Symphonicity: 2010/11

Sting: Review of the Milan Show...

The crowd filling the square in front of Milan's Teatro degli Arcimboldi for Sting's concert is a mix of all kinds. From cultured young people and bourgeois gentlemen, to rockers who love the old Police, and regular folks, perhaps just curious to see what the orchestral version of Sting will be up to this evening. The live performance is an extended live performance of the singer's recently released album, a collection of revisited hits by Sting and the Police, rearranged by London's Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, conducted by Steven Mercurio. At 8:10 PM, the seemingly endless Orchestra enters the stage. The musicians take their seats and greet one another, beginning to tune in an atmosphere reminiscent of a major event, yet also very informal and relaxed. The lights finally dim, and the band enters, featuring vocalist Jo Lawry, long-time guitarist Dominic Miller, David Cossin (percussion), and Ira Coleman (bass), and finally, amidst everyone's applause, the Maestro himself enters. The first, perfect, flawless notes of 'Faith' rise into the air and accompany the entrance of the evening's star, who, like a true professional, begins to carry out his class assignment, stringing together memorable songs like the beautiful 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic' (from 'Ghost In The Machine', 1981), featuring a crescendo of strings and percussion that's eye-watering, though it doesn't maintain the same depth throughout the song, perhaps too rich in arrangements and instrumental changes to deliver the intended effect, some passages are unforgettable.

Sting expresses his joy at being in Milan, introduces the Orchestra and the Maestro, and the solo clarinetist arrives, delivering a stunning version of "Englishman in New York" (from 1987's "...Nothing Like the Sun"), with sweeping basses and plucked strings, strings, and guitars. Guitar in hand, he launches into 'Roxanne' (the first single from The Police's 1978 debut album 'Outlandos d'Amour'), and thanks to the set design (two giant parallelepipeds suspended above the heads of the musicians, reminiscent of the cover of Sting's latest album and covered in bright LEDs that project images and lights), the stage is all coloured red, and the cello and clarinet exchange solos. "How are you? I wanted to tell you that there are two kinds of love songs: the one where I love you and you love me, which isn't very funny, and the one where I love you and you love someone else, which is much funnier, painful, sure, but fun," and on these words begins 'When We Dance' (from 1994's 'Fields Of Gold'), where two dancers enter (she's also a member of the Orchestra) and perform a slow, sweet tango. Sting seems to have warmed up, his voice is deeper and more incisive, his interpretation more lively and intense.

He introduces "Russian," and once again everything is coloured red, and nothing better than the Orchestra can convey tsarist, epic, triumphal, and imperial atmospheres than here, with a final trumpet solo that sends shivers down your spine. "I Hung My Head" continues sweetly and decisively, although it's with the beautiful "Fields of Gold" that Sting really shines, preparing the audience for the finale of the first part with a fiery version of "Next To You," with the Orchestra on their feet, Miller rushing to sing backing vocals with the talented and unbridled vocalist, and while the horn players look on, the bass and drums make the hair stand on end in the front rows.

The second half of the concert seems to flow more quickly, even though some masterpieces from the beginning (most notably "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic") could have been included now, with all the calm and energy needed to perform them. No one's complaining, however, as our man begins with "A Thousand Years," where Maestro Mercurio truly seems to dance with his wand, like a magician, like Mickey Mouse in Disney's "Fantasia" (no offense to the musicians, I certainly don't mean to compare them to brooms and buckets full of water). "This Cowboy Song" is one of the funniest moments, with Sting's band breaking into a quadrille dance while, from behind the strings, the bows are twirled above their heads like jests. 'Tomorrow We'll See' showcases the rhythm section, 'Bourbon Street' is eerie and sinister, thanks in part to the theremin at the end, 'All Would Envy' features Latin arrangements and almost mariachi-esque trumpets, while the introduction to 'Mad About You' is powerful. The finale draws near, and 'King of Pain' is pure rock 'n' roll, like the rest of the second half of the set, which focuses more on Sting's more recent songs. 'Every Breath You Take' (from 1983's 'Synchronicity') also arrives, arriving on tiptoe, and the audience barely even explodes, not wanting to miss a single note. It almost undercuts the others, as if it were an already perfect song that needs no further embellishment (unless you're Puff Daddy).

The finale, however, is heart-stopping, with everyone standing and running to the front of the stage to enjoy the final moments up close. Everyone stands—except a few radical chics too busy laughing at each other—and everyone claps along to "Desert Rose" and "She's Too Good For Me," where the orchestra gives it its all, transforming almost into a big band, challenging each other, strings and wind instruments, through a series of delirious and hilarious choreographies. The strains of "Fragile" and the audience's applause bring the curtain down. Three hours, three hours of songs and different atmospheres, lighting and arrangements, hilarious moments and others that are truly spine-chilling. An excellent performance, and excellent promotion for the Alba truffle: Sting proves that even if you receive a 150-gram white truffle as a gift and taste it with your wife and friends, the next day you'll sing like a nightingale.

© Rockol by Daniela Calvi