Music |
Vittorio
By
Published: Jan 01, 2007
Category:
Classical
Vittorio
Forget the killer good looks, the corny song selection on his debut CD and “the next Bocelli” marketing. Vittorio Grigolo is an opera singer with a voice that can drop you to your knees as surely as it can make the ironing go faster. And here’s the proof — he had the presence of mind to tell Simon Cowell that the great ambition of his life was not to be in Il Divo.
Smart man. At 30, he has the chance for a long, maybe legendary career; Il Divo will end, probably soon, as a high-class version of the Village People.
Still, there’s no ambiguity about his desire for popular success. Vittorio has chosen to make his first CD in that curious genre called “popera.” This music has all the vocal technique and power of the real thing, but the talent is in the service of soupy, theatrical ideas. The songs tend to start slow, then build. Violins swirl. Back-up singers form a tabernacle choir. The crescendo is eight turbo-charged cylinders running at full bore — you feel like you’ve got fifth row seats at some god-awful Cameron Mackintosh extravaganza.
And “Maria.” Really. Of all the love songs in the world, why choose the most over-recorded number from “West Side Story” — how low can a producer aim and still keep any self-respect?
On the other hand, Vittorio’s credentials are real enough: As a kid, he sang behind Pavarotti. At 23, he was the youngest Italian tenor ever to sing at La Scala. Despite a gigundo recording contract, he plans to go on singing opera.
From the evidence here, Vittorio is well worth getting dressed up for. He’s a confident tenor, with equal access to strength and tenderness. He can deliver a line without milking it. And for all his no-holds-barred crescendos, he can slip into a near-whisper and steal your heart.
Got household chores? Vittorio’s your man. Need a CD for a dinner party? He’ll be a pleasant change from Bocelli. Like to imagine you’re Maria and a handsome heartthrob is standing under your window, singing just for you? Ladies, go to town.
There’s something to be said for music that’s just entertainment. Vittorio is on the thrilling edge of that — think of Leonardo DiCaprio, just with dark, slicked-back hair. He’s not truly dangerous or edgy; his producers have seen to that. But you do get the feeling that, on some future CD, he just might break loose.
That CD I’d praise without reservation. For now, listen to a great tenor croon for the millions.
To buy the CD of “Vittorio” from Amazon.com, click here.
To visit Vittorio’s web site, click here.
