Il Divo, Auckland NZ, 2018

Il Divo

27th October 2018
Spark Arena, Auckland, New Zealand.

Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Chris Zwaagdyk.

While outside Saturday night in Auckland had become dreary and damp, inside Spark Arena temperatures were rising as Il Divo regaled the audience with a selection of both classical and contemporary numbers from their latest tour entitled Timeless. Having formed fifteen years ago and with eight studio albums (ten if you include the greatest hits and the Christmas special albums) to their name, the quartet made up of Urs Bühler, Sébastian Izambard, Carlos Marín and David Miller certainly know how to captivate an audience.

Accompanied by a twenty-piece orchestra and big screen visuals that complimented each of the tracks performed, Il Divo arrived to ecstatic applause. With the stage framed by Hollywood 5K Studio lights and a small staircase on either side, one could not help but feel that they had been transported back in time to the days of a haze filled piano bar.

Beginning with two of their more contemporary pieces ‘Hola’ (Hello) and ‘Aquí Esperándote’ (Right here Waiting) the four-piece immediately made an impression, the combination of the two tenors and baritone along with the vox populi tenor of Izambard melding together beautifully.

Throughout the night the four men would transform into comedic entertainers, unleashing their own brand of banter on the politely subdued audience. While the crowd eventually did warm up and begin to laugh along, at times it did come across as a little too scripted. Being a highly professional show of international quality it can be difficult to interact with the audience while still keeping everything on track and to their credit they certainly gave it their all; Miller often taking on a flamboyant persona reminiscent of actor John Barrowman, while Spaniard Carlos Marin embodies the definition of suave – although he should cut back on the ‘pretty girls’ jokes a little more as they just come across as dated in today’s society.

Moving throughout the show, the songs shift between Italian, Spanish and English with a little French thrown in for good measure – the track ‘Pour Que Tu M’aimes’ proving to be particularly popular with the fans. Joined by a troupe of six dancers who came and went throughout the evening and the show was lifted visually from what could easily have become something quite static, the combination of their stunning costumes and breathtaking dance moves – especially during the fiery ‘Quién Será’ – enthralling the audience.

Il Divo comprises of three classically trained singers and one self-trained (Izambard), each having the chance during the evening to perform their favourite piece complete with a brief back story; the first aria of the evening performed by Urs Bühler, his version of ‘Dies Bildnis ist Bezaubernd Schön’ from Mozart’s The Magic Flute exquisitely fluid in its delivery. While the contemporary tracks are what Il Divo are known for – the Italian and Spanish versions of songs such as ‘Come What May’ (Te Amare) from Moulin Rouge or ‘What A Wonderful World’ (Que Bonito Es Vivir) by the late, great Louis Armstrong giving them a completely different spin – the operatic pieces are where each of the members truly shine.

A short intermission was followed by a three part performance that centered around two bar tables set at the front of the stage; as Il Divo positioned themselves around the ivory grand piano, channelling the days of the infamous Rat Pack, the troupe of dancers played out a love story, the audience almost holding their breath as the ‘lovers’ met, separated and then came together again years later only to realise that it was never meant to be. Considering the limited space available to the dancers they delivered an exceptional performance worthy of the rapturous applause they received following its conclusion.

Injecting a shot of rock show energy into the evening, Sébastian Izambard delivered his latest single ‘Kingdom Come’ from his first solo US album entitled We Came Here To Love; while at first the crowd seemed a little shell-shocked they soon threw themselves behind it, thanks in part to Izambard’s dynamic delivery of the track complete with back-up singers. Following the quartet’s rousing version of ‘I Will Always Love You’ and American David Miller returned to the stage to deliver the aria ‘Vesti La Giubba’ from Pagliacci made famous by the great Enrico Caruso. Miller’s version was fraught with emotion and sent shivers down the spine, its only very minor fault being his breathing towards the end which was slightly distracting. Never the less it certainly deserved the standing ovation it received.

Finishing the night with ‘Somewhere’ and the quartet left the stage, the orchestra however remaining firmly in place, prompting the audience to call for an encore, which the quartet quickly returned for, delivering both ‘Regresa A Mi’ (Unbreak My Heart) and ‘A Mi Manera’ (My Way) which was rather poignant considering that their latest album Timeless is their first since leaving their creator Simon Cowell’s label Syco.

Il Divo are certainly master performers, and with their Timeless tour they once again prove unequivocally that classical and contemporary music can indeed go hand and hand.

Were you there at Spark Arena for this magnificent classical crossover concert? Or have you seen Il Divo perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Setlist:

1. Hola (Hello)
2. Aquí Esperándote (Right Here Waiting)
3. Pour Que Tu M’aimes
4. Angels
5. Dies Bildnis Ist Bezaubernd Schön
6. Te Amare (Come What May)
7. All Of Me
8. Love Me Tender
9. Quién Será (Sway)
10. Granada
11. My Heart Will Go On
12. Grazie Amore Mio (Love Story)
13. Unforgettable
14. Unchained Melody
15. Smile
16. Kingdom Come
17. Que Bonito Es Vivir (What A Wonderful World)
18. Toi Et Moi (The Way We Were)
19. I Will Always Love You
20. Vesti La Giubba
21. La Vida Sin Amor
22. Somewhere
23. Regresa A Mi (Unbreak My Heart) [encore]
24. A Mi Manera (My Way) [encore]

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