After giving you a quick overview of the whole concert in the Arena on June 5th, here I am back to you, to tell you every moment.
Jo Ann has already translated the “chat” of the boys and Susan has already given you other explanations.
I will recall to you the smallest details of my beautiful evening and I will linger for a long time, because I do not want you to lose even a moment of this fantastic concert.
I start by telling you that Saturday started with the best wishes, a beautiful day, the sky of an intense blue, and so much emotion for the concert that I would see in the evening. A perfect start.
I have already told you other times that Verona is very close to Brescia where I live (only 50 miles), so my husband and I would have gone in the early afternoon and returned after the concert.
Here in Italy there is a curfew at 11pm (from 16 June it will be abolished), but the government had given special permission only to those who were in the Arena for the concert, to return to their homes by 02:00 am.
Right after lunch, I tried to rest, knowing that the evening was long and certainly exciting. But the sky turned gray, the sun was gone, and a little later it started drizzling. An annoying drizzle, but light and really boring. Damn, I hoped it wouldn’t rain in Verona, I was thinking about the guys, after so much work and such a long stop, this inconvenience was not welcome.
The light rain, which almost did not wet the earth, came and went. Every now and then a few drops and then nothing, just to make everyone nervous.
Ready for the evening, and with the best expectations, my husband and I left for Verona.
Arriving, without any problems, we park the car quickly and head towards the Arena.
It goes without saying that Verona always has a magnificent charm. It is a beautiful town that preserves the flavor of the ancient.
Among the old alleys of beautiful Verona, we can all still think of Romeo running to go to his Juliet. The great entrance gate with the scalloped walls, which still continue through the city, and which once closed the whole city, are magnificent.
After the city gate the huge Piazza Bra, with the beautiful buildings that surround it and in the center, the ARENA is imposing and memorable.
The first thing I have to do is contact my friends who are waiting for me to be able to greet me, some of them who have really come from far away, from the US.
The first one we meet, right in front of the Arena, is Laura with her husband Ugo, they are Italians, from Trieste, but Laura met me through Flight Crew, they are our readers and it is really special that we met like this.
Soon after I go in search of my American friends.
Here they are, beautiful and happy, together at the coffee table, looking forward to the evening, Deborah, Wendy and Joanie, whom I already knew personally and Judith, whom I had never met.
Only a few words of greeting, unfortunately, because Nonna Maura is waiting for me in front of her hotel, but what a pleasure to see my sweet friends who have faced such a long journey to be here.
Yes, because Il Volo is also this, the pleasure of meeting each other, of making friends from one end of the world to the other.
So let’s go to Nonna Maura’s hotel, I remind you that she is 90 years old and arrived in the morning by train from Rome. Fantastic Maura, she would not miss a concert of Il Volo and her beloved Gianluca for anything in the world.
Also Maura and I met thanks to Flight Crew, isn’t that great?
The weather continues to give us a few drops of rain, so my husband goes back to our car to get some rain dusters, in case they were needed and then we approach the Arena, the entrance time has already started and the adrenaline starts to rise.
The controls to enter the Arena are meticulous. There are different entrances depending on the places awarded. They check us for fever, documents and related tickets, and if we have the FFP2 mask (only that is allowed) then they see the camera that my husband is holding and tell him to take it in the car, because otherwise they won’t let him in. So my husband goes back to the parking lot to deposit his camera. When he comes back, we can finally enter the Arena.
We reach our seats, we are in the central row, right in front of the stage, row 11, excellent position. Between one occupied seat and another, due to Covid rules, an empty seat is expected.
The orchestra pit (the space between the stage and the first row, where the orchestra is usually placed) is empty, but in the center a round stage is positioned, as if it were a protruding extension, of the current stage, on it already in placed, 3 microphones with the auction, it is clear that often the guys will sing from there, and it is right in front of my position.
On the rear stage, the whole orchestra is positioned. A huge backdrop that continuously changes color and position with two large lateral pillar columns and two large lateral videos, completes the scene. The whole at the top is covered by a roof in which hundreds of lights are placed. If it rains, at least the guys will be protected.
Everything has a really great impact.
A voice on the speakers often reminds us that we must keep the masks well worn and that we cannot leave our seats to greet other friends.
While we wait, I look for the various scattered friends and raise our arms, we greet each other in the distance, and then, we wait patiently for the scheduled time to arrive.
Fortunately it does not rain and it will not rain all evening. There is a good temperature, everything seems to be going well.
At a certain point the boys enter the stage, normally dressed in jeans and a jacket. We are amazed, but they greet us smiling and tell us that they are waiting for the connection with the evening news. Meanwhile, they smile, they tell us they are excited, we take advantage of them to take pictures of them.
The boys look at the audience and recognize their American friends, greet them and say “you came up here for us”, they are happy with this and then on the other side, Alicja from Poland and they say “Ah, also from Poland”.😁
Here is what appeared during the television broadcast.
The guys say they are happy and honored to be doing this concert, so they say hello and invite people home to watch the evening.
After the connection with the TG1 news, the boys greet us and go to change their clothes and get ready. A voice tells us that we have to wait for television time, because this concert is live.
Meanwhile, I see Nonna Maura in the front row, lucky her, she is right in front, I’m really happy for her. Ercole and Eleonora arrive, Gianluca’s parents go in front of the front rows and Eleonora stops to greet Maura.
I also see Michele Torpedine in front of the stage.
Ernie also passes in front of me and also Gaetano Barone, whom I then see, joins his wife already in the front row.
Shortly before the concert begins, Caterina and Nina Boschetto also arrive. Nina is now leaner and prettier with longer hair than usual.
People continue to enter and the Arena is filling up with the 6,000 admitted people.
It begins to get dark, the lights of the stage come on, every now and then you can hear the voices of Piero and Ignazio who from behind the stage make the warble (warmup) for the voice: iiiiii eeee aaaa ……
In silence, the 70 members of the orchestra take their place on the stage and in the orchestra pit (i.e. in front of the stage) the choir takes place, making two wings on either side of the central round stage.
Here we are, everything is starting, what emotion!
The preview is projected on the screens, where Piero Ignazio and Gianluca, in the back of the Arena backstage, meet the actor Marco Giallini and talk about Ignazio’s shoes, nice skit, the boys say they are excited.
And here they are, the lights create the atmosphere, three silhouettes can be seen at the end of the scene, it’s them !!! 😍
The boys advance and the music begins, the applause that welcomes them is a little hesitant, I think we are all a little inhibited due to the Covid restrictions and also the live television. But Gianluca, in a strong and confident voice, begins to sing.
His voice is beautiful and Ignazio and Piero follow, and everything becomes magic. Chills on the skin, the beautiful music of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, fills every corner of the Arena and the voices of our boys, rested after the long period of inactivity, are stronger and safer than ever.
The scenography is beautiful, while the boys sing, on the screens and on part of the scenography, the images of the film scroll, the lights constantly change colors. The voices of the choir rise high.
Piero Ignazio and Gianluca are very elegant in their beautiful midnight blue D&G tuxedos with lapel pins, a beautiful elegance that is increasingly rare in today’s young artists.
The boys are also visibly excited.
The song is beautiful, at the end there is a big round of applause.
Ignazio is the first to speak, these are his exact words.
“Good evening!!
You really can’t understand how happy we are to return after a year and a half of silence, to wait for this very day to arrive. Surely all the guests of honor are all of you tonight. Thank you so much for coming, thank you very much.” (applause)
The emotion of the boys is evident, Gianluca admits that their legs are shaking. Piero thanks the Morricone family. And we proceed immediately with the second song “YOUR LOVE”.
This song, for all of us, is full of profound meaning, given the moment it was sung in Sanremo. It is really moving to see Ignatius who, from the beginning of the song, caresses with his fingers the ring he wears in his right hand, a wedding ring, which we think belonged to his beloved father. Even his eyes often close, as if to make eye contact with the one who is no longer there.❤
It is a very intimate and touching moment, as well as the beautiful music and the words, which seem to be written on purpose:
“….. Your strength has made me strong, though life tore us apart and now when the night seems long, your love shines in my heart …..”
(video made by Deborah Georgini Beaupre)
And then, immediately below here is a tribute from Notte Magica, Ignazio asks the audience who was there that evening, of course I raised my hand !! Piero remembers the beautiful evening in Florence in Piazza Santa Croce, remembers the master Placido Domingo who directed them and begins “NESSUN DORMA”.
At the end of the “Nessun Dorma” there was a long applause and the first beautiful standing ovation .
The standing ovation excites the boys a lot, they hug, they thank and Piero says: “So, you make us excited, they have a lot of effect, these applauses, after a year and a half.”
Enter the actress Laura Chiatti and, with the boys there is a nice “curtain” (nicedialogue) that Jo Ann has translated well.
Laura introduces a short video, an interview with Morricone, where the presenter tells that Morricone that he has a very intense relationship with “doing” (in the sense that he works very hard) and Morricone replies that “doing” (in Italian FARE), is not just a verb, but is the union of two musical notes: the FA (F) and the RE (D).
Ignazio presents the song “SE TELEFONANDO”, which, as Susan has well described, was written by Maurizio Costanzo, set to music by Morricone and sung by Mina many years ago. Beautiful and timeless song.
Ignazio explains that Morricone thought of this music, while he was in the post, queuing to pay a gas bill, and then he concludes by saying that he (Ignazio) only goes to the post office to pay the fines. 😁
Upon returning, the exchange of words on Ignazio is beautiful: he is always a disaster, but also he has an incredible voice, then Piero introduces “IL MONDO”.
While Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca sing Riccardo Cocciante enters and they sing together, but what about, Cocciante performs a verse of the song, but when he finishes the verse, Ignazio begins and for me, Ignazio’s voice is truly unique and powerful.
Cocciante met Morricone personally, but he doesn’t want to remember any anecdotes, because he says that the greatness of an artist is in his works. Then he plays a beautiful song of his.
Marco Giallini enters, he says is very impressive to be in front of the audience of the Verona Arena. Together they introduce “SE”, the song taken from the film Cinema Paradiso. A scene from the film starts with little Totò Cascio. The melody is written by Andrea Morricone, (the son who is conductor).
At the end of the short clip, Totò Cascio enters, now an adult. Totò says that during the shooting of the film, Philippe Noiret acted in French, while Totò in Sicilian and Italian and between them a good feeling had been created and he remembers it with affection. Then Totò also remembers the director Giuseppe Tornatore, whom he calls Peppuccio (Giuseppe in Sicilian) and whom he considers as an older brother.
Here are the lyrics of the song SE.
Se tu fossi nei miei occhi per un giorno, vedresti la bellezza che, piena d’allegria, io trovo dentro gli occhi tuoi, non so se è magia, o realtà. Se tu fossi nel mio cuore per un giorno, potresti avere un’idea, di ciò che sento io, quando mi abbracci forte a te, e petto a petto noi, respiriamo insieme. Protagonista del tuo amor non so se sia magia o realtà. Se tu fossi nella mia anima un giorno, sapresti cosa sento in me, che m’innamorai, da quell’istante insieme a te, e ciò che provo è solamente amore. Da quell’istante insieme a te, e ciò che provo è solamente amore.
Translation:
If you were in my eyes for a day, you would see the beauty that, full of joy, I find inside your eyes, I don’t know if it’s magic or reality. If you were in my heart for a day, you might have an idea, of what I feel, when you hug me tightly to you, and chest to chest we breathe together. Protagonist of your love I don’t know if it’s magic or reality. If you were in my soul someday, would you know what I feel in me, that I fell in love, from that moment together with you, and what I feel is only love. From that moment together with you, and what I feel is only love.
Sweet words, sweet moment and sweet Gianluca, who touches Ignazio’s shoulder with his hand, as if to encourage him.
There is also a beautiful dance moment with the circles.
What to say, the sound and visual combination is very beautiful, and how much interpretation in our boys, everything is perfect!
Laura Chiatti is now in the audience and tells us about a film that made an era, transgressive (for that time), which talks about love triangles.
Two other guests arrive: on stage Raphael Gualazzi and Nina Zilli and all together they perform the song of “METTI UNA SERA A CENA.”
And after this beautiful performance, Piero announces the advertisement and ends the first part of the concert.
I hope you enjoyed reading every moment of the concert, I believe that by combining what JoAnn and Susan have written for you, you can get a fairly complete overview of what happened, but we are only at the first piece of the concert, if you want to read the rest ………… I wait for you in a few days !!!
The date of the Morricone tribute concert is approaching and Ignazio, Piero and Gianluca were in Verona Arena, where preparations of the concert were underway.
As I had anticipated, Il Volo, live from Verona, was a guest in the transmission of DOMENICA IN, presented by Mara Venier.
Here is the video of the broadcast that I translated for you.
Click the photo below to watch the interview.
MARA = And now there is this video from Verona, where the guys from Il Volo are ready for a beautiful connection, let’s see the video. (the video of the promotion starts).
Here it is, now I will go in connection with these wonderful guys who are having crazy success abroad, now we will see some images that also make us Italians go crazy (in the sense that they make us proud).
Here they are, hello Piero, hello Ignazio, hello Gianluca, can you hear me, can you see me?
GIAN = Loud and clear.
MARA = I don’t hear today, maybe I have sudden deafness.
GIAN = We hear you loud and clear, Mara here we are!
MARA = You, but not me. I feel you are very far away.
IGNAZIO = And we are far away ….
MARA = Here, now I hear you, so guys how beautiful this image is from my Verona (Mara is from the Veneto region, where Verona is). What a beautiful Arena.
Meanwhile, I want to give you this video and then you tell me everything.
(a short video of Sanremo 2021 starts).
MARA = This is a beautiful moment of the Sanremo festival, but you, on Saturday 5th June, on RAI 1, will make a tribute to the great Ennio Morricone from the wonderful Arena of Verona, right guys?
GIAN = Yes Mara, we are here to celebrate the one who was the representation of absolute genius. From silence he could create works of art that made many generations fall in love. The maestro certainly does not need any introduction, but we humbly want to make this contribution to bring his music to the new generations of the youngest and therefore, for us it is first of all a great honor and also a great responsibility, because singing the columns sound of the great maestro Morricone, it is not easy, but it is something in which we will put “heart and soul”.
MARA = It is right what you said, you reach your audience who are young but you also have people from other generations, because your talent is immense, you are demonstrating it in recent years, taking Italy around the world . But you are also three guys, and I believe that with great emotion, as you said, you re-propose the music of the great Ennio Morricone, of the great films, which will remain in the history of cinema, wonderful soundtracks. I really think the emotion starts with you three.
Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca, then a very strong emotion for you who are very young to bring the music, the compositions of the great Morricone.
PIERO = Mara, celebrating Maestro Morricone, for us, is a great honor but equally a great responsibility. From this idea a recording project was born and we would like to say that we are really anxious and excited for next Saturday evening, 5 June, because it will be our first live concert live on RAI 1. But the thing that reassures us is the support of Ennio Morricone’s family, because on stage with us there will be his son Andrea Morricone to direct the orchestra and many other guests.
But the biggest guest will be the audience, because we will finally do a concert with the audience here at the Verona Arena and finally it will be a thrill to see our audience again (applause).
MARA = Here an applause started from the few present, as you know we are always few here (due to Covid), but an applause started from the whole group, from the whole team, precisely because you somehow represent all your colleagues (singers), that is, there is a restart, we start again, we have a desire to hear singing live and I think you have a crazy desire to perform. How much have you missed all of this in this long period? Ignazio you answer me, love of aunt (Mara is usually called aunt), how are you?
IGNAZIO = I’m fine, I’m fine.
This afternoon we start rehearsals, and we can’t wait, because it’s been months, a year, a year and a half that we haven’t performed in front of an audience and surely starting from the Arena is something that makes us even happier, because like we know, the Arena is one of those places where every Italian artist aspires to perform and make our first and only concert of this year right here, with the reopening of the public, a positive message, a message of hope for all artists. For all the famous artists and for all the artists who want to resume playing, it is a message of hope that soon we will all be back again to perform in front of an audience and this will be in the near future.
MARA = Ignazio, this is a question I ask all three, how have you spent these long months?
IGNAZIO = At home with the mask, I also slept, with the mask at one point, I was so fond of the mask that I slept with it too.
GIAN = Mara, certainly for us, for all of us it was a difficult moment and we must have a spirit of adaptation in these cases, because when life, unfortunately, puts us to the test, it is in that moment that we must try not to live the passive life. For example, I learned to play the piano, I didn’t know how to play it, I started reading more, which I didn’t do before, but the important thing is to improve yourself, have a personal growth that allows you to be a better person.
MARA = Now I want to send a video, because I asked you how much you missed the live performance, but the public has never stopped following you, and in this video, I want to show these three guys, within 10 years, what they managed to do. We see it together and then I want to hear a comment from you.
(start of a short video of the successes of Il Volo)
So, various moments, what do you remember? I imagine the emotion with Pope Francis, but also with Barbra Streisand. What do you remember, come on, tell me something, some anecdotes.
IGNAZIO = We remember everything. I remember that the first time we sang with Barbra Streisand was on my birthday, October 4th two thousand and …… help me (he says to Piero and Gian).
GIAN = 2012, remember everything I see !!
IGNAZIO = I don’t just remember the year, it’s not like I can remember everything !!
MARA = And how did you feel Ignazio, how were you?
IGNAZIO = I was fine, the pressure was fine !! ( Ignazio, the usual joker).😁
MARA = But you had Barbra Streisand close …
PIERO = Mara, the thing that worries me most on Saturday night, will be the conduct and presentation of the program of the three of us, but above all, that of Ignazio (laughter)😁
GIAN = You can’t hold him back, you have to expect everything from Ignazio.
IGNAZIO = You must know that it will be the first time, first of all that we do a live concert, but above all that …..
PIERO = Above all that there will be many guests, there will be: Riccardo Cocciante (Italian singer-songwriter who wrote the music for Notre Dame de Paris), Laura Chiatti (Italian actress) Stefano Bollani (composer and pianist) Andrea Griminelli (flutist), Marco Giallini (actor).
IGNAZIO = This is how it will end, that while I am speaking he (Piero) will interrupt me, because it always ends like this.
GIAN = And I look at you, always, because I let you do it.
PIERO = It will be difficult to start, but when we fuel …..
MARA = Guys, now in hand, your victory in Sanremo and then we say goodbye and we are waiting for you on Saturday 5th June RAI1, finally the live concert of Il Volo. Let’s see 2015 SANREMO. (starts the video of the victory of Sanremo 2015)
Here it is.
IGNAZIO = It’s always exciting to see this, you know?
MARA = I think it is also for the people, a good moment for you.
IGNAZIO = Yes, very much.
PIERO = Mara, I want to say something really important, this concert, it will not be the concert of Il Volo only, on RAI1 live on Saturday night, but it will be everyone’s concert, you see: orchestral, show operators, technicians , all these people working around us, is the greatest victory, and the famous “we will make it”, it means that it is happening now. (applause)
MARA = I think so too, it is for all of us, even for those who are not there, because it means that we start again, we leave again guys and we really hope to have overcome this moment, these months so bad, so terrible. Will you get the vaccine? Because now comes the turn of the young, I sponsor a lot of the vaccine, kids you have to do it, please.
I + G + P = Absolutely.
IGNAZIO = It is a very personal choice, that of the vaccine, but it is certainly what will help us to live more peacefully.
We must trust science, because we do not live in a normal era, it is not a disease that we know of, and therefore we must trust the scientists, we must trust the research that goes on and surely, personally I will trust and I will.
MARA = Bravo Ignazio, this is very important, on your part to give this message and give your opinion to all the young people who follow you and all your fans, for which it is very important, thank you very much.
IGNAZIO = An opinion remains, then everyone can do what they want.
MARA = Yes, everyone can do what they want, but better do it, can I say it?
IGNAZIO = Absolutely
GIAN = Greetings to everyone in the studio.
PIERO = Bye Mara . . . to Saturday.
MARA = Thanks to Il Volo and good work.
Click on photo below to show the concert promotion.
Meanwhile, the rehearsals for the concert continue in Verona, together with the orchestras.
Master Grani also posted this message:
WE HAVE STARTED AGAIN, HURRY !!
There is also another good news, Sony has sent Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero, a nice certification that attests that with their CD, IL VOLO Best 10 years, they have obtained the gold record. Certainly it is a nice milestone, as real sales are now extremely difficult, and the awards are now counted on the streamed listeners and not just on the actual sales made. Good, guys!!
In the photo we see the personal certification issued by Sony to Gianluca, it will be a nice trophy to add to the homes of our young men.
Another good news, I told you that Italy won Eurovision, this means that next year Italy will host Eurovision, this important European singing competition.
From the moment of victory, the candidacy for who will present Eurovision has begun. Whoever does it will need to be a skilled presenter and know several languages. Well the organization, among the various names has also listed Il Volo. In my opinion they would be perfect for this role, what do you think?
Here is ESCTODAY’s instagram message:
Would you like @ilvolomusic to host @ eurovision2022 in Italy next year?
And now a beautiful message from Gianluca to the children of the fifth grade (10/11 years).
Gianluca you are truly unbeatable.
Hello everyone, I really wanted to send a greeting to all the little fans of the classes, fifth A and fifth B, of the primary school of Pagliare (municipality of Abruzzo).
I really thank you for thinking of me as the musical excellence of our region, regarding your virtual journey “I invite you to Abruzzo”.
I hope you will really appreciate the wonders of our territory, together with your teachers who will be the tour guides.
I also invite you to always be good students, in the continuation of your school career, so that you can realize your greatest aspirations, because with passion, commitment and even a little luck, the most beautiful dreams we want can come true. in life. See you soon.
A hug.
And finally … HERE THEY ARE, my beautiful tickets for the concert in the Arena have arrived today.
Well, after all this good news, I want to finish with the words of my friend Luce Blu, after she saw Il Volo on DOMENICA IN.
See you soon: Daniela 🤗
The evening comes with such a sweet and serene rhythm, the perfect moment to stop and think for a while, and I’m thinking that as always it was a great pleasure to see and listen to you … as well as indisputable and extraordinary talents, you are beautiful thoughts and hearts.
Just a few minutes and we feel between clouds and stars thanks to our wonderful trio.
It’s all a succession of news and I will try to make order.
Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca were in Verona, together with the mayor of Verona, they held the press conference for the presentation of the June 5th event in the Arena. I will summarize what was said by the mayor of Verona and the director of RAI1, the network that will broadcast the event.
MAYOR = “Welcome to Il Volo in our city. It is an important day because we are presenting this concert which has a number of important meanings.
The request by the Veneto Region on the possibility of giving concerts at the Verona Arena for 6,000 people was accepted.
The Arena is not only the symbol of Verona but of music, in an open theater, on an international level.
It is the date of a restart, a reopening and great music that can be enjoyed live. On June 5, you have the honor of restarting the music with the presence of thousands of people.
For the city of Verona it is an honor to host you and be the city where everything can start again.”
RAI 1 DIRECTOR = For the flagship network of the Public Service, it is an honor to go to this special evening which means a lot for the artistic world and for the country.
As soon as Ignazio, Piero and Gianluca came together with their agent to offer me this evening, I accepted it immediately.
Rai Uno wants to remember Morricone, who has done so much for our music and culture, and the thing that seemed interesting to me is that it was reinterpreted by three young people who represent.
The idea that they were born in a talent show and have climbed, achieving such great success all over the world, makes us proud. It is the world of hope, justice and public service that Rai represents.
It is nice to think that three artists like Il Volo want to pay homage to Morricone. I think they have a lot to tell, even beyond singing.
I asked them to perform on their repertoire songs as well (“‘O Sole Mio”, “Grande Amore”, etc.), to the Italian people to review how their virtuosity has changed. They are now adults, really for Rai Uno it is an honor and we will be alongside, with great joy, for this first normal event. We will give a taste of the arrival of Il Volo on Rai Uno, on 2 June, with the National Anthem, after Tg1. I believe that the identity of this trio is consistent with the identity that the flagship network must have.”
RAI 1 VICE DIRECTOR = “I just want to reiterate and underline the welcome to Il Volo on Rai Uno. Il Volo is strongly Rai Uno, it has the artistic and value characteristics of the channel’s entertainment.
From the Festival to today, it has punctuated and punctuated the Rai Uno schedule.
It is no coincidence that they have always had a leading role. An extraordinary adventure that started some time ago that gives us the opportunity to enjoy new stages like this one to pay tribute to Ennio Morricone with great singers from Il Volo.
Such an important story for Italian music and cinema, Ennio Morricone has won 10 David di Donatello and two Oscars.”
ARENA ARTISTIC DIRECTOR = “I’m excited I got to know Ennio Morricone very well. Being able to open the season of live and television events with this event has always been my hope. I thank Gianluca, Piero, Ignazio for their commitment and desire to return to the Arena.
We will give, to the three of them, a numbered statue representing a divinity with the Arena of Verona on his head.
I hope it is a good omen for the resumption of events at the Arena which, I hope, will never stop.”
Gianluca: “We are honored to be able to represent this rebirth. For us it is a great journey, a wonderful adventure, immersed in the notes of Morricone, one year after his death. Lately we believe we have had a personal growth that also involves an artistic maturity that we try to show to all of you. We were born as child prodigies, after 12 years of career we are satisfied with the work we are doing. We are really happy to be able to do it.”
PIERO: “Finally we can sing, after a year and a half we couldn’t take it anymore. Our work, I always say, is a dream job. We are incurable dreamers. Every wish is finally coming true. On June 5 we will give a message of hope, there is a great desire to get on that stage and see so many people working with us: from the technicians to the orchestra, to the many collaborators.”
IGNAZIO: “The Arena is one of the icons of our Italy, one of the few symbols like the Colosseum or Venice that are regularly remembered. The one on June 5 will be our only concert in 2021 . At every event we organize we make ourselves crazy: I think of the concert in homage to the three tenors with Placido Domingo with us on stage or when we sang a few meters from the Pope.”
Piero Ignazio and Gianluca then gave these answers to the press:
The aim is to make Ennio Morricone’s music and culture known even to the youngest.
“We like the surprise effect. It will be an evening dedicated to Ennio Morricone but there will also be songs from our repertoire that are part of the career. If you remember well: The Mission, Once Upon a Time in the West, New Cinema Paradiso … We hope to be up to it.
The evening will also be broadcast by PBS, the American network.
“For a better result of the audio we decided to record the CD in the studio, not live. We have the pleasure of collaborating with the Sinfonietta, Ennio Morricone’s orchestra. It is a studio album. We decided to anticipate this concert even though the album will be released later.
Our tour will start in March 18, 2022 from New York.”
(Il Volo with the mayor)
“We changed the location from Rome to Verona, because the Arena is the largest open-air amphitheater. In Rome, it would have been more difficult to manage this situation. In St. Peter’s Square we sang for Christmas, with Christmas songs. In San Pietro there were no conditions to ensure safety.”
“During the pandemic, we tried not to passively experience this bad time. We have always tried to be productive. It was a difficult time for everyone. We canceled the world tour but we are very optimistic, determined and ambitious by nature. The strength to believe in one’s dreams and goals. We got to go back to the recording studio and dedicate ourselves to ourselves and our music. Everyone should try to mature and study from all points of view.”
“Perhaps this is the best project of our career,” says Gianluca Ginoble, at the end of the press conference.
Tickets will be on sale from Friday 14 May at 4 pm on the TicketOne circuit. Those who have a ticket for the 2022 tour will have the opportunity to buy the ticket at a special price.
What can I say, a beautiful conference and many beautiful and deserved words for our beloved trio Il Volo.
You read that right, the tour will start on March 18 in NY, surely it will be in Radio City Music Hall.
The greeting of our boys:
PIERO = Hello to all the friends of Arenalive.it.
GIAN = We give you the great news, the appointment in Verona on June 5th, both here in presence and on TV. It will be a great event, a contribution to Morricone.
IGNAZIO = They have already said everything, I greet you, and we are waiting for you.
REPORTER = Is this event more of a burden or more of an honor?
IGNAZIO = In reality it is a bit of everything, for responsibility it is an honor and pride.
PRIDEbecause Morricone’s music is a heritage of Italy, it is part of our culture and it is an honor for us to spread his music through our voices, and to bring his melodies all over the world.
HONOR because we do it in a very particular historical moment, where, until recently, it was uncertain to sing again in front of an audience and now, thanks also to the work of the mayor of Verona and many other people, we are able to sing in the Arena with the presence of 6000 people, so it is a great hope that soon they will be back on tour.
REPORTER = You said something extraordinary in a press conference, which is the most important occasion of your career.
GIAN = Yes, because for us it shows a certain artistic maturity, we are always looking to surpass ourselves. In our career, born as child prodigies, it is clear that to acquire a certain credibility, it takes time, with patience you reach everything and we work hard for this.
REPORTER = What kind of signal will come out of this show in the Arena?
PIERO = More than anything else we have always had the strength not to be disheartened.
It will be a concert of hope, there has always been talk of “we will make it” and when we will return to normal and therefore we must start and all the ideas are materializing. Finally we will be on stage, finally we sing.
REPORTER= There is expectation on the part of the public, but also on your part for this concert.
GIAN = For us who do it, we are very happy, I also imagine people who really want to go back to see a live concert, so it will be a great shared happiness.
This, on the other hand, is the promo video for the concert on June 5th.
GIAN = A beautiful adventure begins, a beautiful journey.
PRESENTER = Il Volo celebrates the great master ENNIO MORRICONE
PIERO = Silence because they are recording.
PRESENTER = In an event evening, on the notes of his unforgettable music.
IGNAZIO = I must say that they are all different and all beautiful.
(the song the boys mention is taken from the Cinema Paradiso soundtrack)
PIERO = We are close to the finish line.
PRESENTER = Il Volo, a tribute to Ennio Morricone, coming soon on RAI 1.
I have no more words, but only many positive thoughts.
When I hear our boys talking, I always denote a great composure and maturity, certainly not so common to many other artists.
They are “great” and they want to prove it with their wonderful commitments, which they inevitably carry out with great honor.
Now I have only one fixed thought ….. to be able to get tickets for June 5th !!!
Some stories just write themselves and the author stands by with pen in hand, looks down at the paper and says yes, yes that’s exactly what I wanted to say! And you can’t even remember writing it but it’s there and it’s so spot on! Life writes its own stories! Certainly, life wrote this one about three teenage boys. Teenagers! Think of your kid outside playing basketball or soccer. Could you imagine that he would walk off the court and into the limelight? I’m thinking your fondest hope would be that he would clean up his room.
How do you explain three amazing voices coming together on the same stage, at the same time? I have only one explanation. La Forza del Destino! It was fate! It was a plan! It was God’s plan!
Watching the guys recording these last few weeks brought back fond memories of the beginning. Before Sanremo, before Barbara Streisand, before Notte Magica! In the real beginning….
In the beginning there were three guys named Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca. They were ordinary guys!
Piero loved his motorbike! “When I arrived at the roundabout in the center of the city, voom, I did a wheelie with the motorbike.”
Ignazio loved to play soccer. “My main project when I went to school was to get home and spend the afternoon playing football.”
Gianluca, also, loved to play soccer! “How did I play soccer? I was good, come on, I did not like losing, I wanted to score goals by force, I never passed the ball, and when I had the ball, I scored.”
So, yes, they were ordinary kids but, they all had something special. They had a special gift from God. Their voice!
What was it that made them different? What was it about this baritone and two tenors that was different from other tenors or baritones? First and foremost, the delivery of these three voices was equal. The crispness and clarity in each voice was defined. They were alike but they were different. They were balanced! Roberto Cenci recognized these exceptional qualities and understood that they could blend into one beautiful voice so, he decided to put the three voices together. The result was they were an immediate sensation and they caused important people in the industry to stop and listen!
Each one separately was captivating, together, they were a gift that God gave to humanity!
The first meeting!
We have to keep in mind that in the beginning the guys were underage so any negotiations and plans for their future was handled by their parents. It was only after the parents first meeting with among others, Michele Torpedine, that the guys were informed that plans were being made for them. After this meeting the parents met again a month later and signed a contract for the guys to record with Universal.
I think Piero put it best when he said, “The day before, I went to my uncle’s workshop and the next day I signed a millionaire contract with an American label.”
The behind-the-scenes video of the guys recording “Tous les visages de l’amour” and, the recent recording of the Ennio Morricone album inspired me to write this article.
Let’s start by listening to Piero talk about their first meeting with Michele Torpedine.
“The day began well, calm, and quiet. I was having lunch at the hotel restaurant and a gentleman with a sand-colored raincoat and graying hair arrived. I heard footsteps behind me and a ‘Hello, Piero’ with this deep voice. You recognize Michele’s voice anywhere. You know, when I speak of that meeting, it reminds me of things I’ve seen in an American movie. It was from this that we started, three fifteen-sixteen-year-old idiots, and Torpedine, who had already become an icon for me. So, he sits with us and we start talking. After lunch, we got ready for rehearsal.
And, so, it begins!
Being teenagers there was always going to be some antics going on.
Gianluca recalls, “We were three children at the park playing. Ignazio, to name one, poured Coca-Cola on the floor in the dressing room and it ended up on Michele’s jacket. Michele turns and says, “Barbara look,” I still remember it, with a face looking like “Oh my God!”
Piero recalls, “And after the Coca-Cola there were plums. Our first meeting with Michele ends with plums flying from one dressing room to the other and Michele comes out with white hair, indeed no, because he already had white hair. No, he comes out with straight hair saying, ‘Are you three, crazy?’
In practice we threw plums from the door of our dressing room, to the one next to us. We had a mess that night.
What has changed from that day to today? Nothing. On tour, in the television broadcast rooms and sometimes even in the recording room, one of our favorite activities is the fruit launch. The best are the grapes (but we also use cherries). Ignazio throws them from a distance and, I have to take it on the fly and catch it in my mouth. It doesn’t matter if the Pope or Bono is in the dressing room next to us, it doesn’t impress us.”
Listen to what the guys had to say about the beginning of their career.
Piero: “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.”
Ignazio: “So, a dream that Piero, in the clouds, has forgotten to say is the most important thing: it was the first time that Italian singers signed a contract directly with an American record company. But it was not that we signed the contract, the big thing was done, but it had yet to start!”
Gianluca: “Piero forgot to mention that ours was the first contract signed directly by Italian singers with an American label, but Ignazio forgot to mention that the first recording studio in which we entered all three together for our great adventure was called the Forum and it was in Rome.”
The first time in the studio!
Ignazio continues: “For us today there are seven takes to sing. At that time there were thirty or forty. You will say, what language does he speak? English, Spanish and, also a little Italian. So, a take is the recording of the single phrase that each of us sings when we record a song. We continue to redo it until we get the best version. In 2009, our first recording, took almost two days to record a song, until it was good. I remember that I made the absolute record of takes in “Smile,” I repeated my part for fifty-seven times.”
Piero: “…It was nice because it was the first experience. We did not sing well because we had no technique, so it was as Ignazio said. We did a take sixty or seventy times.
At that time, we arrived in the studio and we found everything ready. The songs to sing, the subdivisions, the arrangement, this and the other things. After the third album, we did everything together, we created everything with Celso Valli, our producer.
Those first times we did not have this freedom, everything was prepared for us because we did not have the skills to do it.
Now we have them (the skills) and we share the parts, we know each other better and, in the studio, we help each other. It is also nice to see that each of us now has his way to enter the recording room. Gianluca and I sing with the light on in the recording room. Ignazio, on the other hand, enters and the first thing he does is turn off the light. They are small details, but they mean that we have grown and, we have our own way of working.
Between the three of us, we have split up the roles. If there is a problem with the mixer, Ignazio works on it with the producer to fix it. Gianluca is the one who listens to the songs from morning to night and offers: ‘Guys, I discovered this songwriter,’ ‘Guys, I discovered this artist, what do you think?’ I like the managerial part. I like managing, I like to contact people, I like to propose new things to Michele, ‘Why do we not do that?’ ‘Why do we not try to do that?’ ‘How can we get to this person?’ I like us to put our heads together and think of how we can improve. We have a complete professional balance. We have grown physically, but also professionally. Even if we have a new producer, we do not know, we do not have any problems. We know how to talk to him and tell him what we want. This is the most important aspect: being at the same level.”
After this it was off to America for the guys.
Speaking of America! One year ago, we were enjoying the concerts in America! I saw the guys at Radio City Music Hall! Then the world turned upside down!
Pandemic!
What in the world was going on?Literally in the World!
We started hearing about a pandemic. And it seemed the worst of it was in Italy. The guys began to worry. And then, no it was time to leave. Leave now or get stuck in America! It was time! They turned off the lights and went home!
(First message from Il Volo on the Covid situation, sent when they were still on tour in America)
They canceled their last three performances and the next thing we knew they were on their way home. But being true to form, like good children, they checked in with us as soon as they got home and told us they were safe and, they needed to be with their families now.
As you know the guys went into quarantine and stayed there for three and a half months.
Then the quarantine was over and, they left their houses. And something amazing started to happen!
The one thing they wanted more than anything was to get back to work. Well, they did have the commitment with Dolce & Gabbana which gave us a spectacular Sunday event. And there was the concert in Monte Carlo but, something was missing.
At Verona, they showed us what was missing!
But let’s step back a minute!
On the Friday afternoon before the performance, we watched the guys at sound check give a performance to the people who were scattered around the Verona Arena that would rival most concerts. And then later in the evening they returned to the Arena for light check.
Ignazio and Gianluca were making videos with their phones, while Piero was wandering around.
Ignazio get’s Piero’s attention.
Ignazio: “What are you doing?”
Piero shakes his head and asks. “What are you looking at?”
Ignazio (points): “The light that is there.”
Gianluca: “It’s Beautiful.”
Ignazio: “The gorgeous light. Gorgeous! Gorgeous!”
Of course, Piero pulled out his phone and started to video.
But what was it about the lights that got Ignazio’s attention? Well, they were as Ignazio said, “La Luce Stupenda!” “The lights were gorgeous,” but I think he was thinking about the last lights that he saw on stage.
That Saturday night when the guys were entering the Arena before the show they were stopped and asked this question by a woman reporter:
Reporter: “You are International entertainers therefore you know how much the live dimension is missing. But above all you have defined the stage as your natural element. So, how is it for you to return to a live performance tonight?”
Ignazio: “It’s like giving candy to a baby. We are happy because we missed it. We missed it to die for but not only for our personal thing but because this is to me the music slowly restarting with safety measures. But we are restarting it all with Italian music. It’s like I am starting again to grow up on stage and hope that it can be a message of hope for the groups, in the cities, in the emerging local areas who want to start making music. We have to continue making music and we hope for full concerts and full live by 2021.”
It was an absolutely beautiful statement that said it all! What I liked best about this statement was Ignazio saying “It’s like I am restarting it all with Italian music. I’m starting again to grow up on stage…” What did he mean? This time he is starting in Italy not America. He finally feels like he is at home! Bravo Ignazio! You are home.
When the guys arrived on stage, they had a message for the world and all the people in the industry:
Ignazio: “2020 will be remembered as the year where the world would be constrained to be turned off.”
Gianluca: “For the music employees the verb “turn off” means the end of the show, when the curtains close and it is the waiting moment for the next show, but this time the waiting lasted more than expected, the silence was unavoidable.”
Piero: “Now, the world is getting ready to start again! Now the moment has arrived to raise the curtain! Now, we will turn on the music!”
This beautiful statement was followed by the performance of the evening. Their choice of “Nessun Dorma” sent an even stronger message. It’s says we may have to perform under these new world conditions, but we don’t have to change who we are or why we’re here. In this ancient Arena we look to the past while following the path to the future.
Click on the photo below to view IL VOLO’s performance of “Nessun Dorma”.
From their first note the whole arena lit up. Their voices were clean and crisp. Their presence was illuminating. Their notes rose above the Arena into the night sky to let the world know music is back! The final note of their song sent the final message. All three voices rose in unison and their voices sent forth a note that took our breaths away! It said We Have Returned! “Turn on the Lights!”
What is so amazing about this is, over the months since they had left quarantine, they had almost single handedly brought back the music industry in Italy. All the work they’ve done since they left quarantine has been to move things forward in Italy. This includes their most important project the concert in Tribute to Ennio Morricone and the recording of their new album by the same name.
Seeing them back in the recording studio, these last few weeks, has been a joy. Listening to them sing “Your Love,” at Sanremo, even under trying circumstances, gave us hope for the future. This preview gave us a look into the new album which we are all anxiously awaiting. But above all, the guys have Hit the Restart Button! They have played a major part in the restart of the music industry In Italy!
Join me next week as I go back Through the Fields of My Mind and open the door to a new adventure!
OK, it was news that I was hoping it would not come, I had to wait a few days to make this post, because the disappointment was really great and the thing had to be metabolized.
Surely you have all already read and are aware of the news, but it seemed right to talk about it together, maybe talking about it seems less bad.
On Monday 3 May, Volomusic (the official website of Il Volo) published the news that all the Italian concerts that were scheduled for 2020 and already moved, due to the pandemic, to 2021, will be further moved to 2022.
TERRIBLE!! 😱😭
Here is the official news:
Accordingly to the current Anti Covid rules, the “10 Years – Live” tour planned for the 2021 is postponed to the next year, 2022.
All tickets already sold will be valid for the new dates.
Please find below the first confirmed dates for 2022, in agreement with the Verona Arena: -3rd June 2022 at the Verona Arena (recovery of 29th August 2021 at the Verona Arena) -4th June 2022 at the Verona Arena (recovery 30th August 2021 at the Verona Arena)
By Within the 15th May 2021, the new 2022 dates will be communicated for the following cities: -Taormina (recovery of 4th and 5th September 2021) -Turin (recovery of 16th October 16 2021) -Rome (recovery of 20th October 2021) -Milan (recovery of 23rd October 2021) Thanks everyone for your support!
❤️ IL VOLO
Within minutes, the tam tam of the news had already gone around the world and I received messages to confirm the news (unfortunately) from one continent to another.
So the nice concert I had to see on August 30th will be postponed to June 3rd 2022 !! And I know of many American friends who already had tickets for Taormina 2020, moved to 2021 and now to 2022.
After having patiently waited for a whole year, and having passed a terrible winter studded with so much bad and very bad news, we began to see a light at the end of this tunnel, also thanks to the spread of vaccines, and instead our hopes were dashed.
Certainly it is not the fault of Il Volo, which is working to surprise us and which has already been denied the concert in the beautiful square in front of the Vatican in Rome, and which still does not know if the public will be present in the Arena in Verona.
It is well known that performing in front of a large festive audience gives you an incredible charge of adrenaline, it is quite another thing to perform “behind closed doors”.
So, the only opportunity here in Italy, this year, to attend a live concert of Il Volo is only that of the tribute concert to Morricone on June 4th.
The mayor of Verona is doing everything in his power to expand the number of people admitted to the concerts, from 1000 to 6000. I read his heartfelt letter that he published, asking for the support of all the government representatives of the Veneto region (where the Arena is).
On May 6, I heard the mayor himself speaking on Radio 102.5. He said that the Arena must restart and that he is responsible, not only as mayor, but also as supervisor for the Arena and therefore he says he has done everything so that there are no contagion problems and therefore he wants people to be admitted, at least 6000, and that their ticket (which will be nominative) is also proof for returning home after the hours set for the curfew (currently 10:00 pm).
Meanwhile, other news has arrived, because it has been published that on 11 May Il Volo will be in the Arena in Verona, and will record a video to announce the concert on 5 June and on that occasion they will also sing “Il canto degli italiani”, that is the Italian national anthem, which will be broadcast by RAI on 2 June, Republic Day here in Italy. Of course, the shooting in the Arena will be done without an audience (too bad).
But why was 11 May chosen to do these shots?
It is not a date chosen at random, but it is a symbolic date of a great anniversary.
On 11 May 1946, the Scala in Milan reopened to the public after the Liberation and the end of the war. Seventy-five years later, in the difficult period we all live in, the Verona Arena is fighting to reopen.
Here is the heartfelt appeal, published by the Verona Arena.
THE APPEAL – “We make this appeal with an objective, within our reach and that of our Authorities: that the Arena of Verona, in order not to die, can welcome at least 6,000 spectators in its shows until midnight – TO THE ARENA IN 6 THOUSAND UNTIL 24.00 – and that its first international event, Il Volo – Tribute to Ennio Morricone, scheduled for Saturday 5 June and broadcast in Italy and the United States of America, can take place with this public presence, to spread abroad an encouraging image of our country.”
And then there is more, in the last two days there have been photos taken in Rome by our boys, in particular, pieces of videos that filmed Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero on a beautiful day in Villa Borghese, in the beautiful park , but why? Maybe a relaxating ride ??
But these little messages that our boys send us (thanks again Gianluca!), Are always small traces to make us understand that they are doing something ………….. in fact in fact here is the news that I have translated from ANSA from Brazil.:
Tenor trio Il Volo surprised fans on Wednesday 5 May by appearing in the gardens of Villa Borghese, a park located in Rome, Italy, to record a video dedicated to Brazil. The content of the clip has not been revealed, but the filming took place between the Italians who practiced physical exercises and the workers who rested for lunch. During the recording break, Ignazio Boschetto, Gianluca Ginoble and Piero Barone greeted and wished “good training” to all the citizens who stopped the race to watch them. At least 15 people participated in the making of the video dedicated to Brazil, a country that the tenors, famous for giving a pop touch to classical music, have already declared their love several times.
Mamma mia, what a nice surprise for those who had the pleasure of seeing them and maybe making the video with them.
It will be a nice surprise also for the Brazilian fans, who will see Il Volo on video, we hope it can be seen by us too !!
This photo, taken by Gianluca (thanks Gian), I can’t believe it was posted by Ignazio!
Beautiful and smiling, Piero Ignazio and Gianluca, at the Rome airport, impossible to know the direction, but in the meantime let’s enjoy their smiling faces and we notice with joy that Ignazio’s eyebrow is healed and there are no piercing !!😁😉
That’s all for now, lots of bad and good news, I must say this post started out sad, but then, seeing their smiling faces in Rome cheered us up, a smile was also formed on our faces, that smile that will make us wait patiently for the moment when we will see them again. ❤️
Daniela
🌸 Auguri per la festa della mamma!!
UPDATE May 8
This post was ready to be published, when the organization of the Verona Arena published that they had the green light to admit 6000 people, so good news, now I hope to be admitted to purchase these tickets !!!
The Arena communiqué ends with these words: “With the Il Volo event, live in Italy and also broadcast in the USA from the Arena on June 5, we want to give an encouraging image of Italy.”
This photo instead was published today by the president of the Marche region. There are with him: Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca in Genga. Genga is the place where there are the beautiful and famous Frasassi Caves !!!
This photo was taken in front of the Abbey of San Vittore. Could there be a collaboration with Il Volo?
We’ll see: Daniela
Credit to owners of all photos and videos.
Come in and share the love of life, friends and Il Volo!
