Here it is Thanksgiving Day, and I found a few extra minutes, so I thought, why not share them with my Il Volo Family! These last few months while I’ve been busy writing, I’ve been following Daniela Perani’s stories. I am so thankful to her for keeping us all up to date with the goings on of the guys.
When I read the article that Daniela translated this week about Piero by Irene Carmina in La Repubblica I got to thinking it’s been quite sometime since I wrote the early stories of the guys. So, I went back to Through the Fields of My Mind and found a beautiful story which talks a lot about what Piero is talking about in the article.
Piero is a great storyteller! In his stories he recalls every detail. He makes you feel like you’re a part of his story. When the story is over you know the event as it happened and there is nothing more for you to know. He’s told it all. He is very sensitive and very emotional when he speaks about his childhood and his family.
So, without further ado, let us begin with Episode One of Piero’s Story in the courtyard of the town square of Naro….
The heat of the day has passed, and the time of rest is over and it’s time for people to come out into the square. On the bench nearby are old men. Piero is playing soccer with his friends. They are playing with his SUPER TELE (a plastic football). The ball flies off in the direction of the old men and they shout, “Slow with the ball or we will cut it.” The old men frighten Piero with their threat.
My name is Piero Barone. I was born on June 24, 1993, in the Sicilian city of Naro. What can I tell you about Naro? For me, it is the most beautiful city in the world! There are dozens of baroque churches and above the city the Chiaramonte castle. Below the castle is the beautiful Valle del Paradiso with its green pastures and the green sea that separates Naro from the real sea… and there’s the Spring Festival Narese!
Piero would gather with his friends in the afternoon and usually they played until ten in the evening but there was always the fear that the old men would pierce the ball. Piero said, Five or six years have passed since the old men scared me. The old men are still on the bench but now when they see me, they come to meet me, to greet me. Before, they scared me, and now they hug me and have that look of being proud and moved. It’s too strong for me! Yet, I still can’t explain why I become ‘weak inside’ when I see them.
The truth is, I’m still that kid with his SUPER TELE.
I think it is an effort to remember when we were young. We were young the day before yesterday. In fact, all three of us, feel that time has run too fast. Yesterday we were children, and, in a moment, we found ourselves grown up with a great job to carry on. Its’ the most beautiful job in the world, what we dreamed and desired, but the truth is that none of us really imagined what would happen.
I remember in detail the years from one to fourteen. Details like how many euros of gasoline I put in my motorbike. That would be 10. Or how much gasoline I consumed each day.
I recall for a few months, during the summer, when I was nine years old, I went to work in my father’s body shop but because I had bad allergies and asthma I was not able to deal with the paints and powders so the decision was made that I would go to work in my uncle Angelo’s (my mother’s brother) mechanic shop which was just in front of my father’s shop. I clearly recall, at half past ten, on time, my uncle gave me two euros and I went to buy a sandwich at the supermarket. The sandwich was ham and provolone. How good was that sandwich!
To Piero, these are things that have remained in his head and will not go away. Piero recalls a morning in 2001 when….
At eight o’clock, as I was getting ready to go to school, a phone call arrived, my grandfather Francesco, my paternal grandfather, died. I was small, but the pain was great because I always had a wonderful relationship with my paternal grandparents. These are the sad things that remain in my head and will not go away.
Piero’s grandmother Graziella was always proud of what Piero’s father had done in life and she is so proud of what her grandchildren do today. In moments of happiness Piero’s thoughts go to his grandfather Ciccio. He recalls his father saying, “What a disappointment that his grandfather did not get to enjoy all the beautiful things that have happened to him.”
What does Piero say about all of this …when you love a person, that good remains inside you, you cannot forget it anymore.
What I’ve done in the last five or six years, I tend to forget. Not because I’m not happy to have done it, contrary, I am, very, happy. It’s to have the life I have and have a dream come true: living with music was all I wanted.
Piero recalls a very sweet memory….
When I was a child, I visited my father’s body shop. The shop was very big and was full of cars and lots of noise. This was my ‘first stage.’ I was not yet four years old, and I was starting to sing. My father lifted me up and placed me on the hood of a car that was jacked up and I immediately began to sing. The people in front of the shop looked out. Slowly one after another, they came out. I remember them, they stood there listening to me, their heads popping out of the door and, I sang and, it was the most natural thing in the world for me!
But what remains in Piero’s heart is what he calls the “campaign” of his grandparents.
How do I explain this campaign? I think ‘Campaign’ and I think ‘family’ a couple that cannot be divided.
Piero compares this campaign to his mother, Elenora, and his father, Gaetano. He sees their marriage as an example of love that he hopes to one day share with someone. Piero says, I want someone with whom I can carry on that love that is so great even in times of difficulty. But he is not naïve about love. He knows that in most families there are obstacles. He recalls, I happened to see some quarrels between my parents and, I did not understand. However, all things worked out and the two returned to be more united than before.
Perhaps the worse moment was when my mother had serious health problems. My parents left me and my brother with my grandparents and my father took my mother to Milan for treatment. They were always united and always facing difficulties together. A ‘campaign!’
My brother and sister and I are three pieces that cannot be divided. The oldest is Francesco he is 17 months older than me. I am very proud of my brother. Francesco graduated cum laude in Literature in 2015. I am very proud that he is working hard for his future. If he wanted to, he could travel the world with me, work with me. But, no, he wants to be known as Francesco Barone and not Piero’s brother and that’s why I respect him so much. I have realized my dream and he wants to make his own.
Piero and Francesco resemble each other and when they were young their mother dressed them as twins. Piero say, I tell you the same: same shoes, same pants, same shirt, we looked like twins. Everyone thought we were twins.
And then there is Mariagrazia. She is six years younger than Piero and he says, I love her endlessly. While she was in high school, she lived at home with her parents. Piero regrets he doesn’t see her very often and he says, I am sorry because I miss her very much.Although the three do not see each other often, Piero says, Francesco and Mariagrazia are my friends, the people I trust and with whom I confess, me.
I am proud to say mine is a real Sicilian family, one of those that on Sundays reunites at the grand house, the grandparent’s house. There are great lunches from the first to the sweets, things so good that you cannot even imagine them. And the saga continues, when summer arrives and, everyone moves to the countryside.
From the time I was one until I was thirteen, I spent every summer at my grandparent’s house. And who was there with me, my grandparents and my great-grandmother Lina (my grandmother’s mother). I swear, they were perhaps the most beautiful days of my life, and I will never forget them.
Piero’s grandfather Pietro, his mother’s father, had made a campaign with his hands. He built it all, the house, the plants, the land, everything.
I could not wait for it to be Saturday morning when we lit the wood burning oven. I went to collect wood around the ground, I helped to light the fire, and I helped to take out the pizza. In addition to pizza, we did ‘u pani impurnatu’, which is bread baked in the oven. How good it was! It kept that good taste all week. The week passed and the next Saturday we started over again. The bread was beautiful, warm and fragrant. We also made the ‘impanate’ which are rolls of pizza dough with vegetables inside, a typical dish of my area. In short, I ate a lot of good things and it was visible. (I was really fat.)
The ‘campaign’ was also the kingdom of my minicross. I always had a passion for motorcycles and cars. And at age six or seven my father gave me a minicross. It is a cross-country minimoto, but without the gears. Why did I tell you that I spent the best time of my life in the country because I was there with my minicross!
I have lived the most beautiful adventures in the garden of the Riolo family?
The neighbors in the countryside were the Riolo family. They were the owners of the villa that was right next to Piero’s grandfather’s house. They were the richest family in the country. They lived in Agrigento and since they only came to the villa once a month, the marvelous orchard that surrounded it was practically abandoned.
What was I doing then? I took the minicross, my grandmother would sit back, and we would get into what we called ‘a stradella pi ‘Riola’, the road of the Riolo. Their gardens were full of very beautiful fruits trees. The Riolo’s knew of the raids. My grandmother, Rina, told them that we went to collect the fruit and they gave her permission to do so. My grandfather had worked for Mr. Riolo for many years and they were family friends. But for me, what was I doing I was going to ‘steal,’ it was a secret.
There were no fences, so you could enter from anywhere. The fact that we entered through the gate in the saddle of the minicross gave me the feeling of really doing something dangerous and secret.
Grandma, where are we going? I said, even before finishing the road.
“Lemon trees” she answered.
Here we go! And off we go to fill the bag of lemons.
Grandma, where are we going now?
Pear trees. And off we go to fill the pear bag.
There were peaches, plums, there were fruits of all kinds.
One day, the Riolo’s came to the countryside with us and they carried a bag of small, round, burgundy fruits. I asked Mr. Riolo, what are these things? I had never seen them before. They tasted very good, very soft, very sweet. They were jujubes.
Where did you get them?I asked.
“There are many trees like this,” Mr. Riolo said. And while Mr. Riolo explained it to me, I already saw myself under the tree picking up the jujubes
But how did we get the bags home? I put a broomstick on the handlebars of my minicross, we hung the bags on both sides and we walked.
Also, on the ground were walnuts and prickly pears. We picked up the prickly pears, and then with my great-grandmother we peeled them, she cleaned them without even putting on her gloves, at the end she scraped away the thorns from her hands with the knife, rinsed herself with water, all right.
In the countryside there were almonds. My aunt Lucia, my grandmother’s sister, had them on her land, and in the second half of August she had a ‘cugliuta di mennule’ (almond harvest). There were always two, three huge bags to be shared for the whole family.
Who peeled those almonds? My great-grandmother. Stone fingers, tac, tac, tac. And after who divided the almonds from the skins? I. So, my grandma tac, tac, tac, and I divided. An assembly line!
This was what happened to us in the countryside. They are images that I will never forget.
So, we leave Piero chopping almonds with his great-grandmother and we go back up “a stradella pi ‘Riola” and wait for Piero to arrive at Ti Lascio Una Canzone.
So that ends Piero’s Story for today.
But before I end the story, I want you to listen to this video. This was a recording session with Placido Domingo!
What I love about this video is the sweetness and sincerity of these young men. Their voices at such a young age were phenomenal! And listen to them speak. Very intelligent – intelligence beyond their years. You feel their voices because they feel their voices in their hearts, and they express that love to us in every song! And now fifteen years later, that love, that feeling they express in songs remains and, in fact, it has become their signature. Amazing young men!
Join me next time as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
I want to wish all my Il Volo Family a very Happy and Holy Thanksgiving. Enjoy your family! Enjoy your turkey! And to our guys I wish you could share our wonderful Thanksgiving tradition! Have a happy Day!
You can read the article about Piero from La Repubblica translated by Daniela on the Il Volo Flight Crew website. http://www.ilvoloflightcrw.com
What I have written are excerpts from the book the guys wrote about their lives. “Il Volo, Un’avventura Straordinario, La Nostra Storia.” (An Extraordinary Adventure, Our Story) This is just a small piece of Piero’s story. The book is written in Italian. If you can read Italian, I would highly recommend that you read it. It’s wonderful! If not, I can only hope that someday it will be translated into English. Or you can use Google Translate to translate it.
I also recommend you read their second book “IL Volo: Quello Che Porto Nel Cuore” (What I Carry in My Heart).
And let’s not forget the new album. On November 29th the International Edition of “Ad Astra” will be out.
Since the pandemic, Piero has made tremendous strides in his career! As I’ve said before, the pandemic had its bad points and its good points. For Piero, it was his opportunity to devote his time to his first love ~ Opera!
Yes, for Piero as for Gianluca and Ignazio, their first priority is Il Volo, but each has a life that will follow Il Volo. Of course, we all hope that won’t be for a long time but someday! For now, we have to listen to the guys when they say they are Il Volo and plan to continue being Il Volo.
For the last few years, Piero’s voice has blossomed into a true operatic voice. With the new Individuality, we find the true meaning of each guy’s voice and we focus on what they want us to know about their voices. For Piero, we’ve always known it but now Piero shows it in every performance. Not only does he sing his opera, he also is beginning to sing Neapolitan songs like all other opera singers going back to Enrico Caruso who, after his performances at the Met, would come out on stage and sing Neapolitan songs.
Of the three, Piero is the only one who said, “…. if there is one thing I want to do in life, it is singing, living for and with music.” That pretty much sums up Piero. He sings with such feeling and devotion. He studies endlessly! Opera is his dream! He’s studied among other opera’s Cavalieria Rusticana. I await the day when he will sing in his first opera. No matter where it is in the world, I will be there to see him fulfill his dream!
It might seem strange to you that he dreams of being an opera singer. He is a superstar. He has achieved in 15 years what most men can only hope to achieve in a lifetime. But, when you have dream, you have a dream and, with that dream, we will watch Piero go from Superstar to Opera Star.
Let’s go back and see what I’ve said, in the past, about Piero’s Golden Voice!
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 (his favorite opera). Or singing the beautiful Spanish aria “No Puede Ser” from A Tabernera del Puerto. From the first note Piero pierces our souls! 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!
So, let’s move on to Piero’s classical education!
We know that Piero was discovered by his grandfather when he was about 4 years old. You will recall he was swinging on a swing that hung from a mulberry tree in his grandfather’s garden. And as a result, he began his classical education by taking piano lessons.
But how do you get from that swing to stardom. You do what all three guys did! You start by joining a choir. Let’s listen to what Piero had to say about this first meeting with the choir…
The first thing I find myself in front of these guys who are in a semicircle. I enter, I hear them singing and immediately I see in the center of this semicircle a lady and a gentleman sitting at the piano. I had just made the acquaintance of the Little Singers of the Philharmonic Association – Santa Cecilia of Agrigento. The association was founded in 1983 and has two choirs, one for white voices and one for adults. Until 2008 they also collaborated with the “Sistina” Music Chapel of Rome, which led the choir to perform before the Pope during the Jubilee and which was opened to the best singers with the possibility of doing an internship in Rome.
The master accompanist was Alfonso Lo Presti and the director of the chorus of white voices was the maestro, Marisa Bonfiglio.
I will owe everything in my life to this lady.
Marisa was right in the middle and waiting for me. My father had warned Marisa that we would go to see the evidence to understand how it worked and if she could like me. I arrive, I was ten years old and, I was pretty chubby and, I find myself in the midst of all females and just two boys, Davide and Arturo.
After the greetings, Marisa asks Piero to introduce himself.
Hi, guys, I’m Piero, Piero Barone, I was born in 1993 and I like to sing. In a chorus what else should I say? If I was there, I had to like music, right? I thought it was the first thing to clarify. At that point the master Bonfiglio made me sit on the left, next to Davide and Arturo, while all the rest of the chorus – all females – were on the right. Three males in a world of females:
The number three would be my destiny, right?
We begin to sing, Easter songs, Christmas carols, church choir songs. With Davide and Arturo, I established a very strong relationship, which continues today: we are still friends. We phone each other when I am far from Naro and, when I come back, we go out together as often as we can.
At the time of the choir, we were always attached to each other, we looked at the girls but, we were three losers of nine to ten years, losers! Marisa never scolded anyone, but if we were disruptive, she looked a little like that and said ‘Guys,’ and we were immediately serious again.
This is the point where Piero’s voice is beginning to change, and so adjustments have to be made to accommodate this change. Let’s hear what Piero had to say about that….
Even my passion for red is in some way linked to the chorus of the little singers. I dressed in red, all red from head to toe. They make my presentation I start to sing. I could still sing but I was at the limit and I start the Ave Maria. Until then other tenors have arrived at the end of the piece all red in the face for the effort. Because singing, in reality, requires a much greater physical effort than one imagines. In short, I finish the song, the teacher looks at me, looks at Marisa Bonfiglio, looks at my father, looks at all the others: “Do you see this guy? He has everything red, except his face: he sang with incredible ease”. And to my father’s question, ‘What could I do with my son?’ The master replied: ‘Mr. Barone, now your son is having a change of voice, your son in his throat has a diamond. What would I do in his place? I would take this diamond, put it in a safe and hide the keys. Between two years we reopen this safe.’ And, so, we did!
What about those red glasses?
But it must be said, my ‘fixation’ for red glasses was not born here but was born in 2010 in Los Angeles. I was at my first photo shoot, and I went to the studio, it was the first real photo shoot. In short, I had glasses, as always, but one of the photographers who follows us looks at me a little and tells me: ‘You have to keep your glasses, but they must be red.’ And how could I do a pair of red eyeglasses in Los Angeles in one day? I think and think again, in the end the idea came: I called my optician of confidence in Naro, Giuseppe Minio, and I asked him to do it for me. Would you ever believe it? In twenty-four hours, I received the envelope in Los Angeles with my red glasses, and inside I also found rose petals and little hearts, pure affection directly from Naro, which is always good.
But I’m getting ahead of myself I still had to face the change of voice. That moment of change is something excruciating because you cannot sing, so no longer being a white voice, I had to leave the chorus. But Marisa Bonfiglio did not let me go like this, ‘Piero, see you soon,’ she cared about me and then helped me again: she took me to Palermo to a conservatory professor, a tenor. That master’s verdict was again: ‘Let’s wait.’ But in the wait, I could not remain completely silent. In reality, the wait for the change of voice lasted less than I thought, because towards the fourteen and a half years my voice had already matured.
So, the change happened, and Piero moved on in his life. He did participate in many singing competitions and won most.
But there was also his schoolwork to consider. Piero said, “Had it been for me I would have studied only singing and music.” But in fact, Piero studied accounting. Piero tells us “And I excelled in Math, in fact, I am so good, that I am the one of the three that runs with a bag full of all of our accounts.”
Let me pause a moment to tell you about the archives at Il Volo Flight Crew. Everyone should take the time to visit them. They are the history of Il Volo from 2009 to the present. Anything you want to know; any past event and any future event can be found in the archives.
When I write these stories I like to go into the archives and see if there is something that would work with my story. I remembered an interview that Piero did when he was 19 years old. The interviewer was Marcella Lattuca who was a friend who Piero knew from the chorus. I think this interview gives us some great insight into who Piero was at the beginning of his career and his hopes and aspirations for his future and the future of Il Volo.
So, let’s go right to the interview with Marcella Lattuca from Agrigentini Bella Gente.
Marcella:This episode is very special because I have the privilege to talk with a real star of international music, he is only 19 years. Piero Barone, whom I thank for the interview, has reached goals that perhaps, artists cannot reach, over a whole career. Thanks Piero, for being our guest.
Piero:It’s a pleasure. We did the chorus together and today we are here to do this fantastic interview.
Marcella:It’s true, you and I started in parallel, with a fairly considerable age gap, alas. You start from Naro, you were born in Naro, you have a family from Agrigento, and you start with the Little Cantori di Santa Cecilia. Tell us how you approached music.
Piero:I have always pursued this dream of music, I grew up in the middle of music with my grandfather, Pietro and thanks also to my father, because you know, sometimes there are moments, when you’re little, you play piano and you want to give up everything, but thanks to the constancy of my father, I always pursued this dream, first with the chorus of Santa Cecilia, studying with private teachers, and now fortunately, I’m here.
Marcella:Your career was born a few years ago, when you were really a child. What was actually the turning point, which made you feel you wanted to do something more?
Piero:In fact there was not a turning point because I always wanted to sing, but there was luck, thanks to my father, always, thanks to my father, to do a summer festival in Cosenza.
My father called me and told me, ‘Do you want to do this festival? Let’s go and come back in 24 hours (by car), let’s go and come back.’
I replied, ‘Dad, are you crazy?’ and he ‘Come on, let’s try, I drive and you sleep in the car.’
For that selection they did not take me, but they gave my name to the editorial office of Ti Lascio Una Canzone, Antonella Clerici’s program.
One day I was returning from piano school, and I found my father on the phone with a lady Isabella Abiuso, and from there it all started, in fact my father asked me if I wanted to do that program and I replied ‘Why not, let’s try.’
Marcella:You started as a soloist at Ti Lascio Una Canzone, and then maybe fate played a special role.
Piero:Oh yes, we started this program as three singers, and now I, Ignazio and Gianluca are the group Il Volo, on the fourth episode, the producer Roberto Cenci, had the idea to join our voices, and from there started … the three tenors …. the Tryo, we changed name, but in the end we decided to call ourselves Il Volo. They wanted a short Italian name. Il Volo was a metaphorical name, Il Volo, to fly. Immediately after the program, we signed a program with Universal Music in Los Angeles.
Marcella:What I understood from you is, the one that followed you the most, was your dad, also because, being a minor, you could not go around alone.
Piero:My father and my grandfather – my grandfather discovered my voice my father helped me. He is great and he has been a great support.
Marcella:So immediately after Ti Lascio Una Canzone, you signed this contract with Universal, and you started your flight.
Piero:Yes, we signed a contract with Universal, with our producer Tony Renis and Umberto Gattica and our manager Michele Torpedine, and from there, the first TV, the first album, with the first album we sold 1 million copies. And now the new album We Are Love has been released, where there is also a duet with Eros Ramazzotti and with Placido Domingo.
Marcella:But when you say these things, do you realize where you’ve come from and all the way you’ve come in such a short time?
Piero:This is nothing, we made this new album, but behind this album we have done lots of experiences, like, a tour with Barbra Streisand, 12 dates with her. She was a great teacher for us, and we learned so many things from her, like from many other great artists.
Marcella:I can mention some reviews I read on the internet.
El Paso Times: ‘Electrifying: the name of the group means the flight in Italian, perfect name for a trio of young tenors who conquers ever higher peaks,’ just to name one, another: ‘Beautiful and intense voices accompanied by beautiful harmonies that enchant the public by giving strong emotions,’ this is the enthusiastic comment of the New York Journal.
You are a trio, so you are dealing with two other guys who are the same age.
Piero: Ignazio and Gianluca
Marcella:Perfect. What is the relationship between you three? Is it really difficult to keep united, even if you go in one direction only?
Piero: This project was born as three friends, you know, living every day together, we have established a great relationship, we are like three brothers, because we share everything ….not everything. There is a great relationship, a great agreement.
Marcella: But you also perform individually?
Piero: No, no, our concert is the concert of Il Volo. We have just finished a tour of 48 dates in America, this is the fourth tour. We have done an American tour, a South American, a European and another American just finished and now in 2013 we will do another South American, American and European.
Marcella:But for a boy of your age, you have spent most of your adolescence ….
Piero: On the plane
Marcella:In fact, and what effect does it make, having left your friends, your country, was it tough? Then you had to approach even with a language that was not yours, you had to learn English.
Piero:English is fundamental, and we also had to learn Spanish.
Marcella:You have learned Spanish because now, however, you will start a tour, if I’m not mistaken in South America.
Piero:The second tour, and now there are great future projects, but I’ll tell you what we did in the last two months. We started at Rockefeller Center in New York, with the lighting of the Christmas tree, the Christmas season opens all over the world. We were there with Michael Bublé, Mariah Carey, Tony Bennett, everyone was there.
Immediately after we sang for the Nobel Prize presentation in Oslo. We represented Italy, because the Nobel Prize was given to the European Union. There were Jennifer Hudson, SarahJessica Parker, Gerald Butler, Sial, it was a great experience.
Marcella:I see on the internet, I read that you have also become a style icon, because your fans have adopted this red eyewear look, is your brand?
Piero:If you come to our concerts, you will see all the girls with red glasses, it’s really nice!
Marcella:And then you also have some very important fans, like for example …. say you …
Piero:We were in Panama and a friend called us and told us ‘Guys, read the interview about ‘La Repubblica’ we go on the internet and we read that they asked Placido Domingo what music he is listening at the moment, and he replied: ‘I listen to Il Volo they are three jewels that the whole world should know.’ And the nephew of Pacido Domingo, is a wild fan, crazy about us, he wears red glasses, the vest, the tie ……. and from there was born the duet with Palcido Domingo.
Marcella:In fact, because in the last album, in addition to the duet with Ramazzotti, you also have one with Placido Domingo, which is one of the three historical tenors.
Piero:Domingo, Carreras and Pavarotti. We dedicated the song we sang together with Placido Domingo, Il Canto, to Pavarotti.
Marcella:It’s an extraordinary thing, you said that you met so many famous people and I would like to know if any of these gave you advice, if they made you a “mentor” in addition to your grandfather and your dad.
Piero:The advice, be yourself, because the key to success is only one, talent and humility, because all the great artists are great people.
Marcella:The real ones.
Piero:Real ones, like Barbra Streisand, 70, and every night she entertains 25,000 people in America’s biggest arenas.
Piero:American Idol, as jurors were: Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson. Steven Tyler is the singer of Aerosmith and in our new album we sang ‘I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing,’ but we did it in a classic Italian ‘Questo Amore Splendido.’ (Piero sings a few words)
Marcella: Nice to even hear it live.
Piero:We did Jay Leno, three times. Jay Leno is America’s most watched Tonight Show, Jay Leno and Larry King are the most famous, we sang “Beautiful Day” two weeks ago, which is the cover of U2.
People ask us, but your kind of music, what is it? We did two duets, one with Ramazzotti which is the top of pop and Placido Domingo, which is the top of classical music.
Marcella:So you are versatile, you have shown your versatility and even those who gave you a kind of emulation of the Trio of Tenors, like a bad copy of the trio, in the end it was denied.
Piero:This problem is only in Italy, but you know, Italy is a very, very difficult country, but …. let’s do everything in the time. The thing that makes us angry, and I have to say this, we participated in the Nobel Prize, we have represented Italy, the whole world talks about it, who does not talk about us: Italy.
Marcella:It seems we are a little xenophilous.
Piero:But we love our country, so we love it as it is.
Marcella:You said you spent most of your teenage years on a plane, but how did you stay in touch with your friends and study?
Piero:I always say that what we do is what we like to do, so if you love what you do, everything becomes easy.
Marcella:But how did you study?
Piero: I study again, because I lost a year with my work. But this year I graduate, study in hotels, on airplanes. I took the license. I did the theory in August and the guide in November.
Marcella:Even if in America? It’s not like you travel by car there.
Piero:Yes, I do. I drive my producer’s car. Sometimes I hire a Ferrari, or a Porsche, I like driving.
Marcella:And can you orient yourself? You are now a citizen of the world.
Piero:But the beautiful thing … ‘beautiful,’ so to speak, because sometimes you lack freedom, especially in South America we have five bodyguards at the baggage claim because at the exit of the airport there are a thousand girls.
Marcella:They recognize you on the street, it is shocking!
Piero:We travel with cars darkened and armored because unfortunately South America is a dangerous country but we love it and they love us, the girls chase us with taxis…. and shout, it’s nice!
Marcella:Are you afraid of this thing?
Piero:No, no fear, it fills you with pride and satisfaction because you understand that what you are transmitting reaches people.
Marcella: But this life is so stressful, how do you recharge? What is your secret to recharging?
Piero:It’s my family. Many people tell me “you have traveled the world.” Everyone asks me “What is your favorite city? ? Los Angeles, New York, Miami, London, Paris” my favorite city is Naro, Naro is my world.
Marcella:What’s your relationship with Naro?? After singing in faraway places, with immense crowds, when you arrive at Naro, do you have to re-program again?
Piero:No, Naro is my homeland, so every time it’s always a party.
Marcella:What is your relationship with Naro’s inhabitants?
Piero:Fantastic, I love them!
Marcella:Welcome you?
Piero:Yes, I go to buy fruit, I go to the hairdresser … it’s very nice!
Marcella:Perhaps paradoxically your country is the only place where you can roam freely.
Piero: With my little car, now I go around with my friends, I greet everyone, I am a very open type.
Marcella:It is a practice of our program, to ask what advice would you give to a person who has become a public figure, like you, to the Agrigentini boys who want to approach the art of singing.
Piero:My advice is always to follow your dream, never give up, there will be people who will say, “But come on, change jobs, change profession.” Never believe in them, believe in yourself, but when you arrive, stay where you are. Returning to the previous speech, I learned this from Barbra Streisand, and from all the great artists.
For example, we were on tour with Barbra Streisand, we were in the dressing room and we hear a knock, I go to open and there is Sting, or Michael Buble, David Beckham, Tom Hanks, all these great artists who knock on our dressing room, to have a photo, to greet us.
Marcella:This proves the fact that these great artists that have such long careers, it means that they remained what they were, it means that goodness of mind pays, beyond talent.
Piero:And then the humility even if it is really difficult to stay what you are, if you do not have great people behind, like a big family, I am doubly lucky because I am a person that could follow his dream and get there. Yet we have not arrived, but we are working, we study a lot, and my second fortune is my family – a moral support, a daily support, my father travels with me only when there are concerts, because the tour is very stressful. But for promotions, I travel alone, and you know, in the morning, when I call home, they give me the charge to start the day.
Marcella:As a good Sicilian you have left the roots here, however you continually feed from your family.
Piero:When someone tell me ‘You know, when you speak, we hear the Sicilian accent, the Italian accent’….. let it be heard!
Marcella: On the other hand your pride, it is this and, I can say, you are also our pride and I believe I also interpret the thought of all the inhabitants of Agrigento who followed you. Last question, what do you dream of doing ‘when you grow up?’
Piero: I’m studying lyric now, because that’s my dream, that world, it’s my dream, the lyric is another dimension, but you have to study … too much … and now I’m studying, thanks to my possibilities, I am studying in Bologna, with my teacher Sergio Bertocchi, a great teacher, and he is a great person. I’m studying an opera setting, however, always with Il Volo. Il Volo is always …. the group Il Volo…. IS IL VOLO. And so my dream is that one day maybe, to do the Premiere to La Scala or in some theater.
So, as we can see Piero’s dream has always been to be an opera singer. And here we find Piero on the threshold of an opera stage and ready to go from Superstar to Opera Star. And what an opera star he will be.
Piero did say at the age of 30 he will sing in an opera! Let’s see if there will be a surprise soon!
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
The guy’s new album Ad Astra will be released on March 29, 2024. Available For Pre-Order NOW! It’s available on all digital platforms including Spotify and Amazon Music.
If you would like to share a story with me, please email: susan.flightcrew@yahoo.com
Back in March, when the guys were on the Michelle Huzinker show, “Michelle Impossible,” Michelle asked the guys this question….
Michelle: Ok, a little more gossip. Who happened to find his autograph on the calf of a Vololover??
Ignazio: On the calf!
Piero:We were in the United States, the morning of the concert I go on the treadmill to run and while I was running, I saw this lady next to me, we say hello, I run with earphones, I see it and I think I know that signature there, it was my autograph, here, tattooed like this (and he marks at the end of the calf).
Michelle: Crazy, incredible!
Piero says it was his signature, in reality was written IL VOLO.
For those of you who don’t know who Piero was talking about, it is Marie Crider who is one of the founders of the Flight Crew!
As we celebrate the Tenth Anniversary of Flight Crew, I thought it would be nice to talk about one of the founders. Since Marie had this beautiful experience with Piero, I thought what better way to honor her than by publishing her incredible story. Marie is now retired, but her story is a classic and her experience with Piero is incredible because he is incredible! Marie would call him sweet, and I agree and you will too after reading her story!
In 2014, when Marie Crider wrote about her meeting with Piero, she started her story with these words, “You know, the whole day before your life changes forever, it’s just an ordinary day.”
She goes on to say, “Here is what started that next day.”
Marie suggests we grab a cup of tea and pull up a chair. This is going to take a while.
Settle in and together we will hear the story about Marie’s Day With Piero.
After seeing that hotel room view (and realizing the guys were at the same hotel as she was.) and thinking there was a possibility that The Boys really were just above me, I noticed the gym was merely 10 steps from my door. I took that as an omen. I know the Boys work out mornings.
I got up at 6:30 a.m., threw on a t-shirt, sweat shorts and tennis shoes (no makeup – hair, well bad) and headed for the gym. No one there – Left.
7:00 – no one in the gym. 7:30 – no one in the gym. 8:00 – Two guys in the corner. Neither looked familiar.
I figured The Boys took off the night before if they were ever really there at all. I had been either sitting in a car or sitting at a concert for the better part of two weeks. At home I walk every day. I was stiff and crampy, so I hopped on a treadmill. Within five minutes someone jumped on the one beside mine. IT WAS PIERO!
Even writing that made my heart thump!
I took a deep breath and wondered why, since the place was almost empty and there were plenty of machines, he hopped on one less than six inches away. I vowed not to do a fan thing and just kept walking. He immediately said, ‘I see you.’ I said, ‘Yeah? Well, I saw you too.’ He laughed. I made Piero laugh! I will never forget that exchange! At this point I was walking to the pace of, Oh Boy, Oh Boy, pause. Oh Boy, Oh Boy.
Later, when I got back to my room I immediately wrote down everything I could remember.
Michele made me run it all by her, word for word, in case I remembered more. Thanks Michele! I wrote a few more notes on a couple of envelopes in my purse in the car.
Here’s what I remember:
I told him I enjoyed the concert last night. He must have been in a chatty mood ’cause he kept talking. He asked what my favorite part of the concert was. I told him ‘Everything’ (My momma didn’t raise no fool!). I did say that I really liked the solos and the new Caruso arrangement.
I asked him what his favorite part was. He said the big orchestra and the really nice indoor theater.
He asked what I didn’t like. I told him the only thing I didn’t like was not being able to take pictures. He said that it was not their request, it was a rule of the theater. I asked him what he didn’t like. He honestly told me a few things. Think I’ll keep them to myself.
I had an easier time remaining sane than you might think. My nervous energy was lessened by the fact that I was on a treadmill the entire time. However, about this time I had a thought, ‘I can’t believe you’re walking beside me talking like a normal person when last night 4,000 people were screaming your name.’That made me pretty nervous, and I tried not to think those thoughts again!
I asked him if there were sound problems last night. I said I thought I saw Ignazio giving hand signals to the sound guy. He agreed and said that it was only in the beginning of the show.
I told him I thought I saw him drinking more water than usual during the performance. He said, ‘Not really. When I do this a lot. I need much water.’ It’s hard to describe what he did, but he opened his mouth and made a hard whooshing sound out of his mouth and nose at the same time. I don’t think the average person could do this with such amazing force! He showed me this several times in a row. I said that I could see how it would make his mouth and throat dry. He said it did. He then told me that his solo ‘No Puede Ser’ was the hardest song he ever sang.
Piero said he was glad they had two days off and could get some ‘good sleep.’ I told him I thought his voice was sounding a little tired this morning. He said, ‘No, I always sound like Barry White in the morning?’ Wouldn’t you love for me to say he serenaded me with a Barry White tune right then and there? He didn’t. Hey, a girl can only get so lucky, and I was currently thanking my lucky stars, God, my parents, his parents, the treadmill manufacturer and everyone and everything within a hundred-mile radius! All I said was, ‘that’s not a very bad thing, Piero.’ He laughed again!
He asked how many concerts I had been to. I told him four. He asked which ones. I said Vienna, Virginia first. He said, ‘Oh yes, rain at first.’ We talked a little about Sterling Heights and Elgin, but I don’t recall what was said. I know he talked about them being outdoors. I told him that last night was my last concert. He said he had 3 more concerts in the U.S. and Canada. I asked if he then would get to go home. He said no, they will leave the U.S. and go to… He has a heavy Italian accent you know, and I had trouble understanding the word ‘Cannes.’ At one point I said, ‘Canada?’ He said, ‘No Cannes. Kah-inn-zzz.’ I got it. I asked when he would get home. He said not until July 6th or 8th. I had another thought here. ‘I’m awake, right? No one is going to believe this. Not even me!’
He asked where I lived. I told him Ohio. He said, ‘I know Ohio,’ but looked doubtful. I said, ‘You’ve been to Cleveland Ohio.’ He said, ‘Oh Yes.’ I could see the light go on in his eyes.
Keep in mind we were side by side this whole time. I’m still walking, and he’s started some serious running. I wanted a brief full body view, so I slid back a little on the treadmill. My sneaker hit the side and made a squeaking noise. He grabbed my upper arm and said, ‘be very careful.’ I said, ‘Thank you. I can’t believe you’re running so fast and still talking.’ He said, ‘I run like this every morning.’
I noted the timer on my treadmill said 30.58 minutes.
Piero soon stopped running and talking (darn). He got on some leg machine behind me. I was still walking and trying hard to remember every word of our conversation. Pretty soon I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked around and it was Piero. He said, ‘Will you stop please?’ (WHAT?!!) ‘Sure.’ Of course, I couldn’t find the off switch and I pulled that plug people use to attach themselves to the machine (Michele is still laughing about that). He said, ‘Can I take a picture of your tattoo?’ Ok, right then I thought I might get sick. He knew who I was! He could not have read the small tattoo on my ankle while I was walking on the treadmill! Now was my chance for proof of our meeting! I said, ‘Sure, if I can get my camera and take one of you.’ He said, ‘sure.’ He got down and took a couple of pictures. I flew to my room got my camera and called Michele.
When I returned he was back on the leg machine. He got up and asked me to join him in the picture. No make-up and dripping with sweat, I refused. He grabbed a barbel and posed for these:
After I took those two pictures do you know what he said? ‘Is that enough?’ What a man! Then I said, ‘Piero, I’m with the Flight Crew.’ He said, ‘I know.’ (Oh yes he did!) I said, ‘then you know I will probably write about this.’ He said, ‘Yes, certainly.’
I got back on the treadmill. Pretty soon, tap-tap again! (Swear to God!) This time I was sure he was going to invite me aboard that big black bus headed for Italy. I know there’s water. I would paddle! I pulled the plug (stop it Michele) and got down. He took my right hand in both of his and said, ‘I’m happy you enjoyed the concerts. I hope I see you again next year.’ I said, ‘Oh, you will!’
He put his towel around his neck, picked up his water bottle and went out the door. I don’t know how long I stood there staring at the door wearing a t-shirt that I hoped was wet from sweat and not drool or tears.
My Dear Piero,
If by chance you’re reading this and I now think there’s a good chance you are, I tried to tell this as accurately as I could. I hope you agree.
You are not only in possession of one of the three greatest voices alive, but you are one of the nicest people I’ve met anywhere. You have surely raised my expectations of you. Next year and the year after that and ten years after that, after you receive much more deserved notoriety, I expect you to be as honest and real with as much kindness and grace as you showed me on that most unforgettable morning.
Sincerely, Marie
Yeah, the day before was so ordinary.
This was a fun story full of lots of Marie’s humor!
But this is not the end of Marie’s story. On July 6, 2015, Marie was invited to an Il Volo Wine & Dine at Detroit Public TV. Marie wrote….
Dreams do come true, and Fairytales are real! Here is my story of an evening with those Three Italian Sweethearts.
This, not being my first Il Volo rodeo of extreme fans, I had either met or recognized about half of the 50 people there. Hello to all of you, especially Emilia, (wait until I tell you about Emilia!) from whom I received three hugs. My most proud moment at the dinner table was when one woman pointed my way and said, ‘That’s Marie Crider.’ I turned around to tell Marie how unusual it was that we would have the same name, but no one was there. The other woman looked confused until the first one said, ‘Flight Crew.’ I could see the light go on. She said, ‘Oh, I’ve read that.’ another woman sitting next to the first one, not to be outdone, said, ‘I get their emails every day.’ I politely thanked them all, but on the inside I was trying to decide if the Queen’s wave was the one from just the wrist. I am happy to tell you that there were several people who came up to meet me because I was a member of The Flight Crew! Never forget your Flight Crew Badge!
Michelle Gaisser, Mgr. Member Engagement, Detroit Public TV, (to whom I am forever grateful for my invitation to the event) brought James Lewis over to my table. He asked to join The Flight Crew. Jim, if you’re reading this I’m sorry I forgot your title with DPTV (marketing?) I was probably distracted by your good looks. Welcome!
Marie and Michelle
Everyone was having a nice time and trying to act calm until the first spotting of that Dimpled One and 50 people erupted like there were 500.
The Guys did not eat with us. Meet & Greet was next:
Marie and the Guys
I watched as Jana was anointed by Ignazio. He is so sweet! I didn’t know if I wanted to pinch his cheek or genuflect. Then it was my turn!!! Being second to last I wasn’t hurried. I told them how happy and proud I was for them for becoming so successful at home. You can only guess which one makes me stutter the most, so I tend to speak to him the least. I hugged him (he hugged back!) then I kissed those dimples. I try to be fair to them both and do really good, yet equal, kisses on each dimple.
Jim Lewis had my camera and got me sneaking this extra one before the photographer took our group picture. Hey, a girls gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. I had heard our Gianluca was ill and had a fever. Sure enough he had to step aside and use a tissue several times. As I was kissing cheeks I lingered on his to see if I could tell if he had a fever. (Well, my mom used to do that!) I think he did. I also whispered a secret in his ear. He smiled. I was kinda hoping I would catch his cold. Didn’t. They all signed my Sanremo DVD insert. I can’t tell you what else was said, it’s a total blank. Did you ever see a dog rub his back in the grass in ecstasy? That’s pretty much how I felt so, no chance to remember mere words. I was just trying not to smile like a fool. As you can see in the picture, I failed that goal. When I got to Piero I asked him to sign a picture Mary’s daughter took of he and I in 2013 when he jumped in our cab. He remembered! He told me when and where it was. He signed it, ‘With Love. Grande Amore, Piero.’ Then he looked at me and tilted his head. Was he trying to remember me from our conversation last year? or did he just notice my really bad hair day? Then Security thought I had had enough time. OK, but not before I get my hug!
Emilia greeting Gianluca. Look at Ignazio’s face. How do they stay so ‘normal?’
Now to Emilia. I had met sweet Emilia before. They call her ‘cupcake’ not only because she makes them, but because she is so cute and sweet! She’s around 18. She was immediately behind me at the meet and greet. Emilia went directly to Piero and said, ‘I wanted you to dance with me at my prom.’ That Prince of Princes, that gentle man of gentlemen pulled her to him, started singing and waltzed with Emilia tucked snugly into his chest! I wish all of you could have seen her face. I wish I had taken a picture, but I just stood there reveling in the moment. She has a treasured video of that dance on FB. (Sorry couldn’t find it!) I hope you get to see it!
I know this is long. It will be here. You can finish later if you like. I’ll mark the spot.
⇐ HERE ⇒
We went back to the dining room for dessert. Dessert? Like Jane said in her story, the ‘real dessert of the evening’ was yet to come! I had chocolate covered strawberries. The Boys were in hair and makeup.
The Studio:
Shortly, we were ushered into the studio. The Guys also came in. You have to know how astonished and elated I was to realize that we would be spending the next few hours in a small studio with THEM! Oh, Joy of Joys! First of all I have to tell you that our Angels did not act like angels all the time off the air! They played like three young brothers. They filmed some. They went live-on-air some. They spent time with us during filming breaks. They played three stooges with each other. Remember the night before last they were singing for 60,000 people at a free concert in Napoli and then spent yesterday waiting for a delayed flight that didn’t get to Detroit until after 10 pm. They were tired and probably a little slap-happy, but they had fun!!! And, OH MY GOSH! So did we! Here are just a few of their antics besides dancing and singing silly songs. Sorry that some are blurry, but they were swift in their play and hard to catch.
These are our Guys. These are our Guys with Security. Do you see the really big guy beside Ignazio? Nice Guy! He and I had several long conversations. Went something like this: Him: ‘Ma’am, you can’t go in there’ Me: ‘Yes, Sir.’ Him: Ma’am, please move on. Me: ‘Yes, Sir.’ Him: ‘Ma’am, Please stop texting. The sound is being picked-up by the microphones.’ Me: (oops) ‘Yes, Sir.’ Him: ‘Put HIM down!’ Me: ‘Nope.’ Only that last one is a lie.
Jana! Pledge Phone Volunteer Extraordinaire.
I was able to step back and have a brief conversation with Barb Vitali. We’re women. We talked about weight. We spoke just a few minutes longer then we had to get to our seats and be quiet again for another taping session. Luckily we were allowed to take pictures the whole time if we didn’t use flash.
If I had half a brain, I would stop my story here by telling you how much I enjoyed our Il Volo Gentlemen and the wonderful men and women with whom I shared the experience. But no… Some of you may never read this site again….
While Ignazio was wandering through the audience the people in front of me asked him to take a selfie with them. So, he bent over directly in front of my face, not a foot away there it was! What could I do? I poked it! I looked at Jane and said, ‘Oh no! I touched his butt!’ When I looked up there he was looking down at me with one eyebrow up to his hairline! He tried to give me a stern look. Didn’t last long and he broke out in a gorgeous smile and said ‘oooo.’ Whew! I had just traumatized myself and have no idea if he said anything else. I only know I did not have another conversation with Big Security Guy. Should have. It would have kept Allene on my left and Jane on my right from trying to rip off their Flight Crew Badges while crawling under their chairs a few minutes later.
The people in front of me did not learn their lesson. I blame them. So, when Piero came walking by they asked for a selfie with him too. Only in his compliance he bent over even further than Ignazio had. To my astonishment I saw two claw-like hands, reach up and… Oh No!…They were my hands! Of course he jumped! He turned around and to my great relief said, “Oh, Thank You!”. I’ll bet you think I sat there in complete humiliation. I didn’t. Jane and Allene did. I was smiling. I am still smiling. It was soft, yet muscular and I’m not sorry I know that.
But what happened to Marie?
I March of 2020, Jana challenged Marie to come out of semi-retirement and write something for us. She figured she was getting bored looking at palm trees, sunshine and sandy beaches! This is what she quipped…
Something’s Wrong With Me ~ Marie Crider
With the world in a sad and humbled state right now I thought you might like a little something on the lighter side:
~I just listened to an hour interview. It was all in Italian. I don’t understand Italian.
~I can’t lay in the sun without humming “O Sole Mio.”
~I go to concerts with a camera on my lap, but I’m afraid to use it in case I miss something.
~When in the front row at a concert and a security guy walks in front of me I want to shout, ‘How dare you come between me and THEM!?’ What does he think I might do, jump up on the stage? Ok…I might jump on the stage, but I’ve got Leelee, my concert buddy, holding me down. Oh, I could get past security anyway. He doesn’t have a club big enough to pry me off Ignazio’s leg.
~All Il Volo CDs in my car are copies of the originals. Just in case someone should steal my car.
~When St. Mark’s Basilica started flooding, I panicked. I wanted to book a flight, grab a bucket and go.
~Piero neglected to ask me if he could change the color of his glasses. (I may never get over that one.)
~The only pictures on my dresser are my Mom, my Dad and Gianluca.
~I have a strong urge to confess to the murder of someone named Delilah. Just to keep the heat off the Boys.
~I want to stand on a balcony in Italy and sing my heart out. It wouldn’t matter that I can’t leave my hotel room…the air is Italian and that’s good enough for me.
~I have 17 Il Volo t-shirts (actually 16 plus one nightshirt thanks to Jana) but I can’t wear them. Cause…well, what if one should get a stain on it… or fade…or get lost with luggage at an airport…or destroyed by a rabid dog…or snagged on a barbed wire fence? Makes me sick thinking about the horrible things that could possibly happen to one of them.
~I have “Il Volo” tattooed on my left ankle and an “Il Volo” license plate on my car.
Yep, something is definitely wrong with me. I may need professional help.
Jana thanked Marie for sharing her thoughts with us and coming out of semi-retirement! I’m sure we all feel the same in many ways! But, just one question, why is Gianluca on your dresser and not Ignazio??
The answer: It is an autographed picture of Gianluca!
Thank you, Marie, for sharing your story. I can think of at least 20 people who would die to have been in your place in that gym. Marie’s Day With Piero was one of the happiest days of Marie’s life, certainly the day when everything changed!
Happy 10th Anniversary Flight Crew!
On August 8, 2013, Flight Crew was founded. These were the founders, Owners/Administrators and Contributors….
Founders:
Kelly Aitch ~ Michele Azzara ~ Linda Snyder
Marie Crider ~ Elaine Tse
Owners/Administrators:
Kelly Aitch
Marie Crider
Jana VandeLaare
Contributors:
Patricia Ward
Lisa Joy –News& Videos
Myron Heaton – “Myron’s Music Notes”
Gina (Regina Hanna) – Bits & Pieces
Danielle Ciarelli – “Danielle’s Diaries”
Daniela Perani – Contributing Author & Translator
Jane Ceminsky – “Personally Speaking”
The Administrators and Contributors Today….
Daniela Perani
Danielle Ciarelli
Jo Ann Tischler
Jana VandeLaare
Mary Jane Ceminsky
Kelly Aitch
Lisa Joy
Myron Heaton
Patricia Ward
Susan De Bartoli ~ “Through the Fields of My Mind”
For you listening pleasure ~ The full concert from Verona September 23, 2015
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
If you would like to share a story with me, please email: susan.flightcrew@yahoo.com
We all watched intently as each concert was performed live on May 1st and 3rd. So many people were Live Streaming. It didn’t take long before the entire concert was on YouTube.
Mediasetinfinity, Canale 5 in Italy
Then we waited for the concerts on Mediasetinfinity. Of course, there were many people streaming which was good because most people don’t have Italian cable.
Many of you immediately noticed a difference from the live concert to the televised program. People were saying but it was raining and now it’s not. That’s because when it was edited, the two concerts came together and then were split into two programs. They did a great job of editing. They gave us two absolutely amazing programs. Two nights of sheer pleasure! Double the Pleasure!
Let’s move on to the venue ~ the Arena di Verona.
The introduction of the first concert makes us aware of where we are in this vast world. We are small among the treasures of the world that span time and eternity! It’s always amazing to see the Arena di Verona from above. It gives you a sense of time immortal.
The Verona Arena is a Roman amphitheater built in 30 AD. It is one of the best-preserved ancient structures of its kind. In ancient times, the arena’s capacity was nearly 30,000 people. Concerts and operas demand a lot of stage space so for performances today the space has decreased. The maximum capacity today is approximately 22,000.
The voices that rise from this amazing Arena resound throughout the city and pass well into our lives by the videos and programs produced within its walls.
There has never been a moment that the guys were on this stage that we didn’t feel the enormity of their voices. This Arena was meant to be a place where performers like Il Volo could show us their amazing worth, their amazing voices.
There is a gradual crescendo as their voices rise from the stage to the walls of antiquity and encircle the Arena spinning high into the night sky; forever captured in time and space!
Il Volo forever!
On to the Stage
The stage is totally awesome. It’s like watching two concerts. There is so much going on behind the guys that I think they even stop to look once in a while. Lights have become a big part of their production.
The motions in the background produces unbelievably beautiful scenery. It is constantly changing. Using backgrounds that are in motion elevates the experience by creating movement towards and away from the entertainer. It is the means by which the audience is drawn into the production. It adds dimension and life to the presentation.
Of course, the audience also participates in this background production when they join in with the lights of their cell phones. Think of how impressive it is to see a sea of lights before you while singing. A treat for the guys!
The Orchestra
When Marcello Rota walks on the stage the production is ready.
Marcello Rota is an Italian conductor. Some of the famous Orchestras he has conducted are the Asti Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, the Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana, the orchestra of the Munich Staatsoper, the Berlin Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Moscow Philharmonic, the Buenos Aires Philharmonic, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Besides Il Volo, he has collaborated with Andrea Bocelli on his numerous world tours.
On September 27, 1997, on the occasion of the 23rd National Eucharistic Congress, Rota participated in the mega-concert at the Caab in Bologna, with Bocelli and several other artists including Bob Dylan. They performed in the presence of Pope John Paul II.
His lyric repertoire includes over 40 titles, notably by Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi and Puccini.
Now that’s a repertoire that our guys know well!
The TV Concerts
In both concerts, the guys opened with Granada. The perfect song to open with. Granada adds to the majesty of this amazing arena because it is a song that spans time. It always pleases and the way our guys sing it is amazing. Above all, it was the perfect place to present their new version of this amazing song. They reintroduced us to their three amazing and, so we found out, very different voices. Classical, Soul and Pop!
After singing Grande Amore, the guys introduced their first guests.
The Pooh is an Italian band that came together in 1966 in Bologna. When Il Volo started out, they were the first group to invite them to sing in concert. They are very close friends, and our guys love them and appreciate all of their encouragement over the years. The guys sang a medley of Pooh songs. Tanta Voglia di Lei, Pensiero, Chi Fermerà La Musica, and Uomini Soli.
After the performance, Pooh gave this advice to the guys:
We have never followed trends, don’t do this either and you will always be personal.
My advice instead is this, there are three of you, alone you represent 30%, instead together you represent 3000%, this is the strength of the group, remember this.
I believe that the Pooh’s real success was a little talent and a lot of passion, the same talent and the same passion that I see in your eyes and in your career, and this is a good sign for you.
Beautiful advice from beautiful people. They certainly know Il Volo!
Next we meet the beautiful Frederica Panicucci who will be the presenter of the concert.
Federica explains that during the evening Il Volo will show unpublished moments with solos and duets they never performed before. It will be their way of showing their different personalities.
Yes Federica is right, that night was different because we’ve heard these voices before but not in the way we heard them that night. The guys introduced us to their personal feelings about their music.
A great example of this is in Ignazio’s words before both concerts:
In the first concert Ignazio said, “I’ve always loved great female voices….”
And in the second concert he said, “I will try to take a trip to the most beautiful female songs in the world tonight.
When Ignazio said this, he brought me back to his childhood. If you recall in Ignazio’s story he talks about meeting Lilliana Adreanò, his singing teacher, for the first time. She asked Ignazio what kinds of songs he likes to sing and Ignazio replies, “You know, Liliana, I like to sing Giorgia’s songs.” Lilliana said: “Strange for a kid to sing this kind of song.”
So, it seems Ignazio still enjoys singing these (female) songs. And why wouldn’t he? He is the only one of the three that can sing that kind of song because they are songs that require a strong voice that is very clear, crisp and very lyrical and a lot of passion must be put into each song! I think I just described Ignazio’s voice! Let me add and, “very soulful!”
We meet the real Gianluca in his rock mode and he introduces us to his feelings for Elvis, Sinatra, Dylan and the Beatles.
Piero brings us his perfect operatic voice. Whimsical and joyful. He has a great love and sincerity for this music. Opera is in his soul. He opens up that soul to us in these concerts with arias we have never heard before.
Amid a thousand points of light that sparkled like stars in the night sky, our guys were the brightest stars on the stage. They showed not just their love for one another’s music but their love and appreciation for the music of the other performers.
During their solos, the other two guys sit on the side stage and listen. In these moments, we see the admiration these men have for one another. Truly amazing!
This was a nice way of presenting each of them.
I remember Piero saying, in his story, that when he did a solo he couldn’t wait for it to end when Ignazio and Gianluca would return. He has to love this new arrangement.
These concerts were different. They show a beautiful evolution from where the guys were to where they are now. Their new direction! Their future!
This new arrangement is thrilling because there is a lot of feeling in the music. The songs they have sung from the beginning have always had feeling but in a different way.
Here we feel each man’s thoughts, ideas and mindset. In the soul of each man there is a longing to bring you their music unlike you’ve ever heard it before. It is the movement within their souls when they sing. They were restless to release these feelings and make you feel what they feel. They bring a feeling of sheer bliss to each note in each song. Think about expressing your feelings for someone you love. Put that to music and you have each guy’s mindset.
Of course, they have not departed from their Bel Canto.
What is a concert without Nessun Dorma.
Or, Surrender and O Sole Mio
Now let’s listen to some of the beautiful solos that we have never heard before.
Let’s start with Piero singing Viva il Vino Spumeggiante (Long Live the Sparkling Wine) the beautiful aria from Cavalleria Rusticana. This is one of my favorite operas and every time Piero sings one of the arias, he brings joy to my heart. His voice is so ready for La Scala.
Gianluca choses Bob Dylans song Knockin’ on Heavens Door to express a feeling of loss and grief. It is a very poignant song, and we can feel Gianluca’s heart in it. A very beautiful delivery!
Ignazio sings a Loredana Bertè medley. From the pop of Sei Bellissimo (You are Beautiful) to the very reggae of È Luna Bussò (The Moon Knocked) Ignazio is singing out his soul.
Reggae is a music style that was strongly influenced by American jazz and rhythm and blues. Like Loredana, Ignazio was inspired by jazz and rhythm and blues. Both Loredana and Ignazio were fans of Pino Daniele. In fact, Loredana sang with Pino Daniele. No wonder this was a choice for Ignazio. Loredana is the sister of Mia Martina who Ignazio dedicates Almeno tu Nell’universo to. This is truly the soul of Ignazio!
Ignazio with Fiorella Mannoia accompanied by Danilo Rea on piano sing the very sophiscated pop song Una Ragione di Più (One more reason)
Gianluca and Irama sing the very beautiful La Cura (the Cure) which was written by Italian songwriter Battiato. He wrote the song for his lady when he discovered she had a serious illness. Gianluca and Irama sing this song from depths of their hearts.
Piero and Aida Garifullina sing Libiamo ne, i lieti calici from La Traviata. This is an absolutely delightful and whimsical delivery. Notice how comfortable Piero is on stage with this amazing soprano! The voices blend beautifully!
It’s time for a great comedian, Giorgio Panariello.
Giorgio tells us the plot of the film Nuovo Cinema Paradiso by Giuseppe Tornatore.
This is followed by the guys singing Se.
After they sing, Panariello returns to have some fun with the guys!
Panariello tries to convince the boys that being three is not good and proposes himself as the fourth element for Il Volo.
He challenges the guys to sing Nessun Dorma with him to see if he wins the role of the fourth Il Volo. He repeats VINCERÒ and in the highest moment, he doesn’t sing he says, “I will win….a draw is enough for me”.
Of course, Ignazio get hysterical!
The guys and Panariello sing an Italian song Il Pullover and now we can truly witness four amazing entertainers who can sing and joke together.
I am a longtime fan of Panariello and I am happy he was included in this concert!
When Panariello leaves, he says “But we are friends……(it’s true they are)….don’t call me anymore in your concerts!”
Panariello is a very funny man with a very dry sense of humor that makes you laugh out loud!
Over the last few years, the guys have been singing Hallelujah. Before they begin the song, Ignazio explains how the guys feel about this song.
Ignazio:Now is a very emotional moment for us, we have decided to sing this next song to reach all the people who have suffered in these years, to all the people who continue to suffer, and to all those people who unfortunately today, we, they watch from up there. Let’s hope that our song, our thoughts, can reach them up there.
There are no words! One magical moment and people respond by lighting up their hearts through the lights on their cell phones.
This song goes deep and touches everyone’s heart. No need to change voices here, you can feel the guy’s voices in this song.
Let’s go back to some duets!
The guys mix it up with Antonello Venditti. They sing Che Fantastica Storia è La Vita (What a Fantastic Story Life is). They can sing anything with anybody!
Back to two amazing songs L’Amore si move and Musica Che Resta. These are two songs that I love and they never sing in New York. Are you listening guys?
Federica returns to the stage for her next round of questions. She immediately asks Gianluca what gift Piero would like to receive on his birthday. Gianluca replies, “a nice tennis racket,” of course, Ignazio jokingly says that he would have given him “a watering can for the flower on his jacket!”
Next, Federica asks Ignazio what superpower Gianluca would like to have and Ignazio replies “the power to lengthen his legs.”
She then asks Piero to tell some funny story of Ignazio and Piero replies, “In Vienna Ignazio greeted the public saying….‘Good evening Berlin.’ ”
Federica compliments the boys on the tour they just finished and a video of beautiful images starts. Federica asks what is the best memory.
Gianluca:Seeing people’s faces is oxygen for us and a privilege. We are young and we are living the life we have always wanted to live, and it is amazing how this music overcomes the barrier of language, and reaches all ages, and we are proud to be able to give these emotions to all of you.
At this point they do a tribute to Italian singer-songwriter: Sergio Endrigo.
This is just a part of the tribute. You can see the complete tribute in the full video of the concert below.
A few solos before I close.
Piero singing Voglio Vivere Così reminds me of Sunday mornings at my grandparents’ house. After church my grandparent would put on all their favorite operas and we would listen to them while we had breakfast. My grandparents loved opera and Neapolitan Songs! They would have loved Il Volo!
Magnificent! I feel Pavaroti in Piero’s voice!
I talked about Ignazio’s tribute to Mia Martina. Now I present it because we all need that moment when Ignazio brings down the house. Oh, excuse me he does that in every solo! God bless his amazing voice!
Gianluca presents a Beatles medley. Gianluca is becoming very comfortable in this new direction! His fondness for 50’s, 60’s and 70’s music seems to be his niche as he is moving forward!
Orietta Berti is a pop and folk singer whose popularity began is the 1960’s. She is revered in the entertainment industry as is evident when she steps on the stage and Ignazio bows and praises her. In 2021 Fedez, Achille Lauro and Orietta Berti published a hit song Mille. In a duet with Ignazio Orietta sings Quando L’amore Diventa Poesia.
I can think of no better way to end these concerts than with an icon in the music industry. The guys were honored to sing with Orietta.
So how do I end this story? I’m finished but it is not over. Two new collaborations came out of these concerts. The guys will sing in concert with Pooh and it seems they are anxious to have Aida Garifullina back in concert. Aida wrote in her story today, “Thank you! There is more to come.” I’m sure with the success of these two concerts there will be more concerts like these in the future!
And where did we leave the guys? With their new Classical, Soul and Pop sounds we will follow them to the ends of the earth in any direction they choose. We always knew that they were phenomenal individuals. We knew they had heart, and we always knew they gave their all but now we know that they can Double the Pleasure of their performances with their individually and personal feelings and lead us to Double the Pleasure in every concert!
As always, I use Daniela’s translations because they are the best. Daniela has posted the first translation of the concerts and the translation of the second concert program will be posted soon.
Thank you to Alessandra for compiling the Playlist for me! After the playlist you will find the second concert program.
First concert playlist…. – Granada – Grande Amore – Medley of Pooh’s songs: Tanta voglia di lei, Pensiero, Chi fermerà la musica, Uomini soli – Almeno tu nell’universo (Ignazio) – Suspicious Minds (Gianluca) – Viva il vino spumeggiante aria da Cavalleria Rusticana (Piero) – Nessun dorma – Meravigliosa creatura (Piero e Gianna Nannini) – Surrender/O’ sole mio – When the party’s over (Ignazio e Francesca Michielin) – Io che non vivo – Shallow (Gianluca e Annalisa) – My way -La cura (Gianluca e Irama) – Ovunque sarai (Il Volo e Irama) – Libiamo ne, i lieti calici da La Traviata (Piero e Aida Garifullina) – Se telefonando – E lucevan le stelle da Tosca (Piero) – Se – Hallelujia – Voglio vivere così (Piero) – My heart will go on (Ignazio) – Girotondo intorno al mondo – What a wonderful world (Gianluca) – Piove – Knocking on heaven’s door (Gianluca) – Les pecheurs de perles (Piero e Gianfranco Montresor) – My immortal (Ignazio) – Here’s to you
Second concert playlist….
– Granada – Il mondo – Medley of Venditti’s songs: Alta marea (with Gianluca), Amici mai (with Ignazio), Ricordati di me (with Piero), Che fantastica storia è la vita (all together) – Sei bellissima/E la luna bussò (Ignazio) – Crazy little thing called love (Gianluca) – La mia canzone al vento (Piero) – Una ragione di più (Ignazio with Fiorella Mannoia and Danilo Rea at the piano) – Un amore così grande – Geordie (Gianluca with Madame) – A chi mi dice – Can’t help falling in love with you (Gianuca) – Miserere (Piero with Mario Biondi) – You make me feel like natural woman (Ignazio with Mario Biondi) – Ancora – L’amore si muove/Musica che resta – Addio alla madre da Cavalleria Rusticana (Piero) – Nel blù dipinto di blù – E poi (Ignazio) – Angel (Gianluca with Aida Garifullina) – Una poesia anche per te (Ignazio) – Quando l’amore diventa poesia (Ignazio with Orietta Berti -No puede ser (Piero) – Medley of Beatles’ songs: The long and winding road/Yesterday/Hey Jude – I will always love you (Ignazio) – Caruso
Now for your listening pleasure The Second Program of the Concert…
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
If you would like to share a story with me, please email: susan.flightcrew@yahoo.com
To read more Il Volo stories visit us at www.ilvoloflightcrw.com.
Credit to owners of all photos and videos.
Come in and share the love of life, friends and Il Volo!
