Symphonicity: 2010/11

Sting (symphonic) enchants Florence...

Sting's concert at the Teatro Verdi, the first Italian date of his world tour, was a journey back through 30 years of music. He was accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.

A surprising and light-hearted three-hour symphonic marathon: Sting's concert at the Teatro Verdi in Florence, the first Italian date of his world tour, was a journey back through 30 years of music, his music, made up of various tonalities, from pop to jazz, from folk to classical. The former Police frontman, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, took the 1,500 spectators at the Teatro Verdi by the hand and led them through his hits, all rearranged in symphonic style. His wife Trudie Styler also applauded him, alongside our Zucchero. His voice is still powerful, magnetic, and Sir Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner once again struck the mark.

It's no coincidence that Sting, literally translated as "sting," stung the hearts and souls of the Florentine audience without hurting, aided by a punchy 26-song setlist entirely centered on his signature songs: from songs from his latest album 'Symphonicities' like 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,' 'Next To You,' 'Englishman in New York,' and 'Roxanne,' to hits like 'Every Breath You Take,' 'Russians,' 'If I Ever Lose My Faith In You,' 'Desert Rose,' and 'Fields of Gold.' Elegantly dressed in a dark suit, he took the stage and opened the show with "Faith," closing it after nearly three hours with the splendid "Fragile." "There are two kinds of love stories: the ones where I love you and you love me, but that's not interesting. And there are those where I love you, but you love someone else and that's interesting'' he joked before 'When We Dance' which moved the Verdi, while two dancers danced next to him.

On his musical journey, Sting was supported by the musical authority of the Royal Orchestra, conducted by maestro Steven Mercurio, which has previously performed with international artists such as Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, and Renee Fleming, as well as pop culture icons such as Burt Bacharach. The English artist was also accompanied by a quartet composed of Dominic Miller (guitarist), David Cossin (percussion), Jo Lawry (vocals), and Ira Coleman (bass). Sting has sold nearly 100 million records throughout his career, and his first recording venture into the world of classical music was the baroque album 'Songs from the Labyrinth'; then, two years ago, after completing the world tour that marked the reunion of The Police, he returned to his great passion: blending musical genres. The Symphonicity tour, which kicked off in Vancouver in June, arrived in Europe on September 3rd: after Florence, it will be in Milan on November 2nd, Turin on the 3rd, and Rome on the 10th. Before flying to Spain, Sting will rest in the Florentine Chianti region, at his estate in Figline Valdarno, his home for the past 15 years.

© Corriere Fiorentino