Il Volo – Concert Reviews

IL Volo at Foxwoods ~ Concert Review

IL Volo brought their Notte Magica Tour 2017 to Foxwoods Resort Casino at the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Reservation in Connecticut on March 11, 2017. Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto, and Gianluca Ginoble sang in the “bel canto” style raising spirits and hearts under an icy full March moon. Maestro Joseph Modica conducted a 45-piece orchestra in a two-hour musical Italian extravaganza! The sumptuous cardinal red curtains rose to a full house of admirers in the Grand Theater. The audience looked at them at first with attention and then affection in a terrific performance.

The show opened with the overture to Giuseppe Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino” setting the tone for a classical, operatic performance in homage to The Three Tenors. IL Volo received the blessings from the original tenors to continue their goal of bringing beautiful music to everyday people. The magical night was infectious. A patron in the next seat from Saratoga NY had never seen or heard the trio. She came with a friend to get out of town for the weekend. The enchantment of IL Volo swept her up on her feet for every ovation from the crowd.

The play list for this performance is on the CD “IL Volo with Placido Domingo, A Tribute to the Three Tenors”, published September 2016 by Sony Classical Records. The concert with Placido Domingo was recorded live in Florence. Unfortunately, a CD can never capture the charisma of the artists. In person, the trio have a relaxed and confident presentation. Even their walk is light and casually elegant. The song and the music flow together flawlessly. Maestro Modica notably held back the orchestra to allow the singer to give it all to the moment. The ensemble music of IL Volo has the power to heal old hurts, raise joyful energy and excite the libido. These guys are young, handsome men, gorgeously decked out in the finest Italian suits.

A highlight of the show is “Grande Amore”. They won the prestigious Sanremo Music Festival in 2015 with this song. IL Volo bring their energy up and sing with great pride. This is their song, they love it and the intensity is breathtaking. Other crowd favorites are the Italian lament, “Caruso”, the sweet Spanish song, “Cielito Lindo” and, the finale, from La Traviata, “Libiamo ne’ lieti calici“.

A tip of the hat to Ginoble for his solo of Rossini’s “La Danza”. He deftly kept pace with the rhythmic lively song based on the traditional southern Italian tarantella. Ginoble is known for his suave, smoky crooning baritone. This tempo is a challenge and this night, he was splendid.

The best way to appreciate Boschetto’s solo performances are to close the eyes and let his voice surround the body. He sings the aria, “Una Furtiva Lagrima”, from Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore”. Boschetto captures the sensual awakening of Nemorino to the wonders of affection returned. His tenor is expressive and emotional. He sings with crisp diction and round, tall vowels. Boschetto’s voice finds it’s way into the tender places inside the listener. However, he goes from serious to flamboyant easily. In a jocular voice, a patron said, “that guy, the tall guy, my nonna woulda called him diavoletto. I mean you could see the little horns coming out from under his hair. Cheeky flirt.” Boschetto has a strong presence on stage and as the show rolls on, builds more and more power into his voice.

In Chinese Astrology, this is the Year of the Rooster. Barone was born into this sign and on stage displays the confident fire of this bird. Gone are his trademark red glasses and crucifix. While exiting the venue, a patron with a lilt in his voice said, “impressive, impressive, he’s just standing there all easy and it comes out like that. It doesn’t look like he’s trying but the voice just wraps around me. I got chills. You know he works hard at that, but I don’t see the effort!” Barone is most appreciated in a live performance. He’s developed his sumptuous tenor filling it with warmth and with every note says, I-Love-to-Sing-to-You. His Twitter profile conveys an acknowledgement of his gifts and what comes with that. “Music is made of all the passions of the world, the good singer chooses one of those and lives it again like nobody else.” Barone’s voice can touch the ear with the lightness of a feather and swiftly create a sensation of being lifted off the feet by the near brilliance of his tenor.

Orchestra Musicians Kevin Cruder Cello and Dana Ianculovici Violin

IL Volo are on tour in North America until early April. A full schedule is on their website, IL Volo Music. In late April, the European leg of Notte Magica begins. They have a busy year ahead with announced plans to travel to Japan and Australia in November. Barone said they have a hope soon to perform their “Ave Maria, Mater Misericordiae” for Pope Francis.

Written by Frances Ann Wychorski, March 13, 2017

Update: March 16, 2017

Viewers may read this article in Italian by clicking on this link. Many thanks to the IL Volo Italian Fan Club for providing the translation. Vi ringrazio molto!

Sprezzatura: IL Volo at the Oakdale Theater Wallingford CT

February 12, 2016

Under a frosty starry sky, IL Volo took the stage in a two-hour musical tour de force in front of a full house at the Toyota Oakdale Theater in Wallingford CT. The Italian trio of Piero Barone (23), Ignazio Boschetto (22), and Gianluca Ginoble (21) wowed the crowd with a selection of Neapolitan classics, Broadway favorites, operatic arias, and hits from the 60s. Their singing style has been labeled pop, operatic-pop, and classical-pop. Pop? What other pop group travels with a 30 piece orchestra, a rhythm section and a dazzling light show pulsed to the beat. IL Volo last played here in September 2013. The group has been wicked busy with a win at Sanremo Music Festival 2015 and a third place finish at Eurovision last May. Their signature hit, Grande Amore, has topped 55.5 million Vevo You Tube views. Record sales of the CD Sanremo Grande Amore are at triple Platinum.

The group has been performing, recording, and touring together since 2009. IL Volo in English means the flight and this year, they will live up to the name. An ambitious 2016 tour began with 12 concert dates in Italy, in North America now for 34, Latin America for 20, and 12 in Europe. They bring to the stage all that is celebrated in Italian art, passionate bel canto (beautiful song), fare bella figura (style and poise) and sprezzatura. The appearance of effortless artistry, keeping it cool while working your tail off.

The trio consistently raise positive energy in their songs that often end on an up note. They are fun, warm, and gorgeous. Each singer is talented enough to carry an entire show solo, however, it is the ensemble harmonics that take them from good to extraordinary. They bring such skill to their singing, matching note for note and tone for tone creating a vibrato rich, subtle and tremulous. The sensation is similar to a tuning fork, when the quiver enters the body, it resonates to the core. They do stir the soul and conjure the spirit to lift, remembering what it may have been like to be young, carefree and in love. Music can do so much. Questa notte siamo stati stregati e ci ‘e piaciuto moltissimo. Tonight, we have been bewitched. We like it a lot.

A Wang Theatre Boston concert review for February 10^th is available on this blog. Where previously Barone appeared subdued in spirit, tonight he was more playful. A fan since 2012, the first time I saw him he reminded me of Topo Gigio. He talked with his hands and signed a big hearty thanks for coming to the show. In 2013, he perfected a stage strut with stars sparking from his heels. He likes opera and the character Cherubino from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro came to mind. “Narcisetto, Adoncini d’amor” (Little Narcissus, Adonis of Love). The sexy, sassy Barone. In 2014, he became a saucy Sicilian who inspired me to visit the island and the ancient baroque city of Naro. Perhaps it’s time I let him grow up some more. No longer Pierito, almost Signor Barone. A lyric from the duet sung by Barone and Boschetto, ‘O paese d’ O’Sole, makes sense now, “This is the land of the sun, this is the land of the sea, this is the land where all words sweet or bitter, are always words of love…All, all is destiny. How could I have made my fortune in a strange place?” Home is Italy, they are here for a while.

Fan Follies

Beyond the stage show, there’s the people show that can be equally entertaining. The late comers who always seem to have middle row seats, wearing big furs and taking an age to get in their chair. The yakkers a few rows away that keep going during songs. The devotees who cannot sit still and give a standing ovation even for a wink.

The artists and theaters work together to present the best possible show to a live audience. They jointly decide on what they want from the ticket holders. The Wang announced at the start of the show it prohibits videotaping during the performance. Ushers were vigilant in stopping patrons using cell phones to capture the moment. Any fans posting live video from the theater had to work hard to publish on social media. But, there they are, little bits from rule breakers. The quality is rough and rushed. The Periscope app erases postings within 24 hours, however, there is ongoing controversy in the entertainment industry on video piracy of paid events. Is it fair, is it legal to live video stream during the show?

The Oakdale Theater box office manager said they request no professional photography or videotaping of live events. This venue did not prohibit casual recording. The 5,000 seat theater had a noticeable lack of ushers which brought out the cameras in the crowd. One fan got out of the chair and approached the side of the stage during the song, “Delilah”. We all watched as she recorded most of the presentation. It distracted the performers and seemed a bit audacious. Other fans in the front row routinely approached the stage to make contact with the guys. IL Volo were gracious and responded with care, but it became obsessive prompting a man behind me to make a comment not for prime time.

IL Volo have published several DVD’s of live performances recorded expressly for PBS distribution. Barnes & Noble Bookstores as well as Amazon.com are principal sellers of copyrighted material. Vevo You Tube is a jointly owned music video organization providing quality, copyrighted material at no fee to viewers. IL Volo are signed with Sony Music Entertainment, one of the joint owners. Every time a video is viewed on Vevo You Tube, the artists are paid. Anything posted to Facebook, the artists are not paid.

Buone Cose ~ Good Things

Lo spettacolo é stato brillante! The show was brilliant. Outstanding memories are the fans met in Boston who drove 10 hours from Halifax, Nova Scotia just to hear IL Volo live. The fans in pain struggling down the stairs one ginger step at a time to hear the beautiful voices. So many came out on this cold cold night to be enchanted by sweet songs. The night sky let go a few stars to come to earth this evening. It wasn’t long ago, IL Volo told us,

“Moonlight draws your colors in the dawn
While the sound of silence in the wind feels
Like an empty song

As the rain begins to fall down
Like a million tears
And the heaven shining
Through the clouds, girl
I can feel you here

Don’t you ever lose me
I could never lose you
Can’t you feel?
We are love
Like the Earth and ocean
We’re the same devotion you and me
We are love

Je t’aime, mi amor, io ti amo, we are love
Adoro te, tutto al mondo, we are love”

“We Are Love” by Edgar Cortazar and Mark Portmann 2012 Interscope/Rentor/Universal Music

For general and ticket information click on the link to ilvolomusic.com

@FrancesAnnWy2016

Comments are always appreciated. However, this article is not to be reproduced or translated into another language without permission from the writer. The highlighted words link to previous blog articles.

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

Comments and opinions are always welcome. However, this article is not to be reproduced or translated into another language without permission from the writer.