After seeing all the six symphony concerts I’ve noticed that every concert is different, special and magical in their own way and I enjoy the fact they are all different. Just the venue itself has its own effect, the modern music halls in Montreal or Florence can’t compete with the breathtakingly beautiful old theatre we saw in Como, a piece of art itself. The Canadian audience was calm and that way exactly my taste but on the other hand the organization at the opera in Florence could control the audience surprisingly well. The crowd was restless and a bit distracting but at least people stayed still until the last song which, believe me, wasn’t easy to achieve. 

There are other elements as well. I like Ida a lot and I missed her in Como and really enjoyed having her back in Florence and think her pure voice added something special to many songs. She sounded stunning and she and Mika have always a lovely chemistry on stage.

Every symphony concert depends naturally mainly on Mika and how he feels and where he wants to focus on that particular night just like at regular gigs. If he is calm and careful he pays more attention to every nuance and I think he did that more on the second Florence night compared to the first one, being still very expressive as well. And I literally can’t breath when he performs like that, the experience is incredibly beautiful. I almost can’t believe I’m there to witness it all and try very hard to catch everything and always wish my musical ear was better so I could remember every detail afterwards but of course I can’t. I can only remember how amazingly wonderful it was when it happened.

If he is excited to tell the story and focusing on the meaning of the song he adds theatre in it and while doing it seems to suddenly to get even more excited, just for the childlike joy of performing and being on stage and that makes my heart burst. First there’s the emotion of the song. In seconds I’m transferred to another emotional state and to a new imaginary environment which is always very intense. Then there’s the feeling of having so much love in my heart because I love watching him on stage.

The first Florence night was extremely emotional to me. I had looked forward to this night for a long time and had almost forgotten how well these symphony versions work, how real they feel. Mika was very theatrical since the beginning. He started with Toy Boy and suddenly I was in a nursery, I had hardly time to understand the transition. I could see the colours and textures and all the toys. After Toy Boy he changed quickly to Underwater and made it extremely dramatic, the water was everywhere and it was stormy and green. He has really found his acting side and he made the song even more emotional and powerful than it usually is. 

In Florence Boum Boum Boum was intense compared to the gentle gig version I got used to during the Heaven tour, Rain emotional as well and then it was Last Party already and I tried really hard to keep up and jump from one song and emotion to another one, very quickly not to miss any of the songs, something that I found difficult during the earlier symphony concerts but gradually learnt to do. I feel every emotion with my whole body and every muscle and it’s hard to relax and feel “nothing” between the songs and get ready to another one, there’s very little time. Last Party was as lovely as it always is and the version from second night somehow amazingly carefully done, beautiful and detailed. 

Next on the setlist Overrated and Any Other World, both wonderful symphony songs, and then Love You When I’m Drunk so cheerfully I had to wonder what is so funny in it. Then Ordinary Man. I wasn’t in love with this song when I heard it for the first time in Montreal but I learnt to love it at gigs, it sounds different and more vulnerable without an orchestra and done in a smaller way. This time the song was my biggest favourite during the first Florence night and one of the favourites second night as well. I loved it so much, a wonderful experience. Then Heroes, one of the very best symphony songs.

It took me time to adjust after the pause and I was grateful the first song was Grace Kelly and not Over My Shoulder yet. With Ida Over My Shoulder is even better than it usually is. It’s a dark but still calm and peaceful song and l loved it how Ida’s voice gave it a tiny bit hope. Songs like that can take over my mood for a long time period and a little bit of hope makes everything easier. Lovely Good Guys and then Make You Happy and surprisingly my another big favourite both Florence nights but especially on the first night. Mika kept repeating the line and suddenly I started to believe him, it was very convincing. I had totally forgotten how much I like this song. Happy Ending is always stunning but on the second night it was extraordinary and I’m sure time stopped for a tiny moment. With Mika it sometimes does and on the second Florence night during Happy Ending it certainly did.

In Florence Origin was powerful with the big choir. I loved the choir in many other songs as well, it had an impressive effect and it added a lot of extra. Then Relax, one of my most important songs and lovely, gentle and natural both nights but particularly on the second one. Elle Me Dit and Love Today are not my orchestra favourites because the audience can’t stay still and there’s too much distraction and that always shifts my mood but Stardust after them was still lovely of course, even the audience was too restless at the time. There was an extra song both nights, Grace Kelly on the first and Underwater on the second night. The crowd was in chaos in front, everyone taking pics and vids but I didn’t care, just felt happy and thankful, overwhelmed and exhausted.

Such a wonderful, once in a lifetime experience, these two concerts with a fun pre-party with my MFC friends on Friday and a nicely organised dinner-party at the opera on Saturday. Stunning work from both Mika and Simon Leclerc and of course also from Ida, Max, the orchestra and everyone involved.