On February 12, Il Volo was a guest on the German TV show ZDF. Here they are upon their arrival in Berlin.
Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero left Italy for Germany on Gianluca’s birthday, already 27 years old for him.
Our “boys” are young men, but Gian without a beard does not look his age at all. Poor Gianluca, he couldn’t even celebrate his birthday with his family, but he celebrated with his two fraternal friends Piero and Ignazio.
The show titled “Die Giovanni Zarrella show”, is hosted by Giovanni Zarrella, who is an Italian naturalized German singer, showman and dancer.
Born to Italian parents in Germany and raised there, he is active and well known, essentially in German-speaking countries.
So here is the performance of Il Volo.
Please click on the photo below to view the video.
(I will try to translate what was said after the performance. I don’t know German, but I try to interpret from the answers what was asked.)
GZ = Ladies and Gentlemen: Il Volo. Great guys! (applause) Nice to meet you, how nice to see you.
I + P = Hello everyone.
GIAN = Good evening everyone.
IGNAZIO = I can’t speak German.
GZ = You don’t speak German.
IGNAZIO = No, I can only tell you a few sentences.
GZ = It doesn’t matter, there are those who translate. I am very happy to have you here, (to Gianluca) was it your birthday yesterday? (Applause)
GIAN = Yes, yes, 27 years old.
GZ = 27, you could be my son!!
PIERO = We want to say something really important, that we really feel in our hearts.
Coming here, in Germany, to see an Italian, conducting his own TV program, is truly fantastic.
GZ = Thanks a lot guys.
GIAN = We can say that Giovanni Zarrella is a pride, not only for Germany, but also for Italy, and it’s beautiful!
GZ = Thanks a lot guys, what a thrill. Thanks again.
Guys, 10 years ago, you started singing around the world, but for two years there has been a break up (Covid), and not much has been done in this time. I didn’t have time for gardening, now I have some reconstructed gardens. What did you do at the time?
IGNAZIO = Surely we have had the opportunity to give space to creativity. We had to think about the time that was coming and we thought about paying a tribute to Ennio Morricone, a great teacher of whom we are very proud and for Italy he is like a flag.
PIERO = We sang all his most important melodies, from “L’estasi dell’Oro”, to “Nuovo Cinema Paradiso”, to “Mission”, melodies known all over the world and some sung for the first time.
GZ = And all these fantastic melodies, sung for the first time by these fantastic singers, you will find them on their latest album. I am so glad to have seen you this evening.
IGNAZIO = Then during the pandemic we also ate a lot, me in particular. 😁
GZ = Soon back on tour, when are you leaving for America? When will you return to Germany?
GIAN = We will be back here in Germany soon, after two years of pandemic, as you (to the audience) want to go back to see concerts, we want to go back to doing them.
PIERO = We will be here on June 25th, the day after my birthday, in Frankfurt and on the 26th in Dusseldorf.
GZ = Guys it was a pleasure. Ladies and gentlemen: Il Volo, thank you guys, grazie mille!!
And this comment was posted by Giovanni Zarrella, with a short video:
“Thanks a lot @ilvolomusic! 🇮🇹 Crazy voices and a great version of the classic The Ecstasy of Gold! 😍 We got goosebumps and you? 👏
These days, also, the second series of the TV drama has started: MAKARI, whose theme song was written by Ignazio Boschetto and sung by Il Volo.
The first series was very successful, but the first episode of the second series also had the highest television ratings.
Here is a summary of what the online newspaper DIRETTA SICILIA wrote, about the theme song:
MÀKARI TRIUMPHS ON RAI 1, THE BEAUTIFUL THEME SONG IS SUNG BY IL VOLO.
Màkari is not surprising only for the story of Saverio Lamanna (the protagonist). It is a product also characterized by the extraordinary participation of Ignazio Boschetto.
The Il Volo singer has in fact written the theme song of the same name for the fiction, which also marked the first season. “An honor for me to have written it – said the artist to the Giornale di Sicilia – is a song that tells about my Sicily where I return every year in the summer.”
The other two members of the group, Gianluca Ginoble and Piero Barone, sing the song with him and said they were “proud of the work Ignazio did.”
Il Volomusic posted this comment: “Dear friends of Màkari, Saverio Lamanna’s investigations are back and we too, with the initials theme song you loved so much, and for this we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Màkari is home and our heart sings for you.”
So let’s listen to the beautiful song with the video of the second series. ❤❤❤
Please click on the photo below to view the video.
About Màkari. I have been pointed out to these three beautiful videos, published by Los Volos Mexico, where only the single voices of Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero are heard singing the song. I find them fantastic, and you?
Please click on the photo below to view the Gianluca’s video from Los Volos Mexico.
Grazie mille to Los Volos Mexico!❤❤❤
But surely this is the news that made me most proud of our boys.
On Sunday 7 February, on RAI 1 in a television program entitled I FATTI VOSTRI, a beautiful interview with Pope Francis was broadcast.
Among the various questions, one concerned music, because the Pope was photographed by the paparazzi, while he was leaving a music record shop.
The Pope said he had not gone to buy records, but to bless the shop which is owned by friends. When asked what kind of music he listens to, the Pope said, without going into particular, that he listens to a lot of classical music and that he also likes tango (He is Argentine).
But the two journalists, who are very curious, intercepted a tweet made by Cardinal Franco Ravasi shortly before the start of Sanremo.
The cardinal’s comment goes like this:
“Sanremo 2022 is approaching and I have received another series of musical materials from Pope Francis. Best wishes to the Festival (Sanremo).”
And in the video the vinyl of Il VOLO appears clearly visible.
Please click on the photo below to view the video.
Here Gianluca, Piero and Ignazio in audience with the Pope.
Excellent musical taste, Pope Francis, who knows if he will have heard the beautiful tango POR UNA CABEZA sung by Il Volo …….❤
That’s all for now.
Ignazio Piero and Gianluca are not very active in this period, I believe that all their attention is towards the tour, the dates are slowly approaching and we hope to have confirmation that everything can be done, in safety for everyone. We all desire for normality and to attend many good concerts !!!
There’s no other way to describe Piero than to say, he has a dream, and his dream is what it has always been about! From the beginning Piero 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 in an opera singer. He is a superstar. He has achieved in 13 years what most men can only, hope, to achieve in a lifetime. But what can I say, The Man Has a Dream!
We all know the story of how Piero was discovered. He was swinging on swing in his grandfather’s backyard. Piero’s grandfather, Pietro, who is a singer, was recording a song on his recorder. He began to sing a little Sicilian song which Piero said he made up. “E lu suli talia, talia, talia. Sopra ‘sta petra luci ci duna,” (that is and, the sun, look, look, look, to this stone gives the light).
Piero recalls, I was swinging on the swing, I was about four or five years old, I was really, very, small. I listened to him a little and at a certain point, when he stopped singing, I started: E lu suli, talia, talia, talia. Sopra ‘sta pedra luci ci duna.” What can I tell you? It just came out like that.
His grandfather, who is blind, turned off the recorder and called his wife. Rina came out on the terrace, and he asked her, “Unni è Piero?” (Where is Piero?)
She replied, “In Altalena” (He is on the swing)
Pietro asked, “Ma cu cantava? Iddru?” (But who was singing? He?)
She replied, “Eh, si.” (yes)
He told Rina to call him.
So, Piero got up and went to his grandfather. Pietro lifted him up and put him on the table next to the recorder and told him to “sing the song again.” Piero sang the song exactly as his grandfather sang it. He listened to Piero sing the song and then he made the decision to go to his friend Antonio’s house to record it. And that’s when Piero’s musical education began.
You might wonder how it was that Piero was able to repeat the song word for word. Piero, in fact, has what you might call a photographic memory when it comes to music. It’s something he’s always had. If he hears a song two or three times, he remembers the words. So, it seems that’s how it’s been since he was a child.
So where is Piero’s voice today? Let’s listen to some of his phenomenal solos. And none better to start with than my favorite, “No Puede Ser.”
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 Stelle” from Tosca. Or singing the beautiful Spanish aria “No Puede Ser” from A Tabernera del Puerto. From the first note Piero pierces your soul! His passion comes through in his music. Arias are very dramatic and, Piero brings all the drama of the aria into his performance. Always a showstopper!
And how about “E Lucevan Stelle!”
So, let’s take a step back to see what Piero had to say about the early days.
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.
So, let’s take a look at Piero’s amazing performance at Ti Lascio una Canzone.
We begin with “Un Amore Cosi’ Grande.”
What a powerful voice! And what about “Piove?”
Now let’s watch his duet with Al Bano. They sing “Mattino.” Al Bano is in awe of this young guy!
Let’s go back to Piero words in the beginning….
At the beginning it was really a dream, even if I do not like repeating it, because you find yourself traveling the world and doing it, from one day to the next. However, I repeat, always without realizing the importance of the thing, without fully understanding what was happening.
I just love Piero’s performance of “Non ti scordar di me” on their first PBS special! We knew then how great he was.
People often ask Piero what he does when he goes home. Maybe this will answer your question…
In February 2020, Kelly Speed from Haute Living did a short interview with Piero. She wanted to get a feel for where he was after 10 years with Il Volo…
Kelly:When you created Il Volo, was it always your intent to transform the way people thought about classical music?
Piero:I think the problem with classical music is just the younger generation. They don’t listen to the music. If you see our show, it’s full of teenagers. We are the first classical singers to propose this music to the younger generation. Many are fans, who were our age when we started, so we have grown together the past 10 years
Kelly: You have successfully recruited every age group from teenagers to senior citizens to be a fan. What do you think is the secret to your cross-generational success?
Piero: Actually, what we have always been doing is bringing bel canto around the world, but the songs that we sing have only been sung by people over 50 years old. We are just the first ones to propose this music to the younger generation.
Kelly: When were you first introduced to classical music?
Piero: I was seven years old with my grandfather and I started listening to Italian classical music. I took piano lessons after and learned how to play the piano. I didn’t plan my future, but when I was 14, someone proposed me to go on an Italian TV show. I’m 26 years old now and celebrating 10 years of a career I started when I was just 16. People love our performances. We are very serious about what we do.
Kelly: We have heard you describe Il Volo’s music as pop opera. Can you elaborate on that?
Piero: Yes, pop opera is the right way to describe our music because the music is pop being sung with operatic voices.
Kelly: What do you think has been the secret to your success as an artist?
Piero:The music we sing and because we are great workers. We are focused every day. Our goal and message is that we will always be doing what we do but want everyone to learn more about bel canto music.
Kelly:Il Volo translated means “The Flight.” What is the meaning behind that?
Piero: It’s easy to pronounce and it’s a metaphor that the music makes us fly. When we perform, we want people to fly for one night. I think the most beautiful thing is our relationship; it’s a brotherhood and, also, our relationship with the audience. People are so nice. Even though we have done more than 2,000 concerts, every night it feels like the first time.
Kelly:You’re coming to Boston on your North American tour. Any favorite spots you like to visit when you are in town?
Piero:I love Boston, especially Little Italy (the North End). Last time we were there, I went to a small barber shop, and it was a beautiful evening.
Kelly:What message would you like fans to take away from your music?
Piero:This music can give you an emotion no other can do. When you go on the other side of the globe and sing “Volare,” someone will say, “oh oh” after. I think Italy is the power of what we do. It’s not because we have three beautiful voices because a lot of people have beautiful voices. The result is in the power of the music we sing.
Let me interject here! Piero you’re too modest! You guys have phenomenal voices, and your performance is always phenomenal!
How would I sum up Piero within the group? Piero is the one who thinks everything through. He has a business mind that works very well for the group because he is the one who pursues the contacts and contracts for them, and he also handles everyone’s accounts because he is a great mathematician. In interviews he thinks before he speaks, and his answers are always intelligent. He’s very serious and you can tell he thought out the answer before he spoke. And that sense of reasoning that he has is what makes his performances so great! Serious about the music! Always serious!
Before I end Piero’s story I want to say whenever Piero is asked what his most memorable moment is, he always says, World Youth Day 2019 with Pope Francis. Let’s watch this amazing performance.
And beautiful memories of meetings with Pope Francis over the years! I’m sure you won’t mind that the song is repeated.
Next year is World Youth Day 2023. I would love to see the guys standing next to the Holy Father, in Lisbon, singing their Ave Maria Mater Misericordiae!
So that about sums up Piero, The Man Has a Dream, and in the end that dream will be a dream fulfilled!
So, over the last three weeks I’ve talked about each of the guys and their music. Now I would like to sum it all up by going back to the beginning and bringing it forward!
This is my Tribute to Three Amazing Young Men!
When these three young men started out, they were 15 and 16 years old. Think of being 15 or 16 years old and you have a dream, and someone tells you that that dream, needs to be shared. To fulfill that dream you have to leave your family, your friends, your home, you have to go to another country, and you have to share this journey with two people who you really know nothing about except that they have the same dream you have. You have to trust that the decision that was made by you and your family, was the right decision. If not, it’s back to square one! You’re going to be lonely, and you have to learn to survive without the people you love. So, you learn to lean on one another. That dependence turns into a friendship and that friendship into a brotherhood. It enabled them to trust enough to collaborate and perfect something truly amazing. Something that revolutionized the music industry.
It’s off to New York City!
Then there were photo shoots and wardrobes to contend with in LA. I love the expression on their faces. They are mesmerized! This had to be one the most awesome moments for them.
Taking America by storm! Watch this performance at The Grove! So young and so amazing! Listen to those voices! Watch the interaction between the guys! Very playful. The emotions! How they work the audience! Natural! Just amazing! The whole audience is singing! Someone needs to control those girls!!!
Yes, New York loves you guys, and they love us!
You are a part of our New York! The best part of concerts at Radio City Music Hall!
Well guys New York and all of America is waiting for you! See you in March when you will bring us Il Volo Sings Morricone in concert at Radio City Music Hall and other concert halls around the Unites States.
If you didn’t get your tickets yet, what are you waiting for?
We anxiously await your arrival!
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
Sunday 26 December, Santo Stefano (with us 25 and 26 December are always holidays), on RAI 1, during the program DOMENICA IN, conducted in the studio by Mara Venier, Il Volo was a guest.
A pleasant hour, where Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca sang and talked, a really nice interview, which had already been previously recorded, to make sure that that day, everyone was with their own family.
Here is the video and its translation.
Click on the photo below to view the video.
MARA = I would start immediately with them, I thank them very much, they are indeed ambassadors of Italian culture and music in the world and thanks to Rai Italia, we are seen all over the world and I want to greet all the Italians living abroad and me I would start immediately with Il Volo.
(Applause. A video begins with the most important stages of Il Volo’s career)
But how wonderful this video is, how many very famous people they met.
Well we will be here, we will present the latest wonderful project of Il Volo, which is entirely dedicated to the great Ennio Morricone, but let’s start immediately like this: IL VOLO.
(Enter Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero, applause, kisses and hugs)
Guys, start right away with the first performance, then let’s talk about everything, everything.
GIAN = Come on, we are ready, here we are. (the song SE begins, from Cinema Paradiso)
MARA = Well done, well done.
PIERO = How beautiful.
IGNAZIO + GIAN = Thank you
MARA = I’m excited, maybe it’s Holy Christmas …. she turns to Gian: “Everything’s fine, dear”.
GIAN = Very well.
MARA = Very good, very good.
PIERO = This is too much. (He refers to the constant applause of the audience.)
MARA = No, it’s never too much. But have you seen the video we sent?
IGNAZIO = Absolutely yes, and it’s always exciting to see it.
PIERO = There were the images of the film Nuovo Cinema Paradiso.
MARA = These are taken from the film Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, which together with Il Ferroviere(another Italian film) are the films of my life (he means that they are his favorite films). I know the lines of the film by heart.
PIERO = It is also my favorite movie.
MARA = Mine too.
PIERO = I watched it during the lockdown, I dedicated a Sunday afternoon to this film, I don’t deny you that I cried.
MARA = When he looks at all the kissing film clippings …..?
PIERO = For me, the most exciting moment, as a Sicilian, when he says to him: “Don’t get nostalgic, never come back” …. there an emotion came to me ….
GIAN = It’s normal, it’s a bit like what we experienced, leaving what was ours ….
MARA = Sure, maybe because of this. Do you recognize yourself a little …
PIERO = So much ….
MARA = However it is a wonderful film, great Peppuccio Tornatore, great director, great friend, a kiss. (applause)
So guys, I saw in the first video, during your presentation, and I must tell you that I was quite excited, because the path you have made, who has it happened to?
Maybe in Modugno, I don’t know, I really think about the greats, the myths.
What happened to you in a few years is simply wonderful (applause)because you bring Italy to the world. And Italy is not just pizza, spaghetti and mandolin(stereotype of Italy), it is also something else and you are bringing something else, your talent, your voice, I wanted to tell you.
IGNAZIO = This has always been our goal, to make our culture known, however in this album, we give prestige to what was the maestro Ennio Morricone, and as you can see from the cover, we also remember Sergio Leone’s films (western director and friend of Morricone).
MARA = Beautiful.
GIAN = Remember the movie The Good, The Bad and the Ugly ….
MARA = Beautiful also the photo inside, though. Look at these three children.
PIERO = Can we have a marker to autograph this album to Mara?
MARA = Really? Immediately, live? Come on, yes!
IGNAZIO = I’ll go.
MARA = Look, by magic, there is also the marker, “Aunt Mara” and this too (she also gives the CD and asks that they be dedicated to aunt Mara, as Mara often calls herself by young people).
IGNAZIO = The dedications are made by Gianluca.
GIANLUCA = Since I have the most beautiful writing, I write.
PIERO = I write like doctors, doctors’ recipes (prescriptions) ….
MARA = … that it is not clear what you write.
IGNAZIO = While Gianluca is writing, let’s go back to the previous discussion ..
MARA = Among all these important characters, myths, true myths, is there anyone who has moved you more? Saw Barbra Streisand ….
PIERO = The editing you did is really beautiful, but each of us has his own indelible memory, personally, singing in front of Pope Francis in Panama, during the youth day, I think it was one of the most important and profound moments.
MARA = Of course, I believe it. Then he has a great charisma, I spent two afternoons with him, one afternoon for 4 hours always with him, and the incredible thing is that it’s like talking ….. (the photo of the boys with the Pope appears in the background) There they are !! …. because he is a simple man, it is like being really, with a grandfather.
IGNAZIO = I think that a figure like Pope Francis, we needed it, also to approach the youngest, I speak as a boy who does not practice, but, thanks to Pope Francis, I have re-evaluated the religious world.
MARA = Of course, when there are men like that, then he is a real revolutionary, guys.
GIAN = Maybe he’s looking at us, let’s say hello.
MARA = We greet Pope Francis: “Happy St. Stephen Holiness!” ….. but he only wants to be called Pope Francis.
So guys, I start where we started, because it’s beautiful, then do your whole wonderful journey.
(Begins a 2011 video of the LA VITA IN DIRETTA program , conducted by Mara Venier, with guests of the very young Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca. In the video Mara says that three of them are 48 years old and then asks who wanted the name Il Volo and Piero replies that it is a metaphorical name and that they decided it together.)
Have you understood? In the end I wished you to fly high, but you took me at my word !!!
GIAN = I still remember the first moments. It was one of our first interviews. I still remember the excitement of doing the interviews, we didn’t know what to say, sometimes we got tangled up, we didn’t really know how to behave with the cameras. It’s amazing how, over time, things can change, in 10 years our life has changed in an incredible way.
MARA = Incredible. Have you ever thought about all this guys? (she drops the felt-tip pen)
IGNAZIO = I’ll take care of it.
MARA = Come on, I can do it.
IGNAZIO = I wanted to be a gentleman.
MARA = What love !! I wanted to take this (the vinyl) and show it because it’s beautiful.
PIERO = Actually while we were singing she was afraid that it would be stolen.
MARA = In fact, look, I’m holding it tight. By the way, Monica Bellucci called me (Il Volo was a guest on the previous Sunday for a tribute to the actress Monica Bellucci in connection from Paris).
IGNAZIO = Did she like it?
MARA = She thanked me, it was a surprise, she wasn’t expecting it at all.
GIAN = It was good for us too.
MARA = Really?
GIAN = Sure
MARA = Did you have any feedback?
GIAN = Apart from that, during the interview, Monica Bellucci is Monica Bellucci(as if to say that Bellucci is famously beautiful) .… but Mara Venier ….
PIERO = But Mara Venier is Mara Venier (as if to say that Mara is beautiful too)
MARA = Oh yes, at my age …. guys but I invite you every Sunday ….
IGNAZIO = You have to thank that I am already busy, otherwise I would make you a ruthless court (what a seducer).
MARA = Where is your girlfriend?
IGNAZIO = She is far away.
MARA = Very far?
PIERO = No, she’s near here, around the corner.
GIAN = Exactly!
PIERO = In Brazil.
MARA = But you really had to find her in Brazil?
IGNAZIO = Love does not know distances, it does not know religions, races.
MARA = Is she Brazilian?
IGNAZIO = Yes. Traveling, you meet different cultures, and this has given us the opportunity to get to know the whole world and also arrive in Brazil, where I later met what my love is, however ….
MARA = But why Ignazio, didn’t you join her now for Christmas?
IGNAZIO = Work calls and we are very professional.
MARA = Like me.
IGNAZIO = Exactly. Unfortunately or fortunately, in life you have to work and there are priorities.
MARA = I am very happy.
IGNAZIO = And we are young ….
MARA = You have time, now, as soon as the broadcast is over, you can join it.
IGNAZIO = Yes, I’m going down (He means Brazil. Actually the program is recorded in this way Ignazio at Christmas reached his love in Brazil.)
MARA = So guys, let’s talk again ….. why are you looking at me like this Piero, you look at me and you make me laugh.
PIERO = I respect you, you are fantastic. See you go to the programs, that feeling with the presenter, it is fundamental, it is crucial to make sure that the best part of us comes out.
MARA = Sure.
PIERO = Because you know, behind the artist, behind the singer, many at home cannot perceive the personality, because there is always the fear of making a mistake, or how much to talk, with you it is unfiltered.
IGNAZIO = Also because you always talk, so we are fine.
MARA = That’s not true !! I always make you talk and above all I listen, what a bad Ignazio. (Ignazio laughs) I’m not sending you to your girlfriend, I make you stay here, even for New Year’s, I don’t let you leave. (applause and laughter)
Ennio Morricone, why? You are very young, boys and here are some pieces that will truly remain in history.
GIAN = Let’s say that we have had an artistic evolution over the years, it all started with O SOLE MIO, then slowly, even with Grande Amore, we tried to have our own repertoire, then in 2016 a Tribute to the Three Tenors with Plácido Domingo, and this time we decided to pay a tribute, however, on the soundtracks of the films, which are a little detached from what is the real tradition of Italian music, because in any case Morricone is a genre in itself, an international genre, which has made history …
MARA = Oscar winner!
GIAN = Exactly, and therefore he wrote a music that has made generations dream, and it is also a way to make him known to the youngest, who may not be able to connect the music with the composer at first glance. So for us it is really an honor, we also thank the family, the teacher Andrea Morricone ….
MARA = The son.
GIAN = …. who immediately supported the project, and also his wife Maria Travia, who also gave the possibility to have her son (Andrea) write a text on the first sung version of the Ecstasy of Gold by Il Buono, the bad, the ugly.
MARA = Beautiful !! Now I’ll show you June of this year, the Verona Arena, I remember that we made a connection, just to launch your concert, let’s see this clip together.
(A video starts with Your Love from the Verona concert. In the video, Andrea Morricone says: “It is really exciting to hear my father’s music playing in this splendid Arena, it is really fantastic.” Ignazio says:
“Maestro Morricone means a lot to us, he is a symbol of Italy in the world, on this stage with the great maestro Andrea Morricone, is an honor.”)
How wonderful! (applause)
PIERO = Mara, those images are really strong for us, because the first images we saw are taken from the concert on June 5th and it was the first concert, right after the lockdown ….
MARA = Sure.
PIERO = ….. with 50% of the capacity of the Verona Arena.
IGNAZIO = 6 thousand.
PIERO = Yes, 6 thousand people, so we got on stage after almost two years of pause and silence, so there we really understood that for an artist, for a singer, the audience is oxygen.
MARA = Sure, absolutely. How have you lived through these two years of pandemic and I keep saying that we must still be very careful. Yes, we must not give up.
IGNAZIO = Never.
MARA = You who are used to traveling the world, never stand still.
GIAN = We tried to live it definitely not in a passive way. It is not easy, because many families have certainly suffered, and there have been people who have not been able to manage, especially young people, adolescents, who perhaps miss the most delicate period of their life and therefore, in some way, be still, not having a place in society, being able to understand what to do in the future and instead stopping, was certainly difficult for young people. And we also try to be an example for the young people who follow us.
MARA = Absolutely.
GIAN = We certainly haven’t stopped, you need to have a spirit of adaptation, when life puts you to the test anyway.
MARA = Look Gianluca, when I invite my guests, especially artists, musicians, even important ones, I always asked them, during the pandemic, during the lockdown, what they did, and the majority always told me that they continued to write, and moreover, they have also had the concentration, in these months, even so difficult, also of pain, of insecurity, of fear, in the end, but many have told me that they have been creative.
GIAN = They gave vent to creativity.
MARA = Exactly, they gave vent to creativity, exactly.
PIERO = We, too, created this album during the pandemic.
MARA = The album was born right there.
PIERO = Yes, because for us, the worst enemy has always been time, we have never had the time to concentrate or dedicate ourselves to taking care of all aspects of a project.
For this album, we worked a year and a half, the initial part via ZOOM (internet) with video calls. Then we went to the recording studio, zoomed in with the linked producers from Stockholm. We wanted it at all costs.
GIAN = Then it is clear that we always try to see the positive side, because from 2009 to today, we have always been 7-8 months a year out (abroad), on tour or promotion of the record, in short, it is our life. But in these two years, the positive thing is that we have been more with our families, we have cultivated relationships, met love, maybe we have been more with our friends. So we rediscovered what was our “old life”.
MARA = Exactly.
GIAN = Because anyway it’s like jumping on two different tracks every now and then, Il Volo and then ….
MARA = And then I imagine that when you are away for months and months, abroad, traveling the world with the tour, in short, your family, but also your country, in the end you miss them.
IGNAZIO = We always say that these years have been the result of positive and negative things.
Personally I am a person who has a hard time falling asleep at night, because my head is constantly thinking, about everything there is to do, I store a lot of information. But I realized that sometimes stopping, even if difficult, stopping is good, also to understand what you want from life, what you are doing.
MARA = Reflect, a moment of calm.
PIERO = You live everything with frenzy.
MARA = Especially you.
PIERO = We never stop, only at Christmas. For us, Christmas, on the 24th evening, we have to go home, and it is as if time stopped.
MARA = And this is beautiful, can I tell you? Coming home on the 24th is beautiful.
IGNAZIO = then on the 26th we come to Rome! (Domenica In is recorded in Rome).
MARA = Let’s go on guys, now there is a beautiful piece always taken from Morricone, “Once Upon a Time in the West”.
PIERO = It is the song we sang in Sanremo, this year we were guests in Sanremo.
MARA = So now you will let the guests of “Zia Mara” hear it.
During the period of the Christmas holidays, Il Volo was a guest in several television and non-television programs.
We start with their presence on the evening of the eve (recorded previously) in a television program in Spain called “Viva la Fiesta :Nochebuena” broadcast by Telecinco.
Il Volo performs “SE” from Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (video sync is not perfect).
Please click on the image below to view the video.
Really sweet this song and our boys, what about pure elegance.
On the same evening , Il Volo is in Montecarlo, for a private event.
We have news of this event from the photos that Gianluca and Piero have published, unfortunately we do not see anything of the event.
But here we are at the most beautiful part of the evening.
After the Mass celebrated by the Pope, greetings from Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero are broadcast on RAI1 and, from the Frasassi caves, the sweet song: O Holy Night.
GIANLUCA = The most beautiful things in life are not that far away, they are close to us, they are within us.
IGNAZIO = I am inside this magnificent place that never ceases to enchant us.
PIERO = We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Please click on the image below to view the video.
Fantastic. Finally we have been able to see another piece recorded in Frasassi.
This song always causes me shivers of emotion, the voices are wonderful, our young men are very elegant, and the place is enchanting, despite the low temperatures, you will have all noticed the puffs of breath during the video. ❤
Il Volo then delivered their vinyl record to some friends as a Christmas gift, and some of them thanked by publishing these photos and comments:
This was published by MCN Studio 17, the recording studio in Sicily where they recorded Ecstasy of Gold.
MCN Studio 17 had write this beautiful words:
“A year ago we had the privilege of being able to host in our studio, the beginning of this epic musical adventure, of the three golden boys of Italian bel canto, Piero Barone, Gianluca Ginoble and Ignazio Boschetto, who with polite simplicity have demonstrated their artistic and human greatness. Today we receive the fruit of this meeting that we will never forget. Thanks ilvolomusic always go ahead.”
Please click on the image below to view the video from Saturino.
This video was published by Saturnino Celano, (he is a well known Italian musician, and also a producer and composer), here is what he says:
“Hello everyone, I wanted to show you one of the most beautiful gifts ever received, really never received, ever since I started attending the wonderful world of music, this is a truly amazing gift.
Look what I received today, complete with dedication, from Ignazio Piero and Gianluca, amazing double vinyl, look how wonderful, and to do justice to this work, which I had the honor of listening to while they were recording it. (He shows the photo of the internal disk) Look what a sight. (he shows the red vinyl and puts it on the turntable (Ecstasy of gold begins).
Thank you very much, thank you very much, thank you very much !!!
(He plays the start of Your Love and greets a friend live.)
Il Volo Sings Morricone, complete with dedication and autographs. Really wonderful, I recommend it at all, and thanks again to Ignazio, Piero and Gianluca.”
This was published by Red Ronnie (very famous Italian TV presenter, his is the Barone Rosso and Roxy Bar programs).
“I got this wonderful gift from the guys of Il Volo: Il Volo Sings Morricone, look!
Yes, dear guys, but we said to ourselves that you were coming to the Red Baron, clearly the jukebox is there, still broken, (Ignazio broke it), so Ignazio is armored, but I’m waiting for you. Thank you!”
The video above was published by Saretto of the Bam Bar in Taormina.
And this from Antonella Clerici, the one who presented them in 2009 in Ti Lascio una Canzone.❤
Gianluca also sent this sweet message:
“I want to send a special greeting to all the children of the AGBE (Association of Parents for Homopathic Children) and their families.
Unfortunately I wanted to come and see you, but my work commitments did not allow me to be there with you. But I send you many wishes for a Merry Christmas with the hope of hugging us again soon and that this situation will improve soon too.
Hello to everyone, I love you and see you very soon.”
Unfortunately, there was also sad news, such as that of the passing of the singer of Il Divo and their dear friend, Carlos Marin. R.I.P.
Reposted from @ilvolomusic. It hurts our heart to hear this news. We have lost a beautiful soul and a wonderful voice that will live forever.
Our deepest condolences to your family and friends.
Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero then published their Christmas greetings, in three different languages:
English
Spanish
Italian
Really many commitments and all fantastic, but there is still one more, a long interview with the RAI1 television program Domenica In, aired on December 26th.
But for that, there is a long translation and you have to wait a little longer.
On November 17, Il Volo was a guest on Radio Italia, only Italian music, for the promotion of their latest CD.
The event was led by Mauro Marino and Manola Moslehi. It was a great interview and Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca also sang two songs live.
In November two years ago, I was able to go to Radio Italia and it was wonderful. Unfortunately this year, due to COVID restrictions and also the afternoon hours, I was unable to go, too bad.
Here is the video and its translation.
Please click on the photo to view the video.
MAURO = Here we are in the Reward Music Play, complete with an audience, welcome back, well arrived, purely female audience, I must say.
MANOLA = Of course, also because today’s guests are three beautiful guys, so even the eye wants its part.
MAURO = Exactly, and for the eye, we also greet the friends who follow us on Radio Italia TV, Manola Moslehi, Mauro Marino, and then let’s call them, we are standing here on stage, because in front of these microphones, soon, yes, will perform live, the three guys from:
MANOLA = IL VOLO !! (applause, enter Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca).
MAURO = Here they are, take a seat, please, please. You can sit down.
Manola ran away and I don’t know why.
I + P + G = Hi, hi.
MAURO = When you are ready ….. here they are: IL VOLO (Manola returns to the stage)
MANOLA = I thought they sang right away, do you understand? I didn’t want to waste time.
MAURO = Are you ready?
IGNAZIO = Very ready.
PIERO = But we haven’t warmed up our voices.
MAURO = Try to do it now.
PIERO = How do we do it? Let’s start like this?
MANOLA = Come on, come and sing.
GIAN = We are yours today …..
MANOLA = Sing, sing ….
MAURO = It’s just that you don’t have microphones (the microphones in front of the boys are just for singing), it’s just for that, then you tell us everything when we get off here in front.
PIERO = Can you come near here? ….
MAURO = I can come, but I can’t give you my microphone, you know the rules (this are the new rules for COVID the microphone is personal and must be disinfected before being used by another).
MANOLA = Piero has to ask for things …
MAURO = Tell me, what is it I have to do, tell me.
PIERO = Are we on live?
MAURO = We are on live, yes, yes.
PIERO = Ah,on live without warming our voice, beautiful.
MANOLA= But no, go , go live!!
GIAN = We greet all those who look at us with their mobile phones from home !!
MAURO = I know what you will do SE TELEFONANDO, right? You let us listen to it and then we talk about it. Il Volo on Radio Italia.
(starts SE TELEFONANDO live)
MANOLA = Live on Radio Italia only Italian music, Il Volo, strictly live !! Wonderful guys.
MAURO = Thanks guys. So, we wanted to specify that they sang from the vivo, you already said it …
MANOLA = Yes, yes.
MAURO = … and they haven’t even warmed up their voices, so now guys, you are machines that go automatically …
MANOLA = Think if they had warmed up their voices …
MAURO = Great, thanks guys !! Here are the microphones, perfect and I sit down too, voila!
MANOLA = (To the audience) Did you like them?
YES!!
IGNAZIO = Here we are.
MAURO = So, there is a new album, dedicated to the great maestro Ennio Morricone, besides you have just sung this song, everyone knows that the song (the text) was also written by Maurizio Costanzo (great Italian television entertainer) and the music, is also by Ennio Morricone, we wanted to remember this because it is with this song that you opened today’s appointment.
IGNAZIO = You know how this song was born, don’t you?
MAURO = I know the story, but you tell it.
IGNAZIO = No, no, Piero tells it. 😁
MAURO = Come on Piero.
PIERO = When the idea of dedicating an entire album to Maestro Morricone, and the project was born, started for us, an extremely complex course of study, because when we entered the world of Ennio Morricone, on tiptoe, we discovered that he had written nearly 500 melodies.
IGNAZIO = More than 500 compositions.
PIERO = Not only soundtracks, we discovered that he made the arrangement of IL MONDO and also of SE TELEFONANDO.
IGNAZIO = ABBRONZATISSIMA (Ignazio mentions a very famous Italian song from the 60s)
MAURO= Also!
MANOLA = Also, it’s true! (she refers that even Abbronzatissima was set to music by Morricone)
PIERO = Lots of songs. Since we had the support of the entire family of Ennio Morricone, including his son Andrea Morricone, he told us several anecdotes, including the birth of SE TELEFONANDO. His father was queuing at the post office, to pay the electricity bill, and he hears the ambulance and the sirens of the ambulance “ta-na-na”, is born: SE TELEFONANDO.
MANOLA = What a genius though, it couldn’t be otherwise. How was your first meeting with him?
IGNAZIO = It was in 2011, because in our first album there was a song, it was a medley between Once Upon a Time in America and Malena: E PIÙ TI PENSO. So, he (Morricone) was recording, working in the studio at that time, and we met there and then in 2011 we collaborated, we sang E PIÙ’ TI PENSO in Piazza del Popolo directed by him and so it was nice. There is also the anecdote that we always tell, that Gianluca gives a YOU to the master in front of the orchestra and everyone OH OH, and he says: “Don’t worry, kid, I’ll take care of it.” He was a man of few words, he showed little, but a lot.
Then, unfortunately we had little time and opportunity to spend time together and get to know him more, but it would have been really interesting and beautiful.
MAURO = While you were talking and singing before, we looked at you, out here, and we said: “We saw these three who were kids, now you are men, now you are men.”
PIERO = It’s the beard that makes the difference
GIAN = Three years ago we were 24, in three years we are 30.
MAURO = Perfect.
GIAN = The 30th begins to approach.
PIERO = Sorry, if we had 24, how do we get 30? Where did you go to school??
GIAN = Oh yes, in three years we will be 30, we are no longer children.
MAURO = But it’s nice to see this transformation, from boys to young men.
IGNAZIO = This transformation from ugly (to Piero) to beautiful ….
MANOLA = So, in reality, it sounds strange to say to three still very young people, that you have 12 years of career behind you, one is at least impressed, I mean.
PIERO = You know that we, the pre-COVID, just before the COVID were celebrating 10 years of career with a world tour. On March 11, we suspended the tour to suddenly return to Italy, and we will be back on tour exactly after two years, so it’s a 12-year career, but two years homebound as if time had stopped.
MAURO = In stand by.
IGNAZIO = A little like those birthdays that last a week, we the ten-year that lasts two years.
MANOLA = So, we have an incredible event in Piazza Duomo (Milan) it was 2018, you were very tanned, you were, but you are still beautiful, I wanted to know from you, looking at that image there, with that crowded square, what a feeling you have on.
IGNAZIO = I was hideous.
MANOLA = That’s not true!
PIERO = But it’s strange, it’s a strong feeling to see the audience, we’ve been missing that feeling for a while.
Now we are restarting with the tour, with the events, it is a slow, uphill process, but soon we will return to that feeling of serenity that we saw a little while ago.
MAURO = We all wish it a little, we said it before while we were waiting for you, together with the friends who are here (audience), there are not many, because you have to keep your distance, but see people live, meet people, for those who do yours craft, it is crucial I guess, especially for you.
You were talking about tours, then we will talk together about the tour, which will start in March, meanwhile, here they are launching the pens ….
MANOLA = The lady from the audience threw a pen …
GIAN = But it’s Hermione Granger’s magic wand (Harry Potter’s little witch)
PIERO = (he took the pen and this one has a big fake diamond on the end) Oh my, it looks like Queen Elizabeth’s pen.
MANOLA = We explain to friends who listen to us on the radio, that a lady from the audience threw them a very discreet pen, with a diamond ….
IGNAZIO = (Ignazio took the pen in his hand) Madam, is this diamond real? Ah, is that true? (he puts the pen with the diamond in his pocket)😁😁
MAURO = The pen is gone …😁
IGNAZIO = Another pen, thanks.😁
MAURO = Let’s go back to the album, because rightly I saw that, looking at the cover, the friends who follow us can see the image here in the background of the stage, (meanwhile Piero is unwrapping the vinyl record), it reminds us a little of Sergio Leone’s films obviously (director of many westerns with Morricone’s music).
GIAN = But it was totally inspired by that world there. Shooting that world from “Sergio Leone” and those Morricone’s music, is a return to the past that is eternal, that will never die. The vintage taste that really takes everyone, especially the generations who lived through those times, but also young people, who maybe discover something they have never heard or seen.
MAURO = Indeed, she is very beautiful and this (the vinyl record that Piero is discarding) I will tell you immediately, I will steal this, tell Torpedine, where he is around here: “Torpedine, this is for me, thank you “, 😉 your producer.
So 14 songs, you said before that Morricone composed more than 500 songs etc., how did you choose these 14?
PIERO = This was the most difficult phase, choosing the songs, because there are so many. It is clear that we have chosen the most famous ones, those to which we are most connected, for example personally a song that I have always loved, is the one taken from the film NUOVO CINEMA PARADISO, “SE” (meanwhile Piero signs the vinyl record.)
I am linked to that film because you know, it is about this Sicilian child who goes to Rome, to chase his dream, so when I sing it I feel that strong emotion.
Then, together with Andrea Morricone and our producers, who are Swedish, also very knowledgeable about Morricone’s repertoire, we finally found a meeting and this 14-track setlist was born.
MANOLA = Furthermore, this new album was preceded by a concert at the Verona Arena, and directed by the son of Maestro Morricone, Andrea, also an incredible experience.
IGNAZIO = Yes, it also went on the air (the concert) a few days ago, on November 10th for Maestro Morricone’s birthday. It was a great experience, because we were finally back in concert after almost two years in front of an audience, it was the first concert in front of an audience and certainly singing all those melodies, many of which tell true stories, such as Here’s to you, which is one of my favorite songs, which talks about the story of Sacco and Vanzetti and a huge injustice. So it was exciting, both for the songs sung and for the situation in which we found ourselves, after a year and a half, to go back to the concert in front of people, we were also preparing the album, which is now out, so it was a lot nice.
MANOLA = We were talking about your 12-year career before, but there is a moment in your career, even at an international level, that you remember with more affection ….
IGNAZIO = When we met you (laughter)😁😁
MANOLA = I wanted to know this ☺….. I thank you infinitely …. and the second important moment ????
GIAN = When we saw you again (laughter)😁😁
MANOLA = For me the interview can be concluded here !! Thanks.☺
MAURO = (to Piero) And what’s yours?
PIERO = Everyone has their indelible moment, personally when we sang in front of Pope Francis in Panama, during the World Youth Day, that was something unforgettable.
MAURO = There is no Manola to keep!😉
MANOLA = Compared to the Pope, I withdraw !!😁
(starts the live of the song SE…..applause)
MANOLA = It is strange to enter at the end of this song, because it seems to disturb me, Il Volo on Radio Italia only Italian music, strictly live, we specify it, because you look like a record, guys, it’s incredible !!
MAURO = Really good.
GIAN = Thanks!
MANOLA = Well done, well done, well done
MAURO = But, among the 14 songs on the album ….
GIAN = This is my favorite ..
MAURO = His too though (by Piero)
GIAN = …. especially for the text, not only for the melody, because this was written by Andrea Morricone, the son of the master, the film (the music) was written by Andrea, but then the text is wonderful, tells a beautiful love story.
MAURO = Exactly.
IGNAZIO = What I often think is that it is totally different from everything there is today, from all the fashion music, which we listen to today, but I think that these melodies are a little like pizza for Italians, that is they are part of our culture, and we must be really proud of them, because the maestro Morricone has spread great emotions to the whole world with his soundtracks to all the greatest films.
GIAN = I imagine that tomorrow we will read in all the newspapers “Morricone is like pizza” ….😑
MANOLA = Yes, but it’s a nice compliment though.
PIERO = I understand what Ignazio means, we want to explain and clarify the title of this project, of this album, Il Volo sings Morricone. Morricone is not a man whose work is celebrated, Morricone is a genre apart, he has created a completely different genre, and is an eternal genre, which will never die.
MAURO = Indeed, the comparison is correct, it is right.
IGNAZIO = It is part of our culture.
MAURO = It is right and then you are the only ones to bring the Italian Bel Canto around the world, and therefore it was right to think of an album of this genre, with the music of the maestro Ennio Morricone, so congratulations for the idea.
What I wanted to ask you, what was the hardest song to sing, among these 14?
PIERO = Maybe “Amalia por amor”, because it is in Portuguese.
IGNAZIO = No, I think that one of the most difficult has always been “E più ti penso”, yes!
PIERO = Even “Metti una sera a cena”, it was difficult …
MANOLA = Gianluca what do you think?
GIAN = I have to tell you that for them (Piero and Ignazio), it was all particularly difficult … (laughter)😁😁, for me a little less …. no, I’m kidding!
IGNAZIO = He faced everything with high chest !!
GIAN = But I must say that it is not only the acute, the high note, it is a matter of interpretation…
MAURO = Bravo!
GIAN = …. they are very difficult melodies, which move away from “Nessun Dorma” or from songs where there is a need for vocal power, without interpretation these songs cannot be sung.
IGNAZIO = For example there is “Here’s to You”, it is a song that we expressly wanted to sing it in a much lower key than what we could have done, because in any case the songs, especially these songs, as Gianluca says, need of a great interpretation and we worked hard on it, in fact, we sang, re-sung and re-sung this song in the studio to find the perfect emotion and interpretation.
GIAN = Then if you live it in first person, as for example in the song SE of Nuovo Cinema Paradiso ….. even better
PIERO = We understand it, that you are in love, the text speaks of love, we understand it !!!😁
MANOLA = It seems to me a beautiful thing.!
GIAN = It is beautiful indeed …😘
IGNAZIO = I understand, but he is becoming a little like Abruzzo, in everything he puts Abruzzo in the middle !! (laughs)😁
MANOLA = Today it is like this, today Gianluca is in the middle (she mean that Gian is made fun of by Piero and Ignazio)
PIERO = When he breaks up, he’ll sing “And the more I think of you” (laughter)
MANOLA = But why should he leave?
MAURO = Later we hope …
MANOLA = But as late as possible! Since these are the last minutes we spend together, let’s talk about the 2022 tour right away. The orchestra from live and your voices that will somehow blend with this incredible orchestra. You will also leave for the US.
PIERO = March 3, from the US, March – April and then the rest of the world.
We would like to remind you that we will sing in Italy in two different periods: summer and autumn.
In the autumn we will do the sports halls and soon we will publish the dates.
MANOLA = Are you excited?
IGNAZIO = A lot
MANOLA = Meet the live audience again …
IGNAZIO = We can’t wait, but we really can’t wait, because we always say that concerts are the maximum expression of an artist, where you can feel really free, because yes, the interviews where you tell about yourself are beautiful, but on stage you can express everything and have that adrenaline, and it’s very different from doing interviews.
PIERO = It is the magical expression of our deepest joy.
MAURO = In the meantime, between now and when you leave for the tour, you can always come here and meet the audience in our Reward Play.
IGNAZIO = Yes, but I don’t want to have that man who hurries everyone (he points to a man behind the scenes), if we come here, we start in the morning and finish in the evening.
MAURO = No, no, don’t worry, we’ll tie him up that day.
PIERO = But you have to redo Palermo (He refers to a summer event made by Radio Italia in a square in Palermo, with great success)
MANOLA = We will do it again, we hope.
MAURO = But surely, if it can be done, it will be done. In the meantime we are waiting for you here, if you come to visit us: Radio Italia live, so at least the friends who are here (audience) can see you sing live, do a kind of dress rehearsal.
PIERO = So let’s do the rehearsal (he shows the vinyl record) This is the new album, close-up on the album: Il Volo Sings Morricone, our new album.
MAURO = Thanks guys, thanks to everyone.
MANOLA = Thanks to IL VOLO.
G + P + I = Grazie mille, bye bye.
Nice interview, and how wonderful those two songs.
I’m sorry that you have waited a long time for this translation, but my PC started to throw a tantrum, several times I had to redo some pieces.
Meanwhile, our young men, tireless, continue the promotion of the CD, they have already been to Spain and Germany and now they will also do two instore, one in Milan and one in Rome.
Finally I am attaching this beautiful video that was published a few days ago, it is Piero who sings the AVE MARIA at his best friend’s wedding, in June of this year. Good viewing!
Daniela
Credit to owners of all photos and videos.
Come in and share the love of life, friends and Il Volo!
