Tag: Piero Barone

IL Volo Stamford CT 2014 ~ Magic in the Moonlight

On Saturday, June 14, 2014, under a bright Strawberry full moon, the Italian trio of IL Volo, performed before a sold out audience at the Palace Theater, Stamford Center for the Arts in Stamford CT.  This is the fourth summer concert tour in the USA and Canada by IL Volo since 2011 and one of only fifteen stops on a brisk summer schedule. IL Volo, fresh from winning the Latin Billboard Award for Latin Pop Artist of the Year 2014, are enjoying popularity in the USA creating an exceptional style of lyrical pop with a stage show of new songs, Broadway favorites, operatic arias, and traditional Italian music. Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto and Gianluca Ginoble entertain the audience with a blend of sensual charismatic energy and a bit of comedy stirred in. IL Volo dazzled the crowd raising a spell of magic in the moonlight.

What makes IL Volo stand out in the competitive world of pop music is the strength of their individual vocal skills woven in song. Each artist will have the spotlight for a solo or two, however, the magic of IL Volo can be found in the harmonic blend within the structure of a single composition.

Each artist will perform a refrain within the song as well as the choral. There is no leader within the group but three distinct voices with the vocal range of a spinto and lyric tenor as well as a romantic baritone. Two of the performers demonstrate the rare quality of perfect pitch. The oldest performer, Piero, will celebrate his 21st birthday on June 24. Ignazio is 20 and Gianluca is 19. While they may be young in years they are veteran performers on stage. With each year, the gain in physical maturity, exposure to different musical influences and experience of the road raises the quality of performance just a bit more.

This style of three voices weaving into one has been skillfully produced by Humberto Gatica and Tony Renis. In a competitive market of jarring, over-exposed cranky pop stars, IL Volo stand out due to the able management of Michele Torpedine of MT-Opera & Blues. Mr. Torpedine is an excellent manager having nurtured the careers of Italian artists Pino Daniele, Gianna Nannini, Tony Esposito, Loredana Bertè, Zucchero Formaciari, Andrea Bocelli, and Eros Ramazzotti. Barbara Vitali is the road manager and personal assistant to IL Volo. Most of the PR is managed by the performers through individual Twitter and Facebook social media. Once a tweet or posting is released, the fan networks pick up the information, check for accuracy and share the news. Routinely, the artists give a look forward and a brief look back to stay in touch during the progression of the tour.

The band members traveling with IL Volo are: Guitar: Giovanni Di Caprio, Bass, Patrizio Sacco, Piano: Giampiero Grani and Drums: Salvatore Corazza. Pre-recorded music supplied the more complex orchestration for pieces such as “Granada”, “Mattinata” and “Beautiful Day”.

Stamford Center for the Arts

The theater is situated in downtown Stamford. This is a bustling, vibrant walking town similar to New Hope, PA or Salem, MA. A tourist friendly place with shopping, dining and theater all a few steps away. The theater is home to the Ballet School of Stamford, Connecticut Ballet, Stamford Symphony and Stamford Young Artists Philharmonic. The show was well staged in a small theater seating 1,500. The performance hall has two tiers and makes for an intimate atmosphere. The stage is an oval shape with the seats fanning outward in an arc.

Review of Performance

The artist’s work well together on stage and model the Italian custom of Bella Figura in dress, grooming and movement. Piero Barone has the posture of a classical dancer and a distinct appearance with his trademark red glasses. He is a Sicilian brew of passion and joie de vivre. He has an astonishing tenor able to sway from the Broadway favorite, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”, to the aria “No Puede Ser”, (It Cannot Be) from the Spanish opera “La tabernera del Puerto”. His presentation of the Italian favorite, “Non Ti Scordar Di Me”, was with a solo piano accompaniment from Giampiero Grani. This acoustic presentation showcased the quality of talent for both performers. A simple Italian folk song became a work of art with Piero reaching high into his vocal range. Piero enjoys opera and if the fates are kind, he will find his way on to that stage. This is the voice that needs to be heard by the hungry ear dormant from the lack of nourishment of the finer power of a beautiful song. Piero is able to fill the being, the soul and the heart with his presence. And, he does it all with a clever twinkle in the eye, he knows some of what he is capable of artistically, the audience agrees and notable gasps could be heard in appreciation of his gift.

Ignazio Boschetto is all charm and grace bringing his special gift of fun to the program. He has the natural ability on stage to make people laugh along with him. He has a handsome smile and lively expression in the body. During the presentation of “Surrender”, he performed a tours en l’air landing in an arabesque pose. The movement was fluid and graceful. Often he enjoys a little salsa dance and sway with Piero, cracking funny jokes about his on-going refinement of English and certain silly secrets. This was my third year in attendance at a concert and from the start, I noticed Piero and Ignazio like to entertain the audience with little comical skits. It appears they have worked very hard to take a natural talent and develop it into a breezy episode of jest with better timing and delivery of punch lines. I found it outright funny Ignazio’s description of Piero’s ears. “They stand out like elephants. Big, BIG elephant ears.” He gave a dramatic charade of an elephant in full trumpet while Piero quipped that the ears flattened out after he discovered the joys of a motorbike and sped off Italian style. Vvvvvvvvvvrrrrrrrrrrooooooooooooooommmmmm! Ears flat!

Even in song, Ignazio finds a moment to lark with band members. He also enjoys the crowd often by serenading fans at their seats. Here I sense the young Italian man that he is, he cannot resist the women and takes it right to the source. He is always in motion. Nimble as an otter, he rolls from one song to the next with his warm, lyric tenor. My nickname for him is Boogie Boschetto. Ignazio’s solo performance of “Memory”, from the Broadway show Cats, is a show stopper. This year’s version showed his passionate gritty emotions of loves lost and how the shadows find us at the break of day.

Gianluca Ginoble enjoys singing the American favorites of a generation just passed. The general audience age range was closer to 50. Most may have clear memories of Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra in their prime. Or, they may recall their parents dancing and playing the popular songs in their day. The younger crowd might deem them oldsters and not bother to listen. Gianluca presents their more popular works in his own smooth baritone. His rendition of the Sinatra classic Night and Day was superb. He got the mood of the piece perfectly this night being all at once sultry and suave. His rendition of the Elvis classic, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” was the only song new in the repertoire.

A Moment of Joy

IL Volo as performers are remarkable. Many fans comment on a revival and love of music because of their gift of song. Being acquainted with some of the fan networks, I’ve enjoyed a virtual friendship on-line and had the pleasure to meet a few at the Palace Theater. Jo Longstreth, of All Things IL Volo, organized an on-line group to coordinate travel and lodging at the Stamford show. The fans often post to this FB page and routinely comment on a sudden moment of discovery of their talent, how the magic expands inside and a way is found to lift off the tiredness that life can bring. There are a stream of stories from fans of a release and renewal of spirit. I enjoyed hearing their stories and several shared personal scrapbooks, photos, memories and more from previous shows.

Moments of joy need a little help to happen. The night’s program was released to the fan network a few days before this show. Aware of the sequence of songs, I found that moment toward the end of the show to weave up to the stage. I had a personal goal to shake the hand of Ignazio. At the Boston concert in 2013, I did this approach to the stage as well and enjoyed shaking hands with Piero at the end of that show. There was a short flight of stairs up to the stage at the Palace, I approached and was not stopped by security. The guys were at a pause in the program and without hesitation, I sat on the wooden staircase. This was a risky move but I did not block or go further to the stage.

The lights dimmed and IL Volo sang the encore, one of their finest recordings, “El Triste”. There is a legend in music history, of George Sand (Amantine-Lucile-Aurore Dupin) routinely laying under the piano when Frederic Chopin was playing and composing. She understood the need to feel the music in her body. In her own words, she helps me understand the complex connection to IL Volo and their musical arts.

“Once my heart was captured, reason was shown the door, deliberately and with a sort of frantic joy. I accepted everything, I believed everything, without struggle, without suffering, without regret, without false shame. How can one blush for what one adores?”- George Sand

Here it was, my golden moment to sink into the spell of song that is IL Volo. I was as close to being on stage as a fan could imagine. The beauty of the artists combined with the moonlight, music and song took me out of myself for a few minutes. I was not properly in my body. Every sense was alive and in a special paradise. In the words of Chopin, “I haven’t heard anything so great for a long time”. The setup of the stage was such that at one point, Piero was in front of me and I could glimpse the performance from his perspective. Another fan took the bold move of moving up to my position camera in hand recording as they rolled into “O Sole Mio”. Piero took a good look at both of us to see what we were doing. I caught his eye and was surprised how much there was to read in his expression. He had been in an unusually festive mood all night partially due as he mentioned to Italy advancing on in the World Cup by winning against their opponent a few minutes before show time. Midway through “O Sole Mio”, I was fortunate to shake his hand again but this occasion, I attempted to start a conversation by not letting go of the hand and giving him a squeeze and tug toward me. He tried, but the musical cue took him away. I was struck again by the flash and brightness of his expression.

A few seconds later, Ignazio came sweeping down the edge of the stage. I had to rely on instincts and when that hand came in front of me, I pulled it toward me and planted a little kiss. Gianluca also came forward to this side of the stage and I had the opportunity to shake his hand as well. There were others fans clustered around the stage and one them was holding a large photograph from a previous meet and greet. Gianluca stopped, looked closely at the picture, said to her, “this is you?” she said yes, he took her in his arms and her Dad snapped a photo. The reaction of the young lady was priceless. She was shaking and blushing all at once. This was her dream come true. A few fans who saw me kiss Ignazio’s hand said that was well done.

How gracious Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca can be! The fans all want, need, hope and desire to make a connection to each of them. The gifts, cards, tweets, messages and prayers are a flood of love and joy coming at them daily. After five years and thousands of travel miles, hundreds of radio and television interviews, tours, recordings and more, it must be all too much some days. They sincerely do the best they can to honor the fans and most of all the love we all share of music. There is talk of a new CD being produced. There are many places yet to go this year for IL Volo. Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca are gifted musical artists. Attendance at a live performance is a celebration of life, love and art.

All photos are from the Concert at Stamford CT. I am grateful to Deborah Georgini Beaupre, Katherine Rowe, Barbara Ferraro and Piero Barone for sharing pictures for publication.

@FrancesWychorski2014

 

Il Volo at Wallingford CT, September 29, 2013

*While this review is a bit dated, it’s a chronicle of attendance to Il Volo concerts.

This has been my third Il Volo concert attendance in two years. The first was at the BOA Pavilion, Boston MA in September 2012. The second was BOA Pavilion, Boston MA September 14, 2013. The last performance was so extraordinary an event, that I followed my heart and purchased a ticket for the 2nd concert held in New England in 2013. I am fortunate to live a reasonable driving distance to both venues. This was the last show in the USA on this extensive tour of the Americas.

To have Il Volo (IV) in front of you moving, swaying and singing is to be in a bit of a dream. They live and breathe Italian style in every move, wiggle and wink. IV are sophisticated, playful, curious, but most of all warm in heart. However, the first impression after the opening number was they were subdued not tired but a little low in energy. Barone, who seems to always be in motion, only wiggled lightly to the beat of the music. Unlike the previous concerts, IV took a ten minute break after the first hour and came back even more mellow and sweet in song.

Ginoble’s body language in song is gritty, he plants his feet firmly on the floorboards and leans into his voice. Known as the philosopher of the group for his frequent contemplations on Twitter, I was impressed when he made a social statement to the audience about the purpose of their tour and the banner of “We Are Love”. It’s not just a song, but a way to live life. But, Boschetto’s infectious sense of humor pervaded. During Ginoble’s solo performance of “Night and Day”, Barone and Boschetto appeared on stage behind him and started to slow dance as two lovers caught up in the magic of the song. It was hilarious! Ginoble kept going, stayed focused and gave us a fabulous performance.

Barone was stunning in his performance of “Non Peude Se” and “Where do I Begin”. Where I appreciate his technical skill, tonight he took a step deeper into his emotional range and presented the mortification of a pierced heart and later on that of one in delirious joy. His voice rippled around the theater. The man behind me said all night, “they are all remarkable, but he gives just a bit more.”

If I never see another show in my life, I can say that twice I witnessed an Italian Art being crafted at the moment. I did capture the song on video for an addition to my personal library. Something happened during the recording I cannot explain. No matter what I did, I could not focus on Piero. He remained as a blurred image in the camera. There are lights of green and red all around him, but the camera refused to bring him into focus. The audio is magnificent. Curious how the camera conveyed that one only needed to hear this to recognize brilliance. The lights in the lens reflected that brilliance and surrounded him with the glow of passion and growth. I confess to a mysterious admiration of his presence, he is a cat, a sleek, unusual pixie. However, I have come to understand that Piero can be extraordinarily endearing in unexpected ways. When he realized there was a camera projecting their image onto a larger screen for the folks sitting up in back, he leaned in, examined the lens, looked at the image, looked back, winked away and leaned in to kiss the lens kissing us through it. All at once, he is a cat, curious, unpredictable and a sweetheart. To me he will ever more be piccioncino. My little lovebird.

Boschetto once again displayed a rambling sort of humor that although scripted, veers into nuttiness at any moment. È il mio biscottino. My little cookie. His voice was clear and crisp, he sings such bittersweet melodies and managed to draw tears from me during “Memory”. He reduced Barone to giggles several times calling him Mr. Red Glasses, running to the extreme back of the theater to find his “Maria” and being called Igna by the guys. After escorting his Maria safely to her chair, he came back and did a theatrical roll up onto the stage. There is a giddiness about him that is infectious. In body and spirit, he often reminds me of an otter.

As I read their tweets and watch the bits of video shared with fans, they do act like brothers, one minute bopping each other around, the next serious and supportive. One person in line for the meet and greet was recognized by the organizer as being at her fifth show. Il Volo does that. I was dazzled at the Boston performance only a few weeks ago. So much happened in one night that I simply had to see them again.

IL Volo in Concert: Boston MA 2013

While this review is dated, it was the second live performance of IL Volo I have attended. This a character study rather than a musical review. These are my own impressions of Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto and Gianluca Ginoble.

Location: Bank of America Pavilion, Boston, Massachusetts

Date: September 14, 2013

Almost a year ago to the week, I attended my first IL Volo concert at this very location. It was a leap of faith that brought me to the first concert and based on remembrance, I can say without doubt that IL Volo (IV) made an artistic leap in presentation and song for 2013. Barone, Boschetto and Ginoble were wonderful in every way. The Boston audience was delighted with two full hours of non-stop exciting entertainment. IV twirled and sang up a spell of enchantment under a bright, crisp waxing harvest moon.

The Italians have a phrase and sense of living called Bella Figura. La Bella Figura as defined in EyeItalia: “Bella figura goes well beyond image, visual beauty and presentation…it also is defined by behavior: knowing how to properly and graciously interact with others in any social or public situation. Exhibiting good manners, tact and gentility is an essential component of “cutting a beautiful figure”.

I came to understand the visual meaning of this phrase during this concert. From head to toe, the cut of the hair, the drape of the fabric, sheen to the shoes, the physique and aura of class was present in each artist. The opening number, “Quest’Amore“, with the soothing, stirring strings of violins ushered in the silhouetted images of the guys. As each artist was projected onto the screen, the excitement began to build until the beautiful moment they walked towards us on stage singing with strength and confidence.

Barone was magnificent in voice, so graceful, powerful and clear. In live performance, his rich tenor can be overwhelming and conveys not only a beautiful sound but a virtual aura that can surround the senses. I truly think if he keeps on developing his art, he will have one of the finest voices of his generation. He has a tremble, con voce tremante or delicate weep at times in his voice. As his eyes hold that naturally down turned tilt conveying a bit of sadness within, so does his voice in song, all at once it is hope, sorrow and joy.  I watched him extend such courtesy to fans and was surprised at his genuine attempts at inclusiveness. He came off the stage towards my section of the audience to find his Maria. He tried to select a little girl from deep in the row of fans but was thwarted by the crowd. With grace he kept the show moving forward with a quick flexible timing. Towards the end of the show, I was so overwhelmed by the experience that I went to the very edge of the stage as IL Volo were shaking hands with fans. I threw aside my normal bashful ways and went right up to Barone and smiled, extending my hand. He paused, looked down and reached down a cool hand to greet me.

Ginoble was debonair incarnate. Frank Sinatra was popular before my time but I have memories of his success as a singer and actor. Ginoble’s  rendition of “Night and Day” was smooth, relaxing and sexy. I love that way he puts his whole body into the notes. He sat on the stool and crooned to us. He just has such style and presence. My hope is that given his age and beauty, he will continue to explore and popularize a more sophisticated manner for young male artists. In stance alone, he manages to convey what the French call: C’est si bon. Or, better in Italian: Molto elegante. At the end of the show, I stayed close to the edge of the stage after shaking hands with Barone, I was as close as I could be when the guys sang a cappella a portion of “Smile”, the look of satisfaction on his face, the light smile, and the look of love to the audience just radiated out. He was well pleased with the show.

True confessions, until Saturday night, I did not appreciate Boschetto. Perhaps the show last year caught him at the wrong moment for me as a fan. I saw a teenager, uncomfortable at times and out of sync. Tonight, he was fantastic. I loved his funny bone, his flirtatious, loving manner with the guys and of course all of us. During the song, “Granada”, Boschetto pantomimed winding up Barone as if he were a watch or toy, letting go of the key the moment Barone finds his long musical note in the song. He also revealed his savviness and intelligence as a performer. He knows how to make us all feel welcome. Beyond that, his skill as an artist was remarkable. He hit all the notes, held them long, and sang from deep in the body. I was able to film him singing “Memory” and continue to enjoy this personal memory of his gift. Unfortunately, he did not come to the side of the stage and I was not able to shake hands or share my joy at discovering him as a man and artist. I more than admire his growth as an artist and look forward to following his career.

There were several moments of musical brilliance on stage. During the song “Surrender” on the “We Are Love: Special Edition” CD, Barone hits an exciting high note. In performance, at this very moment, the three twirled closer together on stage and hit their highest note all at the same time. The notes were held for several seconds. The harmonics were pure IL Volo. The closest approximation I can relay is the sound made when a large crystal bowl is played. The tone and vibration carry outward and through the entire body. They are so compelling as people, joyful and sincere.

For the Boston audience, there was a moment of courage and support in recognition of the Marathon Bombing that had taken place in April of 2013. Barone started talking to us about Boston Strong and remembering what happened. IV sang the National Anthem to recognize the fallen and go forward empowered to face the worst of fears.

Meeting the fans who come from far and wide to attend the show is a part of the experience. In line waiting for the gates to open, I met a couple from Austin, Texas who had decided to take a vacation in Boston as well as attend the performance staying after the show for the Meet and Greet. They came so far and this was the highlight of the trip. I wish every fan could attend a live performance. The guys stand in front of the audience and look out at each person, look around slowly and take their time to catch your eye. As they gaze at you with a smile from the heart, so do you reply in the same way. At the moment the eyes meet, the connection is formed. They are on stage, but could easily walk off stage and be by your side. Somehow, they invite every heart be a part of it all. The theme of the tour is perfect: We Are Love. The secret of IL Volo  is their message of love; as it is something to be given, it is something to be accepted and returned.