IL Volo at The Wang in Boston 2016

IL Volo, the Italian pop-opera trio, performed Wednesday evening, February 10 at the Wang Theatre in Boston. Piero Barone (23), Ignazio Boschetto (22), and Gianluca Ginoble (21) sang in front of a 30 piece orchestra with a rhythm section. A pulsing light show syncopated with the music created a dazzling sensory experience. The show opened with a “Grande Amore” overture, the song that won them the prestigious Sanremo Music Festival 2015. The almost primitive drum tattoo raised emotions and set the tone for two hours of great music.

The baroque theater on Tremont Street with its sumptuous red carpeting and tiered balconies is an outstanding setting for the young men decked out in sleek Italian leather jackets. The trio sang ensemble, duet, and solo, performing well-known Neapolitan classics, Broadway favorites, operatic arias, and top ten hits from the ’60s. Their last appearance in Boston was 2013. Success at home has kept them in Italy on an extensive tour in 2015. This was the fourth stop on the 2016 North American tour.

The first number was the classic, “Volare”. The performance was curiously flat-footed and despite the upbeat percussion, the energy was still coming up for the guys. Barone was noticeably still in his poise. Having attended a concert each year since 2012, it was not the behavior remembered. He moved in an almost mindful manner rather than the loose stage presence he’d cultivated. Barone has a progressively more complex operatic tenor voice now. When he finished his first aria, Puccini’s “E lucevan le stelle”, he opened his arms and soaked in the appreciation from the audience. We were wowed by his ringing voice. Is this the mature man, returned from Italy moving away from his once playful stage demeanor? The study of opera is a serious business. Several times during the evening’s performance, Ginoble draped an arm around his shoulders, laid a gentle hand and gave physical support. Could be jet lag setting in. Barone’s musical contribution was flawless. He shifted effortlessly from majestic to sotto voice. The technical foundation has given him form. Now, he needs to swell his song with emotion and tell the story through inflection, gesture, and tone.

Boschetto provided comic relief with his spot-on imitation of Marlon Brando as the Godfather character Vito Corleone. The guys lampooned as Boschetto snorted, puffed, and spoke in that muffled, strangled voice. He even mimicked a pot belly as he shambled off stage. He is Scaramouche, one minute the trickster, and the next the wacky Maestro conducting the orchestra. However, the playful demeanor evaporates during his solo performance. He is a rare lyric tenor whose voice can soar around the theater. The first solo was, “Tonight, Tonight”, from West Side Story. He stopped the show with his second solo, “Memory.”

Ginoble was bright-eyed all night. At 8:05 p.m. Atlantic time, it was already February 11 in Italy and his 21st birthday. The audience joined in the festivity to wish buon compleanno. Cheerfully, he said, “Now I am legal.” Astonishing to consider he began performing at 16. Ginoble has a pleasing baritone. He can sing crooners, “Anema e Core” (Heart and Soul) and a Spanish classical lament, “En Aranjeuz con tu amor.” He is a skillful artist at home on the stage. A highlight of the night was a duet with Barone. The classic, “My Way,” in perfect pitch. The tenor and baritone harmonized with subtle vibrational tones tickling down to the toes. How soothing. How rich. Cares fall away, nothing matters, it’s time to listen to music and be apart of it.

The trio included their trademark concert closer, “O Solo Mio”, with Barone taking a walk out into the audience. He stopped about two rows away and asked the patron if he could step up on the chair. He joined us and gave us a serenade. The Wang Theatre seats 3,500 and is known for superb acoustics. There was a roar from the balcony crowd that bounced around the walls creating a wave of cheer that wrapped all around us. The final number was their own “Grande Amore” sung with great energy. What a night! Great fun, great theater, and a great show.

IL Volo are on tour in North America. There are plans for a European tour as well. Check out their website and make plans to attend a show. IL Volo Music.com

@FrancesAnnWy2016

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