OK, I was really, really bored last night and was flipping between PBS and some nature show. PBS was doing pledge week and had Il Volo on-- 3 young, Italian opera singers.
My question is… are they all that good? I mean, they seemed OK, but it’s hard to imagine there aren’t dozens of other singers out there just as good, if not better. That said, I’m no expert on opera. Hell, I know nothing about opera.
But are these guys particularly good?
I’ve caught them on TV a few times, they always sound pretty damn good to my untrained ears. I think the big draw is that they’re so young and they look like a boy band as opposed to three guys that are probably going to need bypass surgery in the next few years. It’s usually entertaining enough to keep me watching for at least a few songs. Voices like that just shouldn’t be coming out of bodies like that. ISTM, to be able to sing that well they would have had to be training for longer then they’ve been alive, or at least longer then they’ve been out of puberty. My uneducated assumption is that, yes, they are extremely talented.
Also, I don’t think there’s anyone else like them, at least not in the states (maybe in Europe).
Here’s their big song for those of you not familiar with them.
I think another thing that makes them at least appear so good is that apparent nonchalance to their style. The way they sort of casual walk about the stage and still belt out these big sounds is somewhat impressive. Singers like The Three Tenors or even Celine Dion usually stood in one spot to do that. Perhaps they would do even better if they did that. I haven’t listened to a studio recording but I assume their sound is even bigger that way, especially since it would be professionally mixed/edited.
I think I saw them do a song on Dancing With The Stars, and I was astounded those voices rose up out of three young boys! I also thought they showed REAL talent and put American Idol people to shame. So far I’ve watched their PBS concert twice and enjoyed the hell out of it, moreso than AI, for sure. My favorite song they did is “Per Te”, very emotional and dramatic, wonderful music (though I have no idea what they are singing in Italian).
I am a huge Il Volo fan. I first saw them on American Idol last year. I don’t usually watch the celebrities that sing on the show, but I decided to give them 1 minute to see if they were any good. Gianluca sang first, and I was struck by how self confident he was when he sang. Next, Piero (the one with the glasses) sang and the audience reacted to him with a stunned expression on their face. Then finally Ignazio sang this long note on O Sole Miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiio and as he sang it he dipped the top half of his body in time with the note. By the time he stood up straight I was a huge fan, and it took under 1 minute. They got their start on an Italian tv show that is similar to American Idol. The producer of the show had them sing together and they sang O Sole Mio. Tony Renis, a legendary icon in the music business saw them and he took them under his wing and then Universal Music signed them a contract. They are the first Italian artists to sign directly with an American label. None of the boys ever had any formal training until after they became Il Volo two years ago.
They are fabulous no matter what they do. I saw them in concert twice last year and they are even better live than on the CD. And they are so funny, typical teenage boys who love girls, soccer, and rock music. Check out a “Quick Chat With Il Volo” or “Il Volo - A Day in the Life in New York City” on youtube, and you’ll get a sense of how funny they all are. They are the best thing to come along in years!