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Rating: On February 14, 2024, after a pointless week spent with the "non" music of Sanremo, Rai 1 dedicated Valentine's Day to one of the concerts that singer-songwriter Claudio Baglioni is touring with.
Admitting to having watched Sanremo in bits and pieces more out of curiosity than anything else, yesterday I specifically wanted to see this concert because Baglioni is an artist you either hate or love, but it must be admitted that he is a number one and knows how to do his job well.
Well, the concert was amazing.
A 72-year-old singer who performed for over 3 hours without ever holding back.
He gave a true masterclass to all 30 contestants in Sanremo.
Praise to the direction of Duccio Forzano, who managed to capture every facet of the concert beautifully.
A show that boasted excellent musicians on stage and was packed with performers who, under the direction of Giuliano Peparini, made the concert even more enjoyable and spectacular.
I don't want to dwell on the songs, which were ultimately the most famous ones joined with a little material from Baglioni's latest album (which, by the way, is an album that is enjoyable to listen to), and the setlist was perfect.
What I would like is for good old Claudio to try more often to dive a little deeper into certain songs that he hasn't performed for a long time and that deserve to re-emerge live; let's say he likes to win easily.
It's also true that he already performs for over three hours; if he were to replace some super classic songs with lesser-known ones, perhaps people wouldn't forgive him (though it must be admitted that he has plenty of famous songs to spare, and it's not easy to create a setlist).
The lighting and set design were beautiful, he was in great vocal shape, and the musicians, backing singers, and dancers were all talented.
I've had the chance to see several Baglioni concerts, and I must say that he not only never holds back, giving everything he's got, but also manages to make each tour completely different from the previous ones.
He's not one to rest on his laurels; he always seeks new stimuli in his tours and new ways to bring his songs to life with new ideas, set designs, musicians, arrangements, and everything that can be done during a concert.
A month ago, he announced his farewell to the stage in 2026, saying, "they will be the last 1,000 days of me and you, but as they say in boxing, I prefer to exit as a winner rather than full of bruises, avoiding becoming a puppet of myself on stage."
He practically meant that, for now, he can still do it, but he realizes that he doesn't have much time left to continue these exhausting tours, and he doesn't want to become a shaky artist awkwardly trying to reproduce what he did just a few years earlier, becoming ridiculous.
I support his point of view regarding his imminent retirement, and more artists should take him as an example in this regard.
Unfortunately, music will soon have to do without these great singers who have made Italian music great from the early '70s onward... between those who retire like Baglioni and those who will reach a point where their bodies can't take it anymore, our singer-songwriter music, in over a decade, will have a significant void difficult to fill.
It's hard to see contemporary artists reaching 50 years of career continuing to fill stadiums and arenas; I see many little flashes in the pan ready to extinguish quickly.
As I said initially, Baglioni is an artist you either hate or love, but it must be admitted and cannot be denied that he is a number one and knows how to do his job well.
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