Kold9.com - Music for your soul

Pianist and composer Ludovico Einaudi was born in Turin, November 23, 1955. His mother, also a pianist, would play for him as a young child, planting the seeds for what would become a fruitful, illustrious career. Einaudi studied under Luciano Berio at the Conservatory of Milan, graduating with a diploma in composition. In 1982 his talents would win him a scholarship to the Tanglewood Music Festival. The experience opened Einaudi's ears to new ideas like minimalism, world music influences and aspects of pop music. He spent the next several years composing for the ballet, including Sul Filo d'Orfeo (1984), Time-Out (1988) and The Wild Man (1991). Einaudi turned a corner in 1996 with the release of his first collection of solo performances, entitled Le Onde. This record started Einaudi down the path towards becoming one of Europe's best selling pianist/composers. 1999's Eden Roc and 2001's I Giorni, both for BMG, captured the solo piano world's attention, both remaining best-sellers for years to come. While seemingly at the top of the composition world, Einaudi ventured into the world of film composition, a journey punctuated by his Best Film Score award in 2002 for his work on Luce Die Miei Occhi. Einaudi noted interviews during that period that he missed concretizing, and began performing again regularly. New works blossomed from this effort, including 2004's Una Mattina and 2006's Diario Mali. 2007 welcomed Einaudi's seventh studio album, titled Divenire, where he is accompanied by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.

Ludovico Einaudi is fast becoming one of the most popularly acclaimed contemporary classical/composer/performers of our time. This 2CD set was recorded live at La Scala, Milan and features most of his most popular pieces amongst the 21 tracks. It reflects his ability to electrify an audience during the concert. Einaudi is clearly a man who is passionately in touch with his music. Ricordi. 2004.

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As an alternative to 'Echoes', last years' Einaudi collection, this is a strange beast. It is, naturally, a live recording of a concert in 2003, during which Einaudi plays his most popular music with a track list almost identical to 'Echoes', which is the problem. The piano playing is so perfect, it actually seems identical to the studio recordings. A little thought to the track list might have eased this criticism. The sense of deja-vu is not helped by the audience which is so quiet that you wonder if he is playing in an empty hall until the end of each disc when the applause starts, but of course, this is no rock concert.

The music is of course wonderful and fans will love every minute of this intimate and perfectly played concert. But for other not so serious fans, consider the (cheaper) 'Echoes' collection first.