, but due to a change in programme, Canale 5 announced only a couple of days ago that the first repeat of the concert was on Saturday 30 November.
So, on Saturday evening I had the immense pleasure of seeing the first concert held in the Arena in Verona in May (I was present at the second concert).
What can I tell you? I was glued to the television from 9:30pm until 1am listening and seeing Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca sing beautiful songs of which I want to show you these videos:
LEI, the beautiful song by Charles Aznavour “SHE”. How sweet, how wonderful!!
by Piero I want to offer you this beautiful tarantella by Rossini: LA DANZA.
by Ignazio here is the beautiful Italian song TI SENTO
by Gianluca the beautiful ALWAYS ON MY MIND
While in Italy I was watching the repeat concert in Verona, at the same time Kirsten from Denmark messaged me telling me that she was watching German television where there was a Christmas show and among the various guests there was also Il Volo.
In the program “Das Adventsfest der 100.000 Lichter”, Il Volo began by singing “Rockin Around The Christmas Tree”
But that’s not all, at the same time in some parts of the States, PBS was broadcasting the Christmas special recorded in Agrigento, and therefore Il Volo was present on three televisions around the world, how wonderful, what emotion, what pride!! ❤️❤️❤️
But since you really liked the vocal coach’s review last time, I propose another one that I recently found on YouTube and it was fantastic to see the reaction of those who don’t know Il Volo at all!!
Regarding the song Hallelujah and the saying “no one is a prophet in his own country” I want to tell you this.
You know that Halleluiah is now a song that Il Volo always offers in its concerts. After one performance, the video of the song they performed very well was published on YouTube. I read all the comments but one, made by an Italian man, really annoyed me a lot, he downgraded Il Volo saying that they didn’t sing that song well and that they should have listened to the one performed by Pentatonix who were much better than Il Volo and that Il Volo didn’t it was nothing compared to Pentatonix. I was furious and responded in kind by writing that Scott from Pentatonix was a friend and admirer of Il Volo, to the point that he had performed the song in LA with them and I attached the video. Furthermore, remembering that the next day Scott had thanked Il Volo on his Facebook page, saying that they were special people as well as very good singers, I also attached his statement!!!
What a joy to shut his mouth like this to this stupid man!! 🤬🤬
And also watch this video, it’s really nice to see these reactions!!
I have nothing else to add but I await your opinions and if anyone has already seen the PBS special tell me your impressions.
As you all know, on 31 August and 1 September the two Il Volo television concerts were held in Agrigento and will be broadcast, the first at Christmas on Canale 5 and the second broadcast by the PBS television network.
As I had already announced to you, a friend had sent the request to participate via fan club and obtained the confirmation letter, so she left Canada for Sicily.
Thus began Judith’s journey (not without problems), and when I asked her to write her impressions of the two evening and this was her response:
“I’ll do my best to take some photos and make notes on anything that might interest you. I tend to get lost in my own musical world, but at least one is a show in English. I’ll be able to understand.”
“I take a flight from Chicago to Munich and then to Palermo, then a train or car as close as possible to my hotel in San Leone (near Agrigento) and then I try to get to the concerts. I have a friend who will take me to the concerts from my hotel.”
Already on the plane Judith wrote me beautiful words that are the story of many of us, words that come from the heart and that you absolutely must read. ❤️
“I have no idea what time it is. Outside the plane window it is dark and inside most are asleep and the lights are low. Thinking about it, it’s incredible what some of us, actually many of us, do for an Il Volo concert or to support what we have come to know and love in these few years of Il Volo. Many of us fly all night through strange airports and cities, strange towns and train stations, strange streets and trust strange taxi drivers to take us to strange hotels, whose language we don’t speak, all to enjoy those two hours of music, fun, passion and friends. Some can afford it and some can’t, but those moments of joy listening to the voices of the “kids” make us dream listening to their beautiful voices that take us elsewhere, somewhere deep in our hearts and dreams. My eyes are closed, lost in those moments of beauty. For me, all the frustrations and uncertainty of unknown long-distance destinations absolutely fill my heart when the lights go down, the music starts and Gianluca, Piero and Ignazio take the stage!”
It wasn’t easy for Judith, who arrived in San Leone (a hamlet of Agrigento on the sea) in the evening, in the dark and immediately realized that her accommodation was far from everything, not only from the Valley of the Temples where the concerts were held, but also from the beautiful walk by the sea of San Leone, and from all the shops and restaurants and she hadn’t eaten anything yet and the hunger was making itself felt.
After eating a couple of Sicilian cannoli which Judith found really good, she managed to sleep at night and wait for the first concert on August 31st, the Christmas-themed one which will be broadcast by Canale 5 at Christmas.
“Judith with her friends, ready for the concert, so much elegance.”
August 31st Christmas concert for Canale 5
Last night was very strange. It was a difficult location, but the stage was set up beautifully. What a fantastic location. I can’t tell you much about the show, we and the fan club group were sitting on the far right. Where we couldn’t see the stage, we couldn’t see the orchestra. All were tall, built on a high platform, here are a couple of photos so you can understand better.
There were guards patrolling everywhere to make sure we didn’t take out our cell phones or cameras, and they were diligent every time I took out my phone to take a photo.
The people in the fan clubs weren’t sitting in a good position and the stage sets were built so high with the barrier around it and from where we were sitting, there wasn’t a good view of the whole thing.
We couldn’t see the orchestra or the two big Christmas trees.
A very confusing night for everyone, there weren’t many people, maybe 800. I don’t know and since there was such a small entrance when they finally opened the small door to let us in (it was closed until 7:45 and it was very hot), for getting 800 people in took a long time. To get to the stage the road was really narrow. There was a shuttle that you could pay for to travel a little distance, if you wore high heels you were straight away in trouble. The road (plus a wide path) was made up of rocks of all sizes, nothing asphalted and it was very, very difficult and, of course, holding each other’s arms to be able to walk, and, after a long walk up the hill, when we arrived, there were so many barriers of cameras and lighting crews that it was not possible to see a lot around. We managed to move in the rows more up, but from the photos you can see that we were under the stage and under everyone. But we were in the corner of the stage where the boys were performing, thank goodness!
The boys weren’t wearing Christmas clothes, they were dressed in dark suits, perhaps black, with some sequins on the jackets, very elegant. No one person had winter clothes, there was a lot of elegance, but no winter clothes, one lady had a fur hat. There were two large trees, as you can see from the photos, and may have had other decorations too, but we couldn’t see them. And it was a Christmas show in theory it was filmed outdoors. It was an interesting location for the Christmas show because you could see it was a hot, warm night and the wind was blowing, but people were still in sleeves and how they would rig that Christmas show is beyond me, some people still wore sleeveless t-shirts and tops.
The concert started on time and the guys, as always, were at the top. They were professional as always, they were friendly, they communicated, they told jokes, they sang their songs better than anyone ever could. Of course the songs were mostly Christmas themed. The orchestra was good, the little known songs were great and the first half or more of the show was very good. There were a lot of standing ovations, a lot of applause and a lot of appreciation for their music.
At a certain point between one song and another there began to be huge gaps and the boys were waiting, walking back and forth, then Ignazio said something that I didn’t understand, and he went to the back of the stage, Gianluca told him I went behind to talk to him. Finally they returned to the front and said to the master: Master, as if we were ready, let’s go.
Everything after that was calmer, the music was wonderful as always.
Come to think of it, some of these gaps in the music may have been due to the TV show’s film crew blocking everything.
I learned a little lesson and I don’t think I’ll ever go to a TV-produced concert again. Too many things can go wrong and it’s not about the music. It’s about the show. I think Morricone’s concert in Verona was the best production I have ever seen. It was very well produced, organized, very well planned, excellent music, singing dancers, everything. It was the best on every level.
The guys were fantastic and their voices were exceptional: Gianluca singing “Music of the Night” was a spectacle!
I think as I watch Gianluca more and more, he’s a passionate old soul. He is so kind he is so empathetic and supportive. I actually watched him a lot last night because I could only see them and nothing else in the corner of the stage, and he constantly watches Piero and Ignazio for their reactions when things aren’t going well, he seems to protect them and care about their mood. He supports them.
I remember that at the beginning of the meeting and greetings with them, Gianluca held my hand because I was nervous and he smiled. He listens, watches and cares deeply. I know that every time I approach him in the meet and greet he looks me in the eyes calmly as if he sees me and he does this with everyone. He’s a good man. ❤️
September 1 concert for PBS
I’m sorry for my limited photos, but both PBS and the Italian TV crew were relentless and aggressive in preventing us from filming. I’m sorry I couldn’t capture more.
I wanted to tell you that I think tonight’s concert was fantastic, exceptional. For me there wasn’t enough English, only when filming the PBS parts. However, their voices, their arrangements, their passion, the delivery and their energy were amazing.
Ignazio sang “Memories”, the favorite representation of his vocal range, and everyone seemed to enjoy it.
Gianluca showed his, again a powerful, rich voice, singing “Music of the Night” from Phantom of the Opera, as well as an Elvis Presley favorite that I can’t remember right now.
I would like to have the titles of the songs or their program to help you understand better, but I don’t have this information, sorry.
In truth, the musical choices were a combination of a little bit of pop, but a little bit of opera, a little bit of their Belcanto. In every song they sang, they gave everything. For the Italian press to belittle them is simply unfathomable. They did an English version of their latest song and I’d say overall the night was … unlike the highly organised, highly successful and musically stunning first night. They also introduced new songs that I had never heard before, but they were very positive and definitely a crowd pleaser. I definitely want to listen to the new songs again, definitely! 🥰
Piero Ignazio and Gianluca wore dark suits, but the jackets had no glitter.
People were still elegant but with more colors and less formal and women had abandoned their heels, given the early evening. 😣 The Christmas trees and Christmas decorations were obviously no longer there. 😉
The concert started on time and the energy and anticipation was palpable throughout the audience. Once again the songs were a mix of bel canto, pop opera and classical, with songs from their previous concerts.
However, the introduction of the new songs was electric. Their choices were exceptional and for many moments during the show there was not a cough or a sound except for each magnificent voice that filled the sky and the stars. That night was magical. After every song the audience went crazy, but no one got up and I don’t know why. During the concert, the songs were projected onto a screen at the end of each row of seats and during some English-language presentations for PBS, the words were written on the screen (like the teleprompter).
A funny moment, Gianluca was reading the script on screen for the PBS audience and came across an English word that he couldn’t pronounce. He kept trying to say it.
The word was “transcend.” Nobody helped him and in the end I shouted the word and Gianluca repeated it correctly.
After I gave Gianluca the correct pronunciation, Piero shouted: “Who are you?”
Ignazio said: “But it’s her!” (he didn’t remember my name).
Piero replied: “But who are you? I can’t see anything with this light.”
Ignazio: “Canada” (they know me as the redhead from Canada), and my friend shouted: “Giuditta!”
The kids recognized me because the lights were now on me!!
It was a very fun time.
Another strange thing, later, towards the end of the show, one of the PBS film crew members came to my row and seemed to be pointing the camera at me and recording, I don’t know why. That remains to be seen, I guess. Maybe I’ll be at the cinema soon!
The first evening I had two women next to me, two women from Sweden, the second evening two women from Japan.
When the three guys weren’t announcing their songs or speaking to the PBS audience, they were constantly interacting with the audience, in Italian, of course, which was great. There was a lot of laughter, a lot of applause, a lot of feeling part of the Il Volo family.
All three boys were kind and playful that night, and it was one of their best concerts. It didn’t last long. The concert ended at 11.00 pm, it surprised me.
Just when we thought it was all over, the boys came back on stage and sang Masterpiece in English, a first for me and their fans!!! ❤️
The staff let us out around 11, although it wasn’t over for PBS or the film crew who may have had to repeat some songs because they called back the guys and the orchestra that remained after we all left.
Thank you, Judith, for the nice review of your participation in the two concerts. You were very thorough and your photos are beautiful, considering that you were certainly not in a good position and that the security was inflexible.
I’ve been to the Valley of the Temples and reading your words made me feel like I was there with you.
The setting was certainly unique and fantastic and I hope that the television representation lives up to this Christmas event.
I also think that the crews were different for the two events and perhaps for this reason the second concert went better. We will see the final results on TV.
Thanks again for your writing, Judith!!🥰
Now you of Flight Crew must know that these two concerts had a lot of problems from the usual Italian press. Many articles have reported misrepresented or exaggerated news, but I will talk about this in detail in the next post.🤬
Meanwhile, I conclude this nice review with some beautiful photos taken by some people present at the concerts.
Where were we? The last three concerts before the August break.
31 July: Palmanova
The beautiful star-shaped city, with a polygonal plan with nine points, a fortified military citadel, in ancient times surrounded by walls, or rather bastions, and turrets or “armors” at the corners, truly remarkable.
NELLE TUE MANI
NESSUN DORMA
SUCCEDE
AMOR VIDA DE MI VIDA (Piero)
ALMENO TU NELL’UNIVERSO (Ignaazio)
LA CURA (Gianluca)
You all heard the unrest that occurred in Venezuela after the elections and before the song Hallelujah Ignazio made this beautiful and sweet dedication:
“If you allow me this evening I would like to personally dedicate this next song to everything that is happening in Venezuela, now you know that for me it is family (applause) and not all information reaches the world and this next song is for them, for those who have suffered , for those who are suffering, and for those who have unfortunately already left us, we would like to invite you to turn on your cell phone flashes because who knows, maybe they are seeing us from up there.”
In response, Michelle published this photo with this dedication:
“Thank you my love @ignazioboschetto for dedicating this song and raising your voice for our Venezuela!!!”
And now a delightful moment in the company of Olivia who brings us a sweet smile. 😍
GRANDE AMORE final piece
The regional news TG Friuli Venezia Giulia also talked about the concert (activate subtitles)
some photos
August 3: MONTE CARLO
The concert will be held in the beautiful Salle Des Etoiles.
The concert will be opened by Lara Ferrari, an Italian singer who posted the photo with this dedication:
“It was a great emotion to open the beautiful Il Volo concert in the splendid Salle Des Ètoiles of the prestigious Sporting Club Monte Carlo with my big brothers Sugarpie & The Candymen.
Thanks guys for the photo and the chat!”
Dinner is also provided for the public present and we all know that the Monte Carlo public is perhaps a little more demanding than the public that crowds out the various concerts, but I can say, after seeing the various videos that the public certainly appreciated the great skill singing and entertaining by Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca!
And this is it for the last three concerts before the two-week summer break, it resumes on August 24th with the concert in MONOPOLI (Bari).
But the news doesn’t end here, because Il Volo has announced new dates that it will hold in January in the sports halls in Italy, here they are:
So the concert program in Italy intensifies long before leaving to come to you in the US. 😉
But this is not the only news. 😉
A Sicilian city: Agrigento (which is also the province where Piero lives), is a candidate to be the Capital of Culture next year and therefore to promote the event they thought of filming a nice concert by Il Volo in the beautiful Valle dei Temples and exactly in front of the Temple of Concordia. This project has taken shape and the concert is scheduled for August 31st. Since the square contains few people, around 500, and the video is sponsored by the Municipality of Agrigento and therefore free, entry by invitation was considered and Il Volo therefore sent an email to those registered in the fan club to invite them to sign up. this opportunity. It’s truly a beautiful gift for anyone who can be present at this concert!!
Temple of Concordia
And this is the email that went to all the fan club members.
But, do you remember that Il Volo said they were going to film a PBS special filmed in Egypt with the pyramids? Unfortunately, the very tense situation in the Middle East caused this beautiful event to be cancelled.
It is also thought that this event in Agrigento could also be used for the PBS special, but this is not yet confirmed.
The Agrigento Notizie newspaper talks about two concerts, one on August 31st and the other on September 1st. It is also thought that this event in Agrigento could also be used for the PBS special, but also for the Canale 5 Christmas special, but these two latest news has not yet been confirmed, so we will follow developments.
Concert of Il Volo in the Valley of the Temples, 2 dates: it remains to be clarified who will be able to attend.
With the regional decree of recent days, the bureaucratic procedures are unblocked for an event that will be more advertising than musical.
The first details of one of the “highlight” events of the city’s preparation for the year of capital of culture 2025 are starting to leak out, albeit informally: the Il Volo concert in the Valley of the Temples.
An initiative that will in all respects be more advertising than musical in itself, so much so that in the decree signed in recent days by the Sicilian Region, with which 500 thousand euros are allocated to support the event, it is linked to the promotion on TV between Italy and the United States. This is because the concert by Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto and Gianluca Ginoble will take place on two dates, August 31st and September 1st, in favor of cameras: a show will be filmed to then be broadcast on Mediaset channels during the Christmas period, The other one will be used for US TV.
What still needs to be understood is whether and how it will be possible for the public to attend the concerts. The location, probably the esplanade in front of the Temple of Concordia, will not be able to accommodate more than 400 people and it is not yet known how they will be selected: the hypothesis of an invitation-only event is the most accredited, while it seems very unlikely that an initiative of this type could be open access.
The economic aspect also needs to be defined: if it is true that the decree approved in recent days allocates 500 thousand euros with funds from the cultural heritage department, the overall cost of the operation should exceed one million euros, with other resources coming from national and regional governments as well as the archaeological park.
And this is all for the moment, I would say that our boys don’t have a moment of peace, I hope that at least in these very hot days of August they will be able to rest a little and regain their energy.
My Sicilian holiday went very well, I only went to Palermo and Cefalù. In Palermo I was staying right next to the Cathedral from where Il Volo sang on July 15th. From my bedroom window I could have seen them very well without even moving. It’s a shame that when I booked the days of my stay, nothing was known about this further commitment of Il Volo in Palermo.
But that’s okay, the important thing is to always have good and positive news from our beloved boys.
See you soon: Daniela 🤗
Credit to owners of all photos and videos.
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