Il Divo
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Il Divo
| For The Record... |
| Members include: Urs Bühler, tenor; Sebastien Izambard, vox populi; Carlos Marin, baritone; and David Miller, tenor. Formed in 2004; released Il Divo, 2004; Ancora, 2005; The Christmas Collection, 2005; Siempre, 2006. Addresses: Record company—RCA Record company Group UK, Bedford House, 69-79 Fulham High St., London SW6 3JW, U.K. |
Operatic pop singing group
The operatic pop group Il Divo is known for singing popular songs in a classically inspired, operatic manner; by 2006, two years after their formation, they had sold over 13 million albums.
"Using an Opera Voice, Not Opera Music"
Il Divo was formed in 2004 after promoter Simon Cowell, best known as a judge on the television talent show American Idol, heard operatic singers Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman singing the duet "Con te partiro," and noted their popularity with the audience. Cowell saw that audiences were eager to hear this style of popular operatic singing, and he decided to create a multinational quartet of male singers who combined a powerful operatic singing style with handsome good looks, a combination he felt was sure to succeed.
Cowell held auditions of singers throughout the world from 2001 through 2003, and finally chose four men. Urs Bühler, a tenor, began singing as a teenager with a hard rock band called Conspiracy in his home town of Luzern, Switzerland. He studied voice at the Amsterdam Conservatory with Udo Reinemann, and later studied opera with Swedish tenor Gosta Winbergh and French tenor Christian Papis. Carlos Marin, a Spanish baritone, was a star with the Madrid opera, and had sung in productions such as La Traviata and La Boheme for over a decade. France's Sebastien Izambard was a pop singer before joining Il Divo. The only self-taught singer in the group, he also played the piano and guitar. American David Miller, also a tenor, earned a bachelor's degree in vocal performance and a master's degree in opera theatre from the Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio. Miller told Mary Awosika in the Herald Tribune that when he was called to the audition, he didn't really know what he was in for. "Being from the opera world," he said, "the rule is, you get an audition, take it." He didn't know Simon Cowell was involved, or what kind of music he would be singing: "I just knew it was using an opera voice, not using opera music." Miller was initially concerned about the reception the group might receive from the classical and opera community. He thought their stage persona—four extremely good-looking men, dressed in identical Armani suits, along with their operatic versions of pop songs—might make them seem less serious.
Cowell chose the name Il Divo for the group because it meant "divine male singer" in Italian: a male version of the female term "diva." The group, which sings in English, Italian, Spanish, French, and Latin, began recording in early 2004 in Sweden, two days after the members met each other for the first time. Their self-titled debut album included Toni Braxton's "Unbreak My Heart," sung in Spanish as "Regresa a Mi," Frank Sinatra's "My Way," Ennio Morricone's "Gabriel's Oboe," and "Passera." Il Divo introduced the album on The Oprah Winfrey Show in April of 2005, and the album reached number one in sales on both Amazon. com and BarnesandNoble.com. It also hit number one on the charts in the UK, Canada, Netherlands, Argentina, Australia, Mexico, Sweden, and Finland, and was in the Top 5 in 25 countries, including the United States.
The members' different backgrounds initially caused some cross-cultural misunderstandings. Izambard told Eoin Cameron in ABC that at first they had some difficulties communicating, but after a year together they had ironed them out: "We just have to have, you know, eye contact, and we understand totally each other now, so the issues with culture and language, really it's finished."
Wildly Popular
In 2005 Il Divo released Ancora, which was recorded in Sweden and London. The album hit number one in the United Kingdom and Australia within a week of its release, and became even more successful worldwide than its predecessor. When it was released in the United States in January of 2006, it sold more than 150,000 albums in the first week and started out at the number one Billboard album slot.
After releasing the album, the group embarked on a six-month world tour. In that same year Il Divo released The Christmas Collection, which hit number 14 in the United States and number one in Canada.
In 2006 they released Siempre, and then opened for Barbra Streisand on her 20-concert North American tour in 2006. The Streisand tour was the second-bestselling tour of 2006, with $92.5 million in gross sales. Siempre featured ten tracks of cover and original tunes, most of which had a Latin flavor; nine of them were sung in either Spanish or Italian. In Rocknworld Sherrill Fulghum wrote, "Siempre is a masterful job from this international phenomenon."
Il Divo also performed the song "Time of Our Lives" with R&B singer Toni Braxton at the FIFA World Cup of soccer in 2006; they sang the song at halftime of the opening game as well as at the closing ceremony.
Although Il Divo has been successful with the public at large, some fans of classical music have not been pleased with the group's "crossover" format. In the Washington Post, opera lover Daniel Ginsberg described the quartet as "quick to hijack the accoutrements of opera but possessing none of the tonal splendor and precision essential to the art." He added that they "took the substance of a rich, beautiful genre and turned it inside out, leaving you with a bitter aftertaste." However, he also acknowledged that at a concert he attended "the swooning audience lapped up every minute of all this. Young and old alike swarmed the stage for autographs and handshakes." And in BBC, Rebecca Hobbs wrote that the group's crossover format "is a formula that has obviously filled a gap in the market."
Miller told Awosika that the group worked very hard on their performances: "People think it looks easy, but we go through hell over every single song." He added that he was grateful for the opportunity to be a member of the group: "I have the opportunity to learn so much right now. I'm not going to waste that."
Selected discography
Il Divo, BMG, 2004.
Ancora, BMG, 2005.
The Christmas Collection, BMG, 2005.
Siempre, BMG, 2006.
Sources
Books
Rossi, Allegra, Romancing the World (unauthorized biography of Il Divo), Orion, 2005.
Periodicals
Entertainment Weekly, July 22, 2005, p. 78; December 1, 2006, p. 82.
Online
"Il Divo," Herald Tribune, June 16, 2006, http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pcbs.dll/article?AID=/20060616/FEATURES/606160368?-1/FEATURES21 (February 9, 2007).
Il Divo Official Website: http://www.ildivo.com (January 30, 2007).
"Il Divo: Siempre Review," Rocknworld, http://www.rocknworld.com/features/06/IlDivo.shtml (February 9, 2007).
"Il Divo: Simon Says Opera, But the Ear Says Awful," Washington Post, February 5, 2006, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/04/AR2006020401231.html (February 9, 2007).
"Il Divo Singer Talks," ABC, March 31, 2005, http://www.abc.net.au/perth/stories/s1335204.htm (February 9, 2007).
"Review: Il Divo at Kedleston Hall," BBC, July 27, 2006, http://www.bbc.co.uk/derby/content/articles/2006/07/27/il_divo_kedleston_review_hobbs_feature.shtml (February 9, 2007).
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:
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Il Divo
- Genres: Vocal Music
Biography
Il Divo put a fresh face on popular songs, utilizing their exceptional voices, good looks, and cultural diversity to bring their romantic blend of classical and pop music to audiences around the world. Formed after a two-year search, the quartet is comprised of American tenor David Miller, popular French singer Sébastien Izambard, Swiss tenor Urs Buhler, and Spanish baritone Carlos Marin. Their eponymous debut album was released in April of 2005 and featured a diverse play list that included a cover of the Toni Braxton hit "Unbreak My Heart" and the Frank Sinatra standard "My Way," as well as "Nella Fantasia," a newly arranged -- with vocals -- version of "Gabriel's Oboe" from Ennio Morricone's score for The Mission. It became a massive world-wide hit, and the quartet returned in 2005 with Ancora, a ten-track collection of new music featuring the hit "I Believe in You" with Celine Dion. The similarly themed Siempre arrived in 2006, followed by Promise in 2008. 2011's Wicked Game, the group's sixth studio album, featured ten new tracks, including "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", "Come What May (Te Amore)," and a reworking of the Chris Isaak-penned title cut. ~ James Christopher Monger, RoviWikipedia on Answers.com:
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Il Divo
For the Italian film, see Il Divo (film).
| Il Divo | |
|---|---|
 From left to right, Sébastien Izambard, Carlos Marín, David Miller and Urs Bühler. |
|
| Background information | |
| Genres | Operatic pop, vocal |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | Syco Music, Columbia |
| Associated acts | Celine Dion, Toni Braxton, |
| Website | ildivo.com |
| Members | |
| Urs Bühler Sébastien Izambard David Miller Carlos Marín |
|
Il Divo ("divine male performer" in Italian) is a multinational operatic pop vocal group created by music manager, executive, and reality TV star Simon Cowell. Formed in the United Kingdom, they are also signed to Cowell's record label, Syco Music.[1] Il Divo is a group of four male singers: French pop singer Sébastien Izambard, Spanish baritone Carlos Marín, American tenor David Miller, and Swiss tenor Urs Bühler. To date, they have sold more than 26 million albums worldwide.[2]
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Contents
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Band history
The idea behind Il Divo's creation came to Cowell after hearing Andrea Bocelli singing Con te partirò while watching The Sopranos. In 2004, G4, a quartet of operatic male singers, also appeared in the UK on the Simon Cowell TV show X-factor. They finished runners-up, but were signed by Sony records. Aware of this new appreciation for lyrical voices and classical music, he decided to form a multinational quartet (the members hail from Spain, Switzerland, France, and the United States, the name being in Italian) that tried to recreate the style of The Three Tenors.
Simon Cowell conducted a worldwide search for young singers who were willing to embark on the Il Divo project, which lasted two years, from 2001 until December 2003, when the fourth member of Il Divo, American tenor David Miller, was signed. The well-established formation of Il Divo comprises a renowned Spanish baritone, Carlos Marín; two classically trained tenors, Swiss Urs Bühler and American David Miller; and a French pop singer, Sébastien Izambard.
Il Divo sings in Spanish, English, Italian, and French. Il Divo was named the Most Multinational UK No.1 Album Group in the 2006 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records.
On 25 April 2007, Il Divo performed on American Idol in one of the "Idol Gives Back" episodes, which raised money for children in the U.S. and Africa. For every vote cast during that show, Idol sponsors Coca-Cola, AT&T, and others donated money to Charity Projects Entertainment Fund (CPEF) and other groups such as Save the Children and America's Second Harvest.[3]
On 12 December 2008, Il Divo performed their new song at the Swedish Idol 2008 finale in the Globen Arena in Stockholm.[4]
As Barbra Streisand's guests
Having just completed a six-month tour of America, Australia, and Europe, Il Divo then participated in all 20 concerts by Barbra Streisand in her North American tour as her special guests. "Streisand: The Tour" with Il Divo was ranked second for all tours for 2006, generating $92.5 million in gross sales.
2006 World Cup
On 9 June 2006, Il Divo performed the 2006 FIFA World Cup official song, "The Time of Our Lives," with R&B singer Toni Braxton live, at half-time, during the opening match between Germany and Costa Rica, and again a month later at the 9 July closing ceremony.[5][6] The song is available exclusively on the Voices from the FIFA World Cup compilation album, and on the European reissue of Braxton's album Libra, but not on any Il Divo album. A shortened version of the song is featured on the second disc of Braxton's greatest hits album.
2011 Paraguay
The Paraguay show was Il Divo's biggest capacity performance ever and took place on 20 December 2011, at the Defensores del Chaco Stadium in Asuncion, for 33.900 people.[7] [8]
Discography
Main article: Il Divo discography
Il Divo (2004)
Main article: Il Divo (album)
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Recording started in the first half of 2004 in Sweden, with producers Quiz & Larossi, Per Magnusson & David Kreuger and in the UK with producer Steve Mac. This self-titled album contained the Spanish rendition of Toni Braxton's hit "Unbreak My Heart" (Regresa a Mí), (Braxton had originally released "Regresa a Mi" as a b-side to her 1996 single, "Unbreak My Heart"); their second single and first original song "Mama"; Sinatra's "My Way" (A mi manera); "Nella Fantasia," and 1994's San Remo Festival winner "Passerà."
The album hit the #1 slot on both Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com after a career-defining appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show on 5 April 2005, where they performed "Regresa a Mi".
In the United Kingdom, the Il Divo album knocked Robbie Williams out of the number 1 spot in the UK charts, Williams allegedly said to them at the Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason film premiere, “So you are the four idiots who have forced me off my number one spot!”.[9]
This multiplatinum-selling CD became number one in the charts in a total of 13 countries around the world, and achieved top 5 placing in 25 countries.
Ancora (2005)
Main article: Ancora
This was recorded in both Sweden and London with producers Per Magnusson, David Kreuger and Steve Mac, who were also the producers of their first album. Released on 7 November 2005 in the UK, it hit number one both in the UK and Australia within one week. Ancora was released in the US on 24 January 2006. It entered the Billboard albums chart at number 1, selling more than 150,000 copies during its first week of sales.
Highlights include "Isabel," "I Believe In You (Je crois en toi)," a duet with Céline Dion, a Spanish version of Secret Garden's "You Raise Me Up" (Por ti seré), and a Spanish cover of Eric Carmen's "All by Myself." Two of the tracks on the non-American release of this CD, "O Holy Night" and a version of Schubert's "Ave Maria," also appear on 2005's The Christmas Collection.
The Christmas Collection (2005)
Main article: The Christmas Collection
Recorded in 2005, the album is a collection of Christmas and holiday-inspired songs.
Voices (2006)
Main article: Voices from the FIFA World Cup
Is a collection of songs released at the time of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Siempre (2006)
Main article: Siempre (Il Divo album)
Released on 21 November 2006 in the United States and one week later in the rest of the world.
The Promise (2008)
Main article: The Promise (Il Divo album)
The album was released globally on 10 November 2008, except in the US and Canada, where it was released on 18 November 2008, Ireland where it was released on 7 November 2008, and Japan, on 26 November 2008. [10] The album reached the No.1 spot in the UK on 16 November 2008. The album was produced by Steve Mac. According to the credits on the DVDs, the bagpipes in Amazing Grace, both on this album and in the performance in the In the Coliseum DVD, are played by Robert White.[11]
Wicked Game (2011)
Main article: Wicked Game (Il Divo album)
According to Sony Music International the upcoming album is scheduled for release on 28 November 2011. Il Divo premiered the first song from the album, "Dove L'Amore", in a live performance at the Classical Brit Awards on Sunday 12 May 2011. At the same event Il Divo received the award for 'Artist of the Decade'. Recently, IL Divo have been on a worldwide promotional tour with Wicked Game in readiness for their fourth world tour which starts next year.
DVDs
Mama (2005)
The Il Divo released Mama – The Video, which included exclusive footage of the "Making of the Video," a live recording of "Mama – Live In New York," plus a photo gallery.
Encore (2005)
An open air "live" concert filmed at the Teatro Romano, which is part of the "Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida" World Heritage site in Mérida, Spain, 2005 and was released as DVD on 24 January 2006. The DVD features 8 tracks, including:
Concert
- "Si Tu Me Amas"
- "Isabel"
- "O Holy Night"
- "Heroe"
- "All By Myself (Solo Otra Vez)"
Extras
- Il Divo Revealed (documentary interspersed with concert songs)
- "Regresa A Mi (Unbreak My Heart)" (Music video)
- "Mama" (Music video)
Live at the Greek Theater (2006)
The second official DVD release of Il Divo, this contains the full live concert performed on 27 June 2006 at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, California as part of their World Tour 2006. This recording captures all the songs that have established the group's popularity, such as their breakthrough hit "Regresa A Mi" through to their original songs such as "Mama," "Si Tu Me Amas," and the only song taken from their Christmas album, "Rejoice." They also performed a previously unreleased rendition of the iconic song "Somewhere" as featured in the musical West Side Story. Most releases in the United States of America do not have "Everytime I Look At You" on it as a major music distributor bought the rights to it in order to promote this song as a bonus track on their release of the DVD, despite the tracklisting on the back-covers still listing the track.
Setlist (in order)
- Regresa a mi
- All by myself (Solo otra vez)
- Passerà
- Isabel
- Nella fantasia
- Rejoice
- Pour que tu m'aimes encore
- I Believe In You (Je crois en toi)
- Unchained Melody (Senza catene)
- Every Time I Look At You
- Si tú me amas
- Feelings
- Mama
- Somewhere
- Hero
- My Way (A mi manera)
Extras
- The Time of our Lives video - performed with Toni Braxton as the official 2006 FIFA World Cup song. It features three versions in English, German and the International one.
- Up-close and personal interview - focuses on the group's reflections of their success so far.
Live at the Coliseum (2008)
The DVD was released in the UK on 1 December 2008, but the show was at the Pula Arena in Pula, Croatia.
It features performances of:
- Amazing Grace
- The Power Of Love (La Fuerza Mayor)
- Hallelujah (Alleluia)
- The Winner Takes It All (Va Todo Al Ganador)
- Adagio
With an in-depth 30 minute interview entitled 'The Promise – Il Divo In Conversation.'
An Evening With Il Divo - Live In Barcelona (2009)
While partaking in their largest worldwide tour, Il Divo recorded and released An Evening With Il Divo – Live In Barcelona, a live DVD with an accompanying 10-track CD with songs from the concert. It was recorded at Il Divo’s largest capacity performance in Europe and took place at Palau Sant Jordi on 3 April 2009 with attendance of 20 000 people. Added to the setlist are two previously unrecorded songs by the band, Bridge Over Troubled Water and The Impossible Dream. Extras include a "behind the scenes footage/making of the tour" interview with Il Divo.
Disc 1: The CD
- Unbreak My Heart (Regresa A Mi)
- Unchained Melody (Senza Catene)
- La Promessa
- Adagio
- Somewhere
- Nights in White Satin (Notte Di Luce)
- Without You (Desde El Dia Que Te Fuiste)
- Hallelujah (Aleluya)
- Amazing Grace
- My Way (A Mi Manera)
Disc 2: The DVD
- Somewhere
- Unbreak My Heart (Regresa A Mi)
- La Promessa
- Angelina
- Isabel
- Bridge Over Troubled Water
- She
- Passera
- Unchained Melody (Senza Catene)
- Mama
- Nights In White Satin (Notte Di Luce)
- The Winner Takes It All (Va Toda Al Ganador)
- Without You (Desde El Dia Que Te Fuiste)
- Pour Que Tu M'Aimes Encore
- Everytime I Look At You
- Hallelujah (Aleluya)
- Adagio
- La Vida Sin Amor
- Caruso
- The Power Of Love (La Fuerza Mayor)
- My Way (A Mi Manera)
- Amazing Grace
- The Impossible Dream
Extras
- On Tour With Il Divo
Live in London (2011)
Setlist (in order)
- Come What May (Te Amare)
- Dov'è L'Amore
- Adagio
- Nella Fantasia
- La Vida Sin Amor
- Everytime I Look At You
- Passerà
- Unchained Melody (Senza Catene)
- My Way (A Mi Manera)
- Wicked Game (Melanchonia)
- Si Tú Me Amas
- Mama
- Hallelujah (Aleluya)
- Crying (Llorando)
- Unbreak My Heart (Regresa a Mí)
- Without You (Desde El Dia Que Te Fuiste)
- Pour Que Tu M'Aimes Encore
- Somewhere
- Time to Say Goodbye (Con Te Partirò)
Bonus Content
- Countdown to the Coliseum
- At The Classic Brits
- At The Photoshoot
- In The Studio
- At The Coliseum
- Wicked Game - Track by Track
- Wicked Game Album Trailer
Bibliography
Romancing The World (2005)
Author: Allegra Rossi
Format: Hardback 128 pages
Date of publication: 10 November 2005
Publisher: Orion
ISBN 978-0-7528-7519-4
Our Music, Our Journey, Our Words (2007)
Author: Il Divo
Format: Paperback 192 pages
Data of publication: 6 September 2007
Editor: Headline Book Publishing
ISBN 978-0-7553-1657-1
References
- ^ Caplan, David (2008-10-23). "FIRST LISTEN: Il Divo Sings 'Hallelujah' - Il Divo, Music News". People.com. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20235354,00.html. Retrieved 2012-04-13.
- ^ Starstruck (2011-06-08). "Il Divo Planning New DVD". Eternitamultimedia.forumotion.com. http://eternitamultimedia.forumotion.com/t2482-il-divo-planning-new-dvd. Retrieved 2012-04-13.
- ^ EBSCO Publishing Service Selection Page
- ^ "Il Divo gästar idolfinalen | Nöje | Expressen Nöje | Nöjesnyheter Musiknyheter Filmnyheter". Expressen.se. 2008-12-09. http://www.expressen.se/noje/1.1397916/il-divo-gastar-idolfinalen. Retrieved 2012-04-13.
- ^ http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/060214/1/625n.html
- ^ FIONA: DIVO - Mirror.co.uk
- ^ ${w.time} (2012-03-21). "Polca, guarania y ópera en una cálida noche de festejo patrio - ABC Color". Abc.com.py. http://www.abc.com.py/nota/polca-guarania-y-opera-en-una-calida-noche-de-festejo-patrio/. Retrieved 2012-04-13.
- ^ ${w.time} (2012-03-21). "Il Divo celebró en concierto el Bicentenario del Paraguay - ABC Color". Abc.com.py. http://www.abc.com.py/nota/il-divo-celebro-el-bicentenario-de-la-independencia-del-paraguay/. Retrieved 2012-04-13.
- ^ http://www.star-ecentral.com/news/story.asp?file=/2005/7/25/music/11231575&sec=music Accessed 05 March 2008/Robbie's alleged statement
- ^ Jonathan Cohen. (5 August 2008). The album reached the No.1 spot in the UK on November 16. New Il Divo Album Set For November. Billboard.com. Accessed 5 August 2008.
- ^ "Il Divo - The Promise (CD, Album)". http://www.discogs.com/Il-Divo-The-Promise/release/1566155. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Il Divo |
- Official website
- LiveJournal Fan Community
- Il Divo Belgium website
- Spanish website
- Il Divo profile on the C Music TV channel
- Il Divo section on ClassicalX
- Belgium Il Divo Fansite
- Belgium Il Divo Forum
- Il Divo Brazilian Fanclub
- Il Divo Kingdom ru
- Il Divo Italian Web Site it
- Il Divo Lithuanian forum
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Mentioned in
Gift Pack
(2005 Album by Il Divo)
Il Divo: Il Divo at the Coliseum
(2008 Music Film)
Il Divo: Live at the Greek
(2006 Music Film)
Il Divo
(Classical Group)
Il Divo [Six Song Sampler]
(2005 Album by Il Divo)
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