On the occasion of the show taking place at the Hallenstadion on Sunday 17 September, Italy's most famous operatic trio granted us an interview to talk about their international success.
Guys, first of all, how are you?
Ignazio: we are well, we are very positive, here in Milan at the teatro Arcimboldi things are going very well, the audience's reaction is fantastic, and for us, who feed on our work, there is a lot of enthusiasm about setting off again on the European tour from Switzerland.
In our last interview, done before the pandemic, you had told me that there were many projects under way. Among the recording projects you have given your fans, there was above all the album dedicated to Morricone: how satisfying is it to have the privilege of singing to the notes of an undisputed world legend?
Piero: that is why we decided to dedicate an entire musical project to Ennio Morricone. We could have done it by putting a few melodies on some past album, but as a musical genius he deserved to have an album dedicated to him alone. For this reason we tried to involve those who had worked with him. We contacted the family and his son, maestro Andrea, his orchestra, and we recorded in Ennio Morricone's studios. For us it was a great responsibility, we did it with a lot of awe and in a very restrained way, because we could not overturn the work and the melodies composed by the maestro. The help of the Swedish producers also allowed us to sing unique songs arranged in a more modern way while leaving the soul of their composer intact.
Did the audience take in a particular way this unusual way of listening not only to the melodies but also to your voices?
Gianluca: let's say our aim has always been to raise the prestige of the group. We had a great responsibility but also great satisfaction from the audience. Celebrating music as timeless as the music that makes up 80% of our repertoire, and adding Morricone's music, has led us to travel even more, to get past the barriers of the Italian language, to sing harmonies that win over every generation. The aim for the future will always be that: constantly devoting ourselves to prestigious projects and improving the image of the group.
I pick up on your point about taking Italian identity abroad: usually, when Italian music is discussed, very few artists are known beyond our borders. People know who you are, who Bocelli is, Laura Pausini, Ramazzotti and Zucchero, and now Maneskin. In your view, is it not limiting to have so few internationally minded artists in the Italian record industry? Or is it perhaps because abroad we are seen only as the country of operatic “bel canto”?
Gianluca: a lot of it comes down to the influence of language. Since Italian is spoken only in Italy, if you do not translate into Spanish as Pausini or Ramazzotti did, it is hard to break through abroad. But it is not for everyone, because Spanish is spoken by 60% of the world's population and yet authenticity is needed. It is not only a question of translation. If you sing in another language there has to be the same drive you have when you sing in Italian, and it is not so intuitive to be able to do that and be convincing. So if you want to go beyond Italian territory, either you sing in English as Maneskin do, or you devote yourself to Bel Canto, appreciated, as you said, all over the world.
As for the fans, you are the only ones, along with Maneskin, young people who are idolised by teenagers for your physical presence too. All things considered, if beauty leads teenagers to follow with interest a kind of music that is not the usual rap or summer hit, so much the better, right?
Gianluca: yes, let's say that in our view looks bring little to music, but we realise that they will certainly help. Cultivating the artistic side and the aesthetic one is always useful. Above all (laughing) look at how handsome Piero is...
In any case it is reassuring to know that we have a group of young people representing us abroad. At international level there was the boom in the 1970s and 1980s with Celentano, Albano and Romina, Pupo and Toto Cutugno, then, obviously, Pavarotti alone, followed over the years by Pausini, Zucchero, Ramazzotti and Bocelli. Whereas there is a generational gap in which people had to wait for you and Maneskin.
Ignazio: let's say that at international level we came out 10 years ago, perhaps we filled that hole, we managed to cover that middle band. It has always been like that over the years. Music makes you fall for an artist and you follow them, but let's not forget the 1950s with Modugno, who was also on the American market among the three most appreciated artists: Modugno, Pavarotti and Bocelli.
I looked at the comments on your videos and I noticed that most of the interactions were in Spanish.. Piero: on social media the audience is obviously younger and most of our teenage following is certainly in South America, but for live ticket sales our market is above all the United States, South America and Japan. Now we are ready for the tour across Europe and we are setting off with a smile because advance sales are going well.
Will your repertoire be the same in all the cities where you perform, including Zurich, which has a high percentage of Italian speakers? Piero: yes, our repertoire does not change, it is always the same and it is a mix of our hits, of our songs together with those of opera music and also those dedicated to Morricone. And we are glad that the audience knows our songs such as “Grande amore” and not only the most famous opera pieces, we are very proud of that. Our show is a musical journey in which everyone can sing along and be moved!
Our interview therefore closes with high expectations. Good luck guys, the Hallenstadion is waiting for you!
Il Volo
Sunday 17 September 2023, 8.00 pm
Hallenstadion, Zurich
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