The idea behind this quartet's creation came to Simon Cowell after listening to Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman's rendition of "Con Te Partirò." He realized he loved lyrical voices but not opera, so he decided to form a multinational quartet (France, Switzerland, Spain, and United States) that sounded like The Three Tenors but sang pop songs and looked like handsome Armani models.
With this idea, Cowell commenced a worldwide search for young singers who were willing to embark on the Il Divo project. His search lasted two years, from 2001 until December 2003, when the fourth member of Il Divo, American tenor David Miller, was signed. The well-established formation of Il Divo comprises a renowned Spanish opera and zarzuela baritone, Carlos Marín, a French pop singer, Sébastien Izambard, and two classically trained tenors, Swiss Urs Bühler and American David Miller. Recording of their first album started in the first half of 2004 in Sweden.
The group's debut album, the self-named Il Divo, contains renditions of Frank Sinatra's hit "My Way (A Mi Manera)," Toni Braxton's hit "Unbreak My Heart (Regresa a Mi)," an adaptation of Ennio Morricone's soundtrack titled "Gabriel's Oboe" from the movie La Misión titled "Nella Fantasia" and several songs sung in Spanish, English, Italian, and Portuguese ("Volta Pra Mim"), including 1994's San Remo Festival winner "Passerà."
Il Divo hit the #1 slot on both Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com after a breakout career-defining appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show on April 5, 2005, where the quartet performed its interpretation of "Unbreak My Heart."
In the United Kingdom, the Il Divo album topped Robbie Williams as number 1 in the UK charts (allegedly Williams said to them during the Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason film premiere, "Oi, you're the bastards that knocked me off!"). This multiplatinum-selling CD became number one in the charts in a total of 13 countries around the world, and achieved top 5 placing in 25 countries.
Il Divo's second album, Ancora, was recorded in both Sweden and London with world-renowned recording giants Per Magnusson and David Kreuger and producer Steve Mac, who was also the producer of their first album. Released on November 7, 2005 in the UK, it hit number one both in the UK and Australia within one week. Ancora was released in the US on January 24, 2006. It entered the Billboard albums chart at number 1, selling more than 150,000 copies during its first week of sales.
Highlights on Ancora include "Isabel," "I Believe In You," a duet with Céline Dion, and Il Divo's cover of Eric Carmen's "All By Myself (Solo Otra Vez)." Two of the tracks on this CD, "O Holy Night" and "Ave Maria," appear on the 2005 US-only release, Christmas Collection.
Il Divo was the perfomer of the 2006 FIFA World Cup official song "A Time of Our Lives."
Le Temps Des Cathédrales
Il Divo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Paris la belle en l'an de dieu
Mil-quatre-cent-quatre-vingt-deux
Histoire d'amour et de désir
Nous les artistes anonymes
De la sculpture ou de la rime
Tenterons de vous la transcrire
Pour les siècles à venir
Il est venu le temps des cathédrales
Le monde est entré
Dans un nouveau millénaire
L'homme a voulu monter vers les étoiles
Ecrire son histoire
Dans le verre ou dans la pierre
Pierre après pierre, jour après jour
De siècle en siècle avec amour
Il a vu s'élever les tours
Qu'il avait bâties de ses mains
Les poètes et les troubadours
Ont chanté des chansons d'amour
Qui promettaient au genre humain
De meilleurs lendemains
Il est venu le temps des cathédrales
Le monde est entré
Dans un nouveau millénaire
L'homme a voulu monter vers les étoiles
Ecrire son histoire
Dans le verre ou dans la pierre
Il est venu le temps des cathédrales
Le monde est entré
Dans un nouveau millénaire
L'homme a voulu monter vers les étoiles
Ecrire son histoire
Dans le verre ou dans la pierre
Il est foutu le temps des cathédrales
La foule des barbares
Est aux portes de la ville
Laissez entrer ces païens, ces vandales
La fin de ce monde
Est prévue pour l'an deux-mille
Est prévue pour l'an deux-mille
The song "Le Temps Des Cathédrales" by Il Divo tells the story of the creation and significance of cathedrals in Paris during the late 14th century. The lyrics begin by establishing the setting in Paris, describing it as a beautiful city in the year 1482. It then speaks of an anonymous group of artists, whether sculptors or poets, who attempt to transmit the story of love and desire that surrounded the construction of these cathedrals for future generations to appreciate.
The song then delves into the theme of the cathedrals as a symbol of human aspiration and progress. It says that the time of cathedrals has arrived as the world enters a new millennium. It highlights the human desire to reach for the stars and write their history in materials like glass or stone. The cathedrals are seen as a testament to human ingenuity and determination, as they were built painstakingly, day by day, century after century, with love.
However, the tone of the song takes a somber turn towards the end. It mentions that the time of cathedrals is finished, as depicted by the presence of a barbaric crowd at the gates of the city. The lyrics express a sense of impending doom, with the arrival of these pagans and vandals signifying the end of the world, which is predicted to happen in the year 2000.
Overall, "Le Temps Des Cathédrales" encapsulates the grandeur, ambition, and vulnerability of human endeavors through the symbolism of cathedrals in Paris.
Line by Line Meaning
C'est une histoire qui a pour lieu
This is a story that takes place
Paris la belle en l'an de dieu
In beautiful Paris in the year of God
Mil-quatre-cent-quatre-vingt-deux
One thousand four hundred and eighty-two
Histoire d'amour et de désir
A story of love and desire
Nous les artistes anonymes
We, the anonymous artists
De la sculpture ou de la rime
Of sculpture or rhyme
Tenterons de vous la transcrire
We will try to transcribe it for you
Pour les siècles à venir
For the centuries to come
Il est venu le temps des cathédrales
The time of cathedrals has come
Le monde est entré
The world has entered
Dans un nouveau millénaire
Into a new millennium
L'homme a voulu monter vers les étoiles
Man wanted to reach for the stars
Ecrire son histoire
To write his story
Dans le verre ou dans la pierre
In glass or in stone
Pierre après pierre, jour après jour
Stone by stone, day by day
De siècle en siècle avec amour
From century to century with love
Il a vu s'élever les tours
He saw the towers rise
Qu'il avait bâties de ses mains
That he had built with his own hands
Les poètes et les troubadours
The poets and troubadours
Ont chanté des chansons d'amour
Have sung songs of love
Qui promettaient au genre humain
That promised to humanity
De meilleurs lendemains
A better future
Il est venu le temps des cathédrales
The time of cathedrals has come
Le monde est entré
The world has entered
Dans un nouveau millénaire
Into a new millennium
L'homme a voulu monter vers les étoiles
Man wanted to reach for the stars
Ecrire son histoire
To write his story
Dans le verre ou dans la pierre
In glass or in stone
Il est venu le temps des cathédrales
The time of cathedrals has come
Le monde est entré
The world has entered
Dans un nouveau millénaire
Into a new millennium
L'homme a voulu monter vers les étoiles
Man wanted to reach for the stars
Ecrire son histoire
To write his story
Dans le verre ou dans la pierre
In glass or in stone
Il est foutu le temps des cathédrales
The time of cathedrals is gone
La foule des barbares
The crowd of barbarians
Est aux portes de la ville
Is at the gates of the city
Laissez entrer ces païens, ces vandales
Let these pagans, these vandals enter
La fin de ce monde
The end of this world
Est prévue pour l'an deux-mille
Is predicted for the year two thousand
Est prévue pour l'an deux-mille
Is predicted for the year two thousand
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Luc Plamondon, Riccardo Cocciante
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Charlene Rodrigues Blum
Maravilhosos lindos vcs cantam d+++++...e Carlos hj está fazendo espetáculos no céu...fique em paz....👏👏👏👏👏👏😪😪❤❤❤🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷
Rita Alessandro
Great song, with 5 incredible voices.💯❤️💐
Maria Rosa Rodriguez
Uf....se me pone el cabello de punta...sus voces sublimes...DP...Carlos que ya no estás con nosotros pero nos dejaste tu voz...
mariejose661
Sublime interprétation chantée par 5 magnifiques voix. Extraordinaire.👍💖🌹❤️
Agnes Dubuis
Magnifique! Mes coups de cœurs enfin réunis! Vincent le cinquième Divo! 5 merveilleuses voix pour notre plus grand plaisir...
christ
vraiment sublime. 5 voix merveilleuses pour une magnifique chanson.
Puri G.S.
Fantástico!!!! Y las voces....
NatalyDudinova
Я потрясена и растрогана! Благодарю Вас, Божественные!!!
За мощь и красоту благословенного пророчества!!!:)
Светлана Скребнева
Браво! Красиво, мощно, божественно!
Milena Blagojević
Quelle pouvoir d' art et des voix magique!