Eccles Theater: Il Divo

Summertime offers an excellent opportunity to attend concerts and music festivals that fall outside the regular programming of local performing arts companies. My friends Ruth and Jolene asked if I would like to join them in attending Il Divo’s concert at Eccles Theater last Thursday evening. I jumped at the chance to do so because my mother and I love Il Divo and discuss their music frequently, but I had never heard them perform live. Seeing Il Divo in person was a first for Ruth and Jolene as well. On tour to celebrate 20 years together as a group — paying homage to deceased original member Carlos Marin — and promoting their current album XX: 20th Anniversary Album, Il Divo delivered a packed hour-and-a-half program of well-known favorites, an original single, and new covers that exceeded our expectations and made for a very enjoyable evening.

Song after song, Il Divo delighted the audience with its identifiable brand of classical crossover music and powerful vocals. They also engaged the audience with playful and informative conversation. Several moments from the evening stand out as notable highlights.

• Il Divo began the evening with “Regresa a Mi,” a Spanish cover of Toni Braxton’s “Unbreak My Heart,” the first single from their debut album. It was a dramatic beginning as images of the group members donning bow ties, tuxes, and cufflinks were projected on a large screen before they actually took the stage. The audience responded with cheers and applause once Urs Bühler, David Miller, Sébastien Izambard, and Steven LaBrie appeared and started singing the familiar melody. Their vocals were smooth and easy, a good warmup to their more powerful vocals that would follow.
• The next song that stood out to me was a cover of Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” from Il Divo’s XX: 20th Anniversary Album. I loved that they contrasted their more classical-sounding pieces with a song that infuses soul and R&B. Their arrangement relaxed the tempo so that each phrase sounded very pensive, with a slightly faster chorus, and performed live, it had an incredibly mysterious effect.
• They followed “Crazy” with “Senza Catene,” an Italian cover of “Unchained Melody,” made popular by the Righteous Brothers. Il Divo’s rendition started slowly and gently, highlighting each singer’s legato singing ability, and then it gradually built into a strong crescendo. I really enjoyed how this piece highlighted the group’s dynamics.
• Josh Groban is himself a classical crossover artist, and Il Divo has included his famous song “You Raise Me Up” in honor of their late group member Carlos Marin. I appreciated the tenderness with which they sang each verse and that they stayed true to the Celtic accompaniment of Groban’s original. Their performance was exceptionally powerful when all four group members joined together.
• A cover of Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” is another single on Il Divo’s current album. Similar to their inclusion of Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy,” this signaled a pop contrast to their more classical standards. This song featured Sébastien Izambard on guitar and a mellow lead vocal. He and the group made this one fun for the audience by inviting us to sing along.
• Next, they delivered their interpretation of Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito.” They took the popular Latin dance song and slowed it way down, making it more smooth and orchestral than rhythmic. I enjoyed their take on the song because it was incredibly dramatic.
• I really liked Il Divo’s “Isabel” because it uses Gabriel Fauré’s “Pavane” as its melody, a song that I previously played on the piano. The lyrics written by Andreas Romdhane for Il Divo’s version pay tribute to French countess Élisabeth Greffulhe, a woman known for her beauty and putting music at the center of her life. Il Divo gave a particularly impassioned performance of this song.
• I found “Quizás, Quizás, Quizás,” a cover of Bobby” Capó’s 1947 song that has subsequently been sung by numerous other artists, to be a particularly fun part of the evening. The song itself is lively and expressive, and Il Divo sang it as such, flirtatiously serenading a few lucky fans in the front rows of the audience.
• Il Divo ramped up the drama with a performance of “Bésame Mucho.” I loved Steven LaBrie’s deep baritone intro, and as the rest of the group joined him, they displayed the rich power of their combined voices.
• As they introduced “Adagio,” they explained that when they recorded it in 2008, it was the first time the group felt like they were working together as a unit, letting their creativity flow. That same energy pervaded their live performance of the song, which sounded beautifully contemplative and classical. The audience responded by giving them a standing ovation.
• Il Divo continued with a stunning version of “My Way,” intending it to be the concert’s finale. Their performance was thoughtful and unhurried as photos from the group’s 20-year career were projected on the screen. This, too, prompted enthusiastic cheers and a standing ovation, which invited the group to return to the stage for two encores.
• The group sang one of my all-time favorite songs for its second encore, “Con Te Partiro” / “Time to Say Goodbye,” also made famous by Andrea Bocelli. The performance beautifully showcased all of Il Divo’s strengths — gentleness, power, and lyricism.

From beginning to end, Il Divo delivered an incredible performance. Ruth, Jolene, and I were very happy that we went.

Il Divo’s concert in Salt Lake City was a one-night-only event. Fans of the group who live outside Utah can check here for upcoming tour dates. Performing arts enthusiasts in Utah can check here for upcoming events along the Wasatch Front.