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IL VOLO TO AIDA by Daniela

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We fans like seeing Il Volo very much, it makes us feel good, it puts us in a good mood, it cheers up the evening, and therefore every occasion is excellent.
This time it is the opening event of the operatic year at the Arena di Verona, which turns 100 this year and therefore an appointment that will be broadcast live Instagram worldwide, and the chosen opera will be AIDA from Giuseppe Verdi.
An important event for which many excellent invitations have been made, who are expected on the red carpet for a brief interview, among the guests also Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca, here they are on their arrival on the red carpet.
What can I say …. what a vision, what elegance ….. beautiful, natural, elegant, they advance on the red carpet, they are immediately joined by Gigliola Cinquetti, a well-known singer, now 75 years old, who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1964 . They are interviewed by Milly Carlucci.
MILLY= But I see some guys that we all know, here they are, they are Il Volo.
PIERO= Good evening.
MILLY= And there is also Gigliola Cinquetti.
MILLY= Here we talk about music, the music that takes our hearts, and then I must say that over the years the Arena has become a symbol of Italian culture in the world, a bit like all our music, let’s say “high” music in the world, it is the one that acts as a forerunner and you have felt the affection of many different countries, when you arrive perhaps bringing Italian romances, you are the example of the crossover between pop and opera.
IGNAZIO= We try to make many understand that music has no limits, and how the Arena has broken down the barriers of opera, it has broken down the barriers of the small audience and has reached the general public, opening the doors of the Arena also to popular music and pop music, we are very happy about this, because it has given the opportunity to make this temple of music known to more people. (Ignazio says this because years ago the Arena was only for opera, now there are also pop shows).
MILLY= You have been here many times for pop reasons, in the sense that you have sung here many times on non-opera occasions, but have you never seen an opera here?
PIERO= Never at the Arena di Verona, this is our first time.
MILLY= Then we have a debut.
PIERO= First opera at the Arena di Verona, we are honored to be present on such an important evening, and to see an opera that has marked the culture of our Italy. We are very happy and honoured.
MILLY= All right, do you have a sheet music with you to follow along? You don’t have it, now we’ll give you the sheet music, but you need the ear, Gigliola is right.
PIERO= But I advise the public to go and look for the curiosities of Aida on the internet, they are 5 beautiful curiosities.
MILLY= Really beautiful. I’ll let you go and take your places.
PIERO= Thank you, thank you very much.

Michele Torpedine was also present at the event.

As for the opera, it started 10 minutes late because a light rain fell at the beginning, but nothing to do with the pouring rain of the Il Volo concert.
The show began with the Frecce Tricolori passing through the Arena and the Italian national anthem sung by a choir wearing long dresses in the three colors of the Italian flag.
Here is the photo posted by Piero.

Very good singers and the whole orchestra, on the representation, the theater director wanted to amaze with a modern effect, very impactful, but let me tell you that I prefer the traditional version, this is obviously my personal opinion.

It was a surprise to see our beloved Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero on television for this event, our eyes widened and what can I say a little vision.
Reserve these beautiful surprises for us again, we are waiting for you.
Daniela 🤗

 

Credit to owners of all photos and videos.

 

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“UNO PER TUTTI” VERONA, MAY 1st, 2023 by Kirsten from Denmark

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In spite of “just” having been in Rome back in December to enjoy the guys’ last concert in 2022, I did immediately get very excited when reading the announcement that IL VOLO would come to Verona primo May. A new craving arose… My husband would be away working in Norway these dates, so should I try to fly down on my own… Well, albeit Verona isn’t exactly around the corner from Copenhagen, Denmark, where I live, it is still “just” some 2½ hrs. away by air, so… And with concert tickets running half of the prices in my country and budget airline Ryanair offering very reasonable tickets to Italy, it didn’t take me long to convince my husband, that it would be a perfect thing for me to do while he was gone 😉. Talking it over with my good Italian friend Daniela – as you all know so well here – it was soon decided that I should come and she would help me with the ticket and practical arrangements. So she was on her toes at 10:00am sharp when the pre-sale opened and succeeded in getting us good seats on second row. Top! Jihaa – once again I was to experience IL VOLO live. 😀 💓
That the weather wouldn’t be particular good in Verona didn’t come as a surprise… I had followed the forecast for more than a week before my departure – but yet again, last June when my husband and I were in Verona it did likewise rain on the very day of the concert but cleared totally up in due time, so why shouldn’t it do that again? I was optimistic. Having said so I did, however, pack my long, warm woolen winter coat – in spite of Daniela having told me that it would be way too much for a spring day in Italy – but to-day I am truly glad I did and thanks to same I believe I avoided catching a huge cold or pneumonia as indeed it came in handy! Both on my arrival day – and on the very day – the weather was, however, pretty acceptable with a mild temperature, slight overcast and a tiny bit of drizzling only, so things were looking quite promising for a while. Till the very moment we set out for Verona. The first bit of rain drummed on the windshield. Well, it would pass, no doubt. But having reached Verona, parked and walked the short distance to the lovely square in front of the Arena, it was no longer just drizzling, nor a little bit of summer rain – it started pouring seriously… One hour before the concert we were admitted to the Arena, but everyone crowded together in the dry shelter under the historical buildings as by now it was raining cats and dogs! The street sellers had a big night exchanging their toys and souvenirs with a range of small umbrellas and rain covers – and the demand was huge. Soon we were a group of hooded people in all colors letting no-one detect the fine clothing that we so carefully had chosen to wear at this event and now all hidden by rain gear! We couldn’t be standing there forever, however, and we were directed into the beautiful Arena and to our seats.
Last time here I did almost lose my breath from the lovely sight and the wings of history when entering these more than 2000 years old roman ruins, but focus this eve was on everything else – namely on all the people working on and around the stage trying to swipe off waters from same and re-organizing entrance areas and covering up cameras etc. The possibility of a cancellation was still rather open, so I followed each single move carefully. Fortunately, most of the stage is covered by a big roof, but it was obvious that several meters into the stage the floor was wet and would continue to be so…  And what about microphones? The lightening? And the instruments? Would they be able to work in the now more than heavily pouring rain? Daniela and I had planned to meet up with several fans from Italy and abroad, but it was simply not possible to move around under these conditions. Once seated I did actually not get up a single time as it would mean your seat getting all wet again and water from your rain cover would drip down and sneak in under same. So sadly we had to give up on that. Luckily we had met a few people while sheltered by the entrance and others made a round in front of us waving a big hello. But a great social get-together never occurred. All the while the rain got worse and worse…  Soon drops from my hood ran down my face and clouded my glasses only to flow further and down into my lap forming little pools that evidently flowed over and made little waterfalls down to my knees and legs and soon made me soaking wet where not sheltered by the cover. Trying to take photos/videos meant having to get your arms and hands out in the free and allowing waters to sneak in from the sides, so in general I gave up on doing it as it was likewise more or less impossible to press the buttons or zoom with the by now drenching wet hands. Unfortunately, it did likewise mean, that clapping my hands would not be an option unless it was under the rain cover where it could hardly be heard… Well, but few minutes before 21:00 hrs. the musicians did, however, start to enter the stage – and a voice announced that the concert would go on and carried through to the end. What a relief 😁!
The stage was already lit up in a bright blue setting but few minutes later a big “fanfare” sounded and Gianluca, Ignazio and Piero marched in on stage from the right – most likely not as planned as at the second show they had a separate entrance ceremony – but, finally, caught in the bright spotlight, were our 3 beloved guys immediately setting in with the first tones of “Granada”. That this concert had a very special purpose did quickly show, as following Piero’s usual classical interpretation of this song Gianluca did suddenly step aside dragging an oldfashioned microphone across the scene changing the mood of the song into a typical crooner-swing style version before in the end Ignazio took over and the mood once again changed – now into a more modern pop/rock song. Yes, they had a message! Add to that their appearances. Albeit all dressed in black they were so absolutely not on the same page. Piero wore a fine black tux with a bit of bling-bling and a white rose looking exactly as elegant as one can expect of an opera singer. Gianluca wore a suit of the finest soft leather from top to bottom including a pair of rather tight fitting trousers with that typical 70-style sway at the feet that most of us recall so well and looking stunningly sexy, while Ignazio had jumped on the bandwagon of the latest trend wearing an oversized jacket and way too long baggy trousers true 1930 style, that in all honesty didn’t do him any good but made him look pretty heavy. Knowing Ignazio though he doesn’t really care what he wears and the choice must have been the one of a stylist and not particularly one of his, I believe. The whole scenario did, however, immediately signalize that this show was all about the IL VOLO guys showing and introducing to us their individual characters and personal choices of music genres and to prove that IL VOLO is much more than just 3 guys singing “O Solo Mio” together. A grand opening!
Not knowing what to expect of the show having just a few weeks prior to same learned of the fact that the guys would have a load of local Italian guest-stars join them, I was curious as to how that was going to function – but shortly following the guys singing a couple of their traditional songs the very first guest was asked to the stage – and it would appear that these guests were not to perform on their own but rather in duets with one or more of the IL VOLO guys. Coming from Denmark – and hence being a foreigner – I must admit that I had never heard of any of the invited Italian artists before, so I am sorry to admit that I cannot tell you whom they were and what they were singing..  Sorry. But there were quite a number of artists and having no program at hand, I cannot remember who was who. I trust, however, that Daniela will fill you all in as to this issue in her article. These artists performed their own hit-songs joined by one or more of the IL VOLO guys – and according to the response from the audience they were well known by the locals who were happily singing along in the rain, so we are talking about rather popular artists loved by the Italian people. And all of absolute different characters as well as representing various musical genres. Some were great –  some gave the duets an synergy effect and raise the songs to a higher level – while yet others admittedly didn’t exactly sound too good due to the voices not truly suit each other. I tend to think that some of these guests most likely were invited out of a planned strategy.  Namely to show and prove how fantastic singers and performers the IL VOLO guys are no matter whom they are coupled with nor what kind of genre of music they are introduced to. The guys shined throughout the evening and did most certainly show that they master it all including showmanship and hosting.
A few of the duets did stand out though – and I should like to mention among others the tall singer Mario Biondi with whom i.e. Ignazio did a fabulous soul song: “You make me feel like a natural woman” by Aretha Franklin and the Russian opera singer Aida Garifullina who coupled with Guianluca in a beautiful duet: “Angels” by Robbie Williams and looking stunningly pretty in a pink dream of a dress. Gianluca looked almost star-struck at her and did obviously enjoy singing with her. But first and foremost when Aida joined Piero in a piece from “La Traviata” a major highlight was born!. A brilliant match for Piero who in her got a partner of his own caliber – or above – inspiring him to perform better than ever. And did they ever look good together! Like a prince and his princess. Piero’s fine tux was in place! And they were about the sweetest when in the end they did a bit of waltzing. Piero shone as the brightest star!
Ignazio Boschetto (Il Volo) ft. Mario Biondi – You make me feel like a natural woman

Aida Garifullina & Gianluca Ginoble (Il Volo) – Angel

PIERO BARONE & AIDA GARIFULLINA – LA TRAVIATA/ LIBIAMO NE’ LIETI CALICI

As indicated in the name of the show a larger number of songs by our guys were anticipated – and I believe we were pampered with some 4-5 songs from each of them. Some we have heard before but also totally new ones. Piero delighted us with several opera arias the names of which I do, unfortunately, not know. But he  delivered them brilliantly and did once again prove that his many hours of studying opera have so absolutely not been in vain. He is improving for each time I hear him. Very soon he is going to reach his next goal – to stand on the famous La Scala stage in Milan. He is ready! Bravo Piero!
Ignazio had chosen to show us various types of songs including one in which he accompanied himself by guitar – and then he did once again go down the lane of interpreting a mega hit song by a world famous female singer, and this time none the less than one of Whitney Houston’s, namely: “I will always love you”. Who would ever dare follow in the footsteps of Whitney Houston? Our dear Ignazio, of course. And boy did he ever nail it! I don’t know what it is with Ignazio and why he wants to sing songs by these famous female singers, but he is capable of making the songs “his” – taking ownerships of same. Fantastic! And I heard that he was singing Celine Dion’s immortal “My heart goes on” Wednesday night. Likewise with great success. He is awesome…. A rascal you do never know what to expect from, but you can always be sure that he delivers!
Gianluca had a ball on stage not letting us forget that he is a great admirer of Elvis Presley and that type of music and next to his beautiful version of “Can’t stop falling in love with you” (probably song to his girlfriend seated in the audience) he went down the same road singing the popular 60th rock tune “Crazy little thing called love” by Freddie Mercury/Queen dragging the microphone behind him and imitating moves and steps from Elvis/Travolta/Mercury’s 50th and 60th shows. I don’t think we have ever seen him so freely and loose on stage before – and he loved it. No doubt he has been working hard on these performances rehearsing steps and moves over and over and crossed some personal limits too doing so. Personally, I don’t know what to think… His voice is so beautiful and he sings fabulously – but dancing is not his force and these performances seems more like fantastic resemblances of his idols rather than Gianluca showing us the best of himself… I know I am a bit harsh here. In Denmark we have a saying: “Whom you love you chastise” – and I cannot hide that Gianluca is my favorite Il VOLO and I love him in all aspects. So out of love to him I wish he would have more confidence in himself and the courage to interpret the chosen songs in his very own way instead of resembling others. To me Gianluca has a much greater voice and a much larger potential than any of the singers he tries to imitate. He has been given a voice beyond compare – a unique gift – and he owes to himself and the world to make good use of it. Hence, if he feels more comfortable sitting on a chair with closed eyes fully emerging into a song – then let it be. I recall with great fondness his version of i.e. “Mi Mancherai” – standing totally still on the stage but having the audience fully in his hands and giving me the chills. He mesmerizes us when he becomes one with the song. He is capable of much more and ought to challenge himself further in songs like i.e. “New York, New York” (by Sinatra) or the main theme of “The Phantom of the Opera”. Sorry, Gianluca. I’m giving you assignments ;-). Having said this, he enchanted and surprised us all following with a Beatles medley – beautifully performed. I have always thought it would be interesting to have the guys sing Beatles as actually many of these songs have some extraordinary cords/harmonies that – at the time – you did not normally hear pop groups use or sing. And I bet IL VOLO would be able to do something awesome with these songs. Well, we didn’t get the harmonies but we got a lovely medley beautifully presented by Gianluca. Kudos!
In similarity with others I had a certain extended fear that the special concept of this concert might have given us less IL VOLO and more other Italian artists. I couldn’t have been more wrong! The extended length of the concert – 3½ hrs. – gave them ample time to not only sing duets with all the guest performers but likewise to sing more individual soli than normally while likewise pampering us with a large selection of their regular repertoire. So many that I cannot even recall them all, but among others: Il Mondo; The Ecstasy of Gold; Telefonado; Amore Così Grande; Volare; Grande Amore, A Chi mi dice, My Way and many others. So we were in no way let down – on the contrary. We got more than a “normal” IL VOLO Concert while all the guest performances were true VALUE ADDED BONUS! So we need to have full confidence in the guys knowing that they will always deliver! On top we got a full 24 piece symphony orchestra, an opera choir, a beautiful light-show, a lovely TV hostess who didn’t take over but filled in the gaps in a fine way and as such: A BRILLIANT SHOW! And in spite ending up soaking wet and cold – would I have done it again? You bet I would! It was worth all the trouble and each single rain drop. My only regret: I would have loved to clap my hands red in excitement and giving standing ovations over and over – but I didn’t due to the rain and the effect that would have followed. So sorry guys.
Credit to owners of all photos and videos.
Concert Photos/Reviews, Our Stories

TUTTI PER UNO (under the rain) by Daniela

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May 1st, Arena di Verona, the first of two Il Volo concerts –  TUTTI PER UNO and I was there!!!

MAGNIFICENT! 💗💗💗

This single word encompasses everything and must make you understand in a moment my personal opinion on what I have seen, and even if we have seen a beautiful show under an incessant rain, it was wonderful, but now as usual I describe everything from the start.

Unfortunately the forecasts predicted rain and cold for the evening of the concert, but, as usual, we hoped it wasn’t like that.
Instead, all predictions have sadly came true.
The morning started with big clouds and some light rain but nothing special.
Some friends who were already in Verona wrote to me that it was cloudy but not raining and so I was very hopeful for the evening.
As the time to go to Verona approached, the clouds became more and more and it started to rain, a light but insistent drizzle.
We left for Verona, me, my husband, my son’s mother-in-law and Kirsten from Denmark, who came especially for the concert.
Shortly after the finish we entered the Arena and under the ancient vaults, sheltered, all the people put on rain ponchos, in short, we all seemed hooded but we all took our seats and waited for the beginning of the show, unfortunately the rain became more and more insistent.

I tell you right away that I took a few photos and a couple of short videos, because it was difficult under the rain and then I thought after that there would be a good TV shoot.
Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca entered the stage, and………. boy, what an entrance, what a fantastic scenography, all very well organised. They started right away with Granada, but not the usual song, or rather, the usual song but sung in three different ways, right away it was clear that Gianluca, Ignazio, and Piero wanted to demonstrate three different styles, three ways of singing the same song, in fact Piero interpreted in a classic way, then Gianluca in a more swing way and Ignazio in a more pop way, beautiful!! Their clothes were also different and respected these styles, Piero very elegant in a classic way. Gianluca with a full leather suit and Ignazio with a very baggy and soft suit that didn’t do him full justice.

I had prepared a pen and paper to write down the title of each song, and you will have understood that I could not do anything, but there were so many songs, three and a half hours of show without any interruptions and with our boys always present on the stage.
There were a lot of guests, but they didn’t take time away from our boys who duetted with each of them, Italian songs, many unknown to you, but it would be the same if they were new songs.
Some duets have been really fantastic, sweet and important and when there will be the television shooting I will explain better.
Knowing then that Ignazio, Gianluca and Piero believed a lot in this hard work, which was organized entirely by them, I felt particularly proud of the three of them.
Casual, beautiful, kind, and extremely good, they have shown so much talent, so much skill and to be able to range in different styles and not be relegated to performing pieces only for “mature people”, as the Italian audience often thinks, well done, well done !!!
Some parts touched the heart, for what was said and how some songs were sung, but, as promised I’ll explain better later, because some songs have really special lyrics and our boys especially felt this from the bottom of their hearts.
I am referring to Il Volo’s duet with IRAMA, a young Italian singer-songwriter. He presented his song dedicated to his missing grandmother in Sanremo, these words were also perfect for Ignazio and Piero, in fact all four performed the song.
“Wherever you are, wherever I am, in every gesture I will look for you. If you will not there, I will understand it and in silence I will listen to you”, these are the beautiful words of the refrain, which Ignazio sang placing his hand on his heart.❤
The choice of songs was varied, but also modern, all songs that have deep meanings and which I will explain well later.
Ignazio used his beautiful and very high voice to perform songs sung by women, women like Whitney Houston and in some moments he showed his rock side by performing songs by Loredana Bertè, accompanying himself on the guitar.

 

Piero duetted a splendid MISERERE with Mario Biondi, performed the Cavalleria Rusticana solo and the toast of Traviata in duet with the beautiful and talented Aida Garifullina.
Gianluca dedicated his voice to Elvis, but he also remembered the Beatles and amazed me with the duet with soprano Aida Garifullina singing a splendid Angels.
But these are just a few small examples, because the songs, the duets, the solos were very many and then Il Volo, united, also sang Grande Amore, A chi mi dice, Musica che resta, My way,  Ancora, Il Mondo, Caruso,  L’amore si muove, Ecstasy of Gold with the choir, in short, lots and lots of music quality.
It was a different concert, but let me tell you, a big step forward our young men have proven to be very good showmen, as well as excellent performers and their voices have always been in the foreground, even with the numerous guests. Even the presence of the Canale 5 presenter was not at all invasive of the time and the little monologue of the actor Edoardo Leo, well done.

As I told you I have made very few videos, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise, there are already many videos on Facebook or YouTube, but wait and you will have the whole show perfectly filmed and explained by me.
I also want to tell you that on this particular evening I was able to notice, and surely Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca also understood it, the great love that the fans of Il Volo have for their favorites, because they resist for a total of 4 hours under an incessant rain and even cold, means to love them very much. And il Volo understood this message, because the following day they wrote:

Thank you Verona, that was wonderful!🙏🏻

Despite the rain that stayed with us for the whole show, you welcomed us and supported us from start to finish with incredible warmth.🤩

We are three very lucky guys and we love you!💗

We’ll see you tomorrow, Wednesday May 3rd for the second “Tutti Per Uno” show, here at the Verona Arena!

The only complaint, the rain, incessant. ☔ This made me very sorry, not only for the discomfort, but for the fact that the audience was unable to fully demonstrate its approval through applause and standing ovations, impossible to get up and the applause was there but under the poncho, really too bad about that!
And now I want to remove a small pebble, because before the concert, when the names of the guests were published, there were many, very many boring and insistent comments protesting for a concert where Il Volo would not have given its best due of the numerous guests, even some offended fans said they wouldn’t come or they would to selling the ticket, and that they was  sadness at feeling betrayed.
A good pull on the ears would be good for these people, because they didn’t believe in Il Volo, which has never betrayed us, which has never offered us bad things!!!!
Of course, as I said at the beginning, this is my personal opinion, and when there’s a television video, you’ll tell me yours too.
Another important aspect of the Il Volo concert is the possibility for me to meet Flight Crew friends who live far from Italy, but who have come to Italy for their concerts.
The rain prevented some of these meetings, but some happened all the same.
Kirsten from Denmark

 

Jolanta from Poland
Susan from the U.S.
And then our beautiful nonna Maura, even she, 93 years old, held out until the end of the concert.
I also met Judith from Canada, then Laura and Ugo from Trieste, but I wasn’t able to take a picture with them.
I’m sorry I didn’t meet Maija and her daughter from Minnesota, and our Chinese friend Keisyuu who lives in Rome.
Il Volo is also this, it unites friends from all over the world.
I’m closing like this, concert at the top and now there will be the second part, with lots of other songs, because the program won’t be the same.
Thank you Ignazio, Piero and Gianluca for your beautiful voices and for always being so good!!! 💗💗💗
Daniela 🤗😁

 

Credit to owners of all photos and videos.

Concert Photos/Reviews, Our Stories

VERONA AFTER THE CONCERT by Daniela

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At the Verona concert, I met some friends of Flight Crew, not many this time, because most of them went to the concert in Taormina, how lucky !!
To friends who came to Verona, I asked them to tell me their impressions of the concert, as I did with Kirsten who did a long review that everyone liked.
The others weren’t that lengthy in their comments, so I’ve grouped them all here.

LAURA and UGO = They are Italians, from Trieste, but I met them through the Flight Crew blog that they always read.
I don’t have a photo with them, but here’s their comment:
“They were amazing, beautiful, elegant and talented. You know that we love classical pieces very much and it was very nice to hear LA DONNA È MOBILE and several pieces taken from operas. The voices were top!”

SUSAN and her brother = They had the tickets for June 4th and I for June 3. We couldn’t meet by a whisker, but it’s like I saw them and hugged them.

Here is Susan’s comment:

Hi dear! What a wonderful concert !!
I LOVE the song “Hallelujah”.
The concert was truly fantastic. The orchestra was smaller and the guys seemed different…still as wonderful as ever but more mature….more settled in their skin. They seemed more comfortable with themselves.
The difference in them, after two years without live concerts, was unmistakable.
They are professional men at the top of their game!
It was wonderful to hear new tweaks on familiar songs and I especially enjoyed the “montages” they did on several songs with a part of a song leading into another.  The duet Gianluca did with Ignazio “Hallelujah” was really good. I never cared much for that song but the way the guys sang that song makes me hope they will include it on an album.
The audience was really involved in the concert..singing along to their favorite songs. There were also quite a few people who attended both nights, the guys asked.
A beautiful evening!

Here is a picture I took.

This year, together with my husband and me, my son’s mother-in-law Mariella also came to the concert.
It was the first time he had come to an Il Volo concert and that he entered the Arena. Here she is with me.
And here is her comment.
Hello dear Daniela.
Thank you for inviting me to the wonder of the evening at the Verona Arena with the wonderful trio Il Volo, I have never experienced an evening like this !!!
In addition to the skill, which I already knew, I discovered their sympathy, which I never would have thought !!
I lived almost three hours, and if I remember correctly 27 thrilling songs.
For me, it was the first time of their concert, but now I think it is the first of a long series …. Thanks to Il Volo and their organization ….❤❤❤

Here is my video of the concert finale!

Now I want to tell you some gossip about things that happened during the concert.
First of all Torpedine, it was just a few rows in front of me, I managed to take this photo of him.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t at the beginning of the line, so if I wanted to get up and say hello to someone, it meant getting several people up, and I did it once, but I knocked over the bottles of water of the people who were next to me, so, then I never got up to avoid making more disasters.
The concert was starting, the orchestra was already on stage, and 4 people were advancing in front of me and I recognized them immediately.
I took a picture, it’s not very clear so I’ll explain it to you.
Behind the man with the blue shirt, there is Ernesto, Gianluca’s brother, so Rachele, his girlfriend, can be clearly seen, behind her, you can only see the raised arm of Eleonora, Gianluca’s girlfriend, and after her, Eleonora, Gianluca’s mother.

Without being too conspicuous, they sat two rows in front of me, and never moved from their position.
While Gianluca was singing and descending into the audience, he passed behind them and bent down to give a light kiss to his brother, his girlfriend and his mother.
Everything was done very delicately and without giving too much emphasis. When the concert ended, immediately after the confetti was thrown into the air, I realized that the four of them had already gone out, without being noticed, they were gone, they took advantage of the final moment of distraction to go out.
The same scene was repeated the following evening, but perhaps Gianluca and Eleonora took more courage and Gianluca exposed his love for Eleonora more to the audience.❤❤
I find them adorable !! 😘❤😘
Another nice thing that made me laugh a lot was another thing that happened at the second concert.
During one of the dialogues between the boys, Ignazio teases Gianluca, imitating the expression on the face that Gianluca makes while singing. Laugh watching this video, while Gianluca sings Il Mondo and Ignazio moves his face and mouth.
Some of you have asked for Maestro Grani, he is a good pianist, but also a good conductor, usually abroad he directs the orchestras, but above all he is a great friend of Ignazio, Gianluca and Piero. He always helps them and keeps their voices trained throughout the tour.
I got to know him in Florence during Notte Magica. I was wearing the Il Volo shirt, which he immediately noticed, he said words of great esteem for the boys. We took a picture together.

These are the words and the photo he posted immediately after the concert in Verona, on his Facebook:

È iniziata alla grande !! It got off to a great start !!

Bruno Farinelli, the drummer, is also part of the band.
I interviewed him (search for the post named INTERVIEW WITH THE DRUMMER OF IL VOLO) and he had very nice words of esteem for Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca.

Here is his comment and his photo posted on Facebook after the concert.
The two concerts at the Verona Arena with IL VOLO were, as always, a unique emotion !!
A special thanks goes to all the staff, the orchestra, the band and the artists who have been and are simply magnificent !! ❤️
However, I believe that the biggest thanks goes to the 20,000 wonderful fans of IL VOLO, who filled the Arena with love for two days !!! ❤️❤️

Now I want to tell you about a fortunate situation.
After the concert in Verona, on my way home, I read the various comments on the concert on Facebook and I saw the comment of a person who is my friend and who lives near my town, Donatella.
I immediately got in touch with her and asked her if she was at the concert and she replied that she was there with her husband, Maurizio whom I know very well.
She told me that their children had given them concert tickets for Christmas and it was the first time they had come to hear Il Volo in concert and they were thrilled.
What few people know is that after the second concert in Verona, therefore on Sunday 5th, Gianluca and Piero went to Gardaland.
Gardaland is Italian Disneyland, it is the most beautiful amusement park in Italy, and is located near Verona and also in Brescia.
Also Donatella and Maurizio, on Sunday decided to go to Gardaland and you guess with great surprise who they found ????

Gianluca, Piero and Barbara!

I saw the photos posted on Facebook and the comment below says so:
“When you decide to go to Gardaland, and meet Il Volo, a welcome meeting.”
I immediately called Donatella and asked her to tell me about her experience, here are her words:
It was a stroke of luck, because we usually enter Gardaland from the main entrance, but this time we parked where the buses are and entered from the side. We saw them right away and I said to my husband:  “Look, Maurizio, are those the guys from Il Volo?”
The guys heard her question and answered, “Yes, it’s us!”
I asked them if we could take a picture and they immediately said yes.
Look Daniela, I didn’t think they were like that. I was really surprised, it seemed to be talking to our children, they were very kind.
Piero told Gianluca: “See he (Maurizio) will ride a roller coaster and she will follow him out of love, I’m sure it is.”
They told us that Gianluca had already been to Gardaland years ago, but he was very young, while Piero had never been there.
They asked Maurizio:  “But if you go on a roller coaster, do you go in front or behind?” And he replied “I’m going in front.”
I was stunned, I didn’t think they were so humble, you know, the notoriety, I thought they pulled a little, instead nothing. We were really delighted to have met them.
Wow, what luck Donatella !!!
I’m so happy for you !!
I hope you liked these last things about the Verona concert, now the tour has continued and therefore we will soon talk about Taormina !!!
Plus, coming soon, there are two short translations  in TV shows where IL VOLO has participated in !!
 Daniela 

 

Credit to owners of all photos and videos.

Concert Photos/Reviews, Our Stories

VERONA CONCERT REVIEW by Kirsten

38 Comments
I met Kirsten in Verona on June 3, inside the Arena, ready to listen to the concert.
Kirsten is a member of Flight Crew, she comes from Denmark, first time hearing the Flight in concert.
Our meeting was short but really nice, she introduced me to her husband, with whom she will make a nice trip to different Italian places, and I introduced her to my husband.
Here we are at our meeting:

I asked Kirsten to write down her impressions of the concert.
She sings in a choir, so she is familiar with the use of voices.
Here is what she wrote to me and also some of her photos.
She was very lucky, at the beginning of the concert her place was on the road crossed by Ignazio, who greeted her and hugged her, what luck, I’m happy for her.
Congratulations Kirsten, you did a nice long review so a full post was born.
Next time there will be short reviews and gossip about what happened during the Verona concerts.
Kirsten, it was great meeting you and your husband.
A hug: Daniela 😘

I AM STILL FLYING HIGH after the concert
in Verona Arena Friday

I’ll start with the conclusion: It was a fantastic and awesome evening in all aspects! A magic night I shall never forget! It fulfilled my wildest expectations and more. Their voices were exactly as I have heard them on videos/albums – stunningly beautiful. The chosen songs among my personal favorites and a mix of the songs on their 10 years jubilee album and the new Morricone one. Add to that the most awesome setting – a more than 2000 year old Roman Arena – seated under the stars in the warm Italian summer night. What could possibly be better? I was mesmerized – and on top of it all I got a personal handshake of Ignazio when he came singing down the aisle…

When finally I entered the Arena after 10 months waiting I was a bit overwhelmed and out of focus… was it really true? Was I actually going to see and hear our guys live? There had been quite some obstacles to overcome since I purchased the tickets last summer. At first I could only get one good ticket (all good seats sold out), so I planned to go on my own and fly down to Verona, but a couple of weeks later I found yet another good ticket just a few rows and blocks from mine, so now my husband could come along too, and we decided to take the car and drive all the way and combine it with our summer holiday.
We live in Copenhagen, Denmark, so it was quite a drive and actually we left home already on May 31, to have sufficient time and arrive a day before the concert. Never having been neither at the Verona Arena nor to any Il Volo concert I needed help in planning and hence I took contact to Flight Crew and Daniela was so kind to help me and we agreed to meet up at the concert. Yet another great thing to happen! But the Coronavirus returned to Denmark at the end of December and stayed active till spring and I feared that we could travel nowhere until June. But luckily Denmark was past the pandemic my by end March and hope was back.
Just a week before our departure some serious illness hit our family and we thought we should have to cancel the entire trip and we got very sad….but things turned around at the very last moment and we could start driving. For weeks I had kept an eye on the weather situation in Verona and it looked very good up to the night before the concert when suddenly it changed and rain was to come in the afternoon and stop around 20:00 hrs. Oh NO this could not be true.. but it could. So the last couple of hours up to the concert I was a nervous wreck with stomach pain. But then it dried up and hubby and I walked the few meters to the Arena and entered one hour before the start. Walking into the Arena and suddenly standing in the middle of this epic historian place made me almost loose my breath.. what a place!
A few minutes later we met Daniela and I started realize that this was no longer a dream but reality. I was indeed going to experience a concert with my beloved Il Volo guys in this stunning place!
Time flew away and suddenly the lights and the music started… it was so exciting – and in a few moments the guys would be on stage. Well that did actually not happen – but suddenly I heard noise and screaming behind me and there up by the entrance a spotlight beamed on a person – Ignazio!!!
 The guys had decided to start in three different corners and sing their way down the aisles and enter the stage this way. While singing they were greeting people in the audience and shaking hands and suddenly I realized that Ignazio would pass straight in front of me!!! For seconds I was all bewildered but then here he was just next to me taking my hand and looking me right into the eyes… I could only barely say that I was happy to meet him and he was gone. It was a firm and real handshake – I was truly excited. What a great start of the concert! And then everything exploded on the stage – the light show blew the entire back of the stage up with blue “flames/spots”on black which immediately gave a fantastic ambiance. The boys started to sing for real and I felt drawn into each single song.
You feel captivated as their emotions reach you and embrace you… from that moment I forgot everything around me and simply enjoyed each single minute. People around me were likewise all engaged and sang along on several if their songs – and so did I, only la la as I know no Italian at all. The latter left me out of the jokes and what ever they told the audience, but it did not matter much. Practically all songs were known to me and I love the way the sing a classic song one moment followed by a pop song or a Bel canto – never experienced such a variety in the one and the same concert. All the guys sang fantastic – I am truly impressed by their strong voices that never fails them. They looked extremely happy to be on stage and they were smiling more than ever – so good to observe. There were a huge response from the audience – not the least in connection with their solos. I believe Piero did get the biggest standing ovations for his two classic songs –  but he did most certainly also sing fantastically!
The song that touched me and the audience the most was the old “Hallelujah” that felt so proper in a Europe in war. That went straight into the hearts of us. I enjoyed Ignazio’s “All By Myself” tremendously – what a beautiful interpretation! Likewise did Gianluca sing his new solo very, very beautifully. But they were all great and I loved each moment of the concert! For two hours I was mesmerized!!
Hope this is in line with what you would like? Sorry for the length – I could not stop myself.
Love, Kirsten 😘