Ludovico Einaudi

[GovernorSilver]

Youtube algorithm strikes again.  This time a very different recommendation.  Instead of a young, hip-hop influenced jazz-fusion duo, I get a pianist aged north of 60, playing a much more relaxed musical style.    The one thing in common:  Project is led by a keys player.

 

 

[timwat]

I am not well-read on modern compositional styles, but this reminds of some Nils Frahm I've heard. Is this what they generally call "minimal" music, focusing a lot on repetitive patterns, slowly changing common chords, interlocking patterns?

 

It certainly seems to be a style that has risen to prominence in soundtracks and other media these days.

[analogika]

This guy has been a star for some years, at a level with Yann Tiersen. 
 

Both became famous for their soundtracks. 

[GovernorSilver]

Wikipedia says he received conservatory training as a composer.  The Time Out album was his first solo release - kind of reminds me of Frank Zappa's more serious (no toilet humor, no skits, just pure composition) work:

 

 

His second album (1992) Stanze, all music composed for solo electric harp, fits the minimalist mold that the Wiki article wants to put him in.

 

 

[analogika]

This first piece, "Una Mattina", is the one he's most well-known for here in Europe: 

 

 

[Sam CA]

For me personally, his music is incredibly boring. I only know him because a popular piano channel covered some of his piano works. For the most part, if you listened to the first 20 seconds, you already heard the whole thing. I can't stand it. 

 

Having said that, I have a lot of respect for ANYONE and EVERYONE who made it in the music industry. I also know for fact millions of people connect with that type of music and enjoy it very much.  That alone makes him a great composer I guess. 

[marino]

I hate this man with a passion. I tend to think of this music as brainless - and also from a purely emotional standpoint, it only covers very basic feelings. Not to speak of the incredibly limited harmonic vocabulary. It can work as soundtrack, but a quite boring and conventional soundtrack as well. (yes, there have been a lot of such movie soundtracks in recent years)

 

In my view, Einaudi simply isn't a particularly talented musician. He writes music that any 14-year old with some training and musicality can write. He has, however, a big asset: He comes from one of the most important Italian families ever. His grandfather was the first Italian President after WW2, and his father was the founder of one of the most important Italian publishing houses. So he had a lot of open doors from the beginning.

 

Perhaps his success could be considered a sign of the times... fact is, his music is much loved both in Italy and the UK.
There's a little joke I like to play when some student asks me "what you think of Ludovico Einaudi?" I usually say "Oh, I love him, do you know this song?" Then I proceed to *improvise* an Einaudi piece. (It's easy, it doesn't take a music genius to do it!) Maybe I also come up with a title... like "Shadows on the Moon" or something...   

The next step is to reveal that the "song" was totally improvised. The message, of course, is to keep studying, refining one's musical skills and tastes...

 

Now don't get me wrong: I don't have anything against simple music. But my ears and spirit tell me that the substance behind this particular music is just too weak.

 

 

[niacin]

He had a new album a few years back that was all over one of the tv channels here.  I wouldn't call it minimalism. Minimalists like Glass (particularly in the 70s and 80s) and Reich and Nyman and Part (none of whom cared for the term but it stuck) write music that I find engaging in various ways.  Einaudi sounds to me like new age muzak, its harmless diatonic noodling that won't interfere with whatever you're doing.  Glass, Reich, Part, whatever you think of their music it isn't going to disappear into the background. 

 

More than anything Einaudi reminds me of Hans Groiner 🤣🤮

[analogika]

Richard Claydermann

George Winston

Yann Tiersen

Ludovico Einaudi

Yiruma

…?

 

Every Generation needs one. 

[Spider76]

Hahaha guys, this is a tough crowd really.

I agree with most of the above comments, probably the best adjective for his music is "harmless".

Nice, relaxing, slightly evocative background music which any half-trained pianist can learn in half an hour.

 

Still, he's huge in Italy and EU (not sure about the rest of the world) and has sold millions of records and concert tickets, and that deserves some respect in my opinion.

 

Of course, the same stands for Tiersen, Clayderman...

 

Talking of overrated Italian pianists with too much ego and promotion, anybody wants to comment about a certain Giovanni Allevi, defined (mostly by himself) "the new Mozart"?

[analogika]

My comment was in no way intended to be deprecating. George Winston opened a whole new universe of improvisation, which really helped me get through my Sturm und Drang teen years. 
 

I’ve been seeing similar connections to Yiruma and Einaudi from my students. 
 

I have deep respect for anybody who manages to make that kind connection. It’s because it’s fairly easily palatable that it works so well for so many. 

[Caevan O’Shite]

The reviews are in!  
 

 

11 hours ago, Sam CA said:

For me personally, his music is incredibly boring. I only know him because a popular piano channel covered some of his piano works. For the most part, if you listened to the first 20 seconds, you already heard the whole thing. I can't stand it. 

 

Having said that, I have a lot of respect for ANYONE and EVERYONE who made it in the music industry. I also know for fact millions of people connect with that type of music and enjoy it very much.  That alone makes him a great composer I guess. 

 

 

9 hours ago, marino said:

I hate this man with a passion. I tend to think of this music as brainless - and also from a purely emotional standpoint, it only covers very basic feelings. Not to speak of the incredibly limited harmonic vocabulary. It can work as soundtrack, but a quite boring and conventional soundtrack as well. (yes, there have been a lot of such movie soundtracks in recent years)

 

In my view, Einaudi simply isn't a particularly talented musician. He writes music that any 14-year old with some training and musicality can write. He has, however, a big asset: He comes from one of the most important Italian families ever. His grandfather was the first Italian President after WW2, and his father was the founder of one of the most important Italian publishing houses. So he had a lot of open doors from the beginning.

 

Perhaps his success could be considered a sign of the times... fact is, his music is much loved both in Italy and the UK.
There's a little joke I like to play when some student asks me "what you think of Ludovico Einaudi?" I usually say "Oh, I love him, do you know this song?" Then I proceed to *improvise* an Einaudi piece. (It's easy, it doesn't take a music genius to do it!) Maybe I also come up with a title... like "Shadows on the Moon" or something...   

The next step is to reveal that the "song" was totally improvised. The message, of course, is to keep studying, refining one's musical skills and tastes...

 

Now don't get me wrong: I don't have anything against simple music. But my ears and spirit tell me that the substance behind this particular music is just too weak.

 

 

 

6 hours ago, niacin said:

Einaudi sounds to me like new age muzak, its harmless diatonic noodling that won't interfere with whatever you're doing.

 

3 hours ago, Spider76 said:

Hahaha guys, this is a tough crowd really.

I agree with most of the above comments, probably the best adjective for his music is "harmless".

Nice, relaxing, slightly evocative background music which any half-trained pianist can learn in half an hour.

My thoughts, having given some of his things a listen?

In a word, pretentious.

In two, pretentious, boring.

In three- pretentious boring fraud.

I wouldn't even give 'im nice or relaxing.

I actually very rarely think or say the following about any music, but listening to his products, that was wasted time that I'll never get back.

It's not even up to the quality level of 'dreck', sonic empty calories devoid of comfort or nutrition.
     

[analogika]

Wow. What lovely, generous, positivity regarding others' music. 

Not to put too fine a point to it, but: what the fuck have you accomplished that speaks to millions of people? 

 

[johnchop]

I learned a phrase in my time here… maybe it was timwat who posted it?… “this wasn’t made for me.”

[timwat]

25 minutes ago, johnchop said:

I learned a phrase in my time here… maybe it was timwat who posted it?… “this wasn’t made for me.”

 

Yes, that might have been me who first started saying that here. 

 

There's a lot of music out there, and people going down all sorts of paths. Me, personally, I used to be pretty darned aggressive about music I didn't like - I would dismiss entire genres with the worst of adjectives, just like we did in middle school and high school. I was pretty cringe-worthy and closed-minded. 

 

For me at least, it's probably more accurate that "it wasn't made for me", or my sensibilities, or my tastes, or what moves me. There's a lot of music that wasn't made for me. Sorry, a great deal of what I've heard of Taylor Swift's music probably isn't made for me. A lot of "mechanized beat" smooth jazz isn't made for me. A fair amount of simple, diatonic music just doesn't move me - it probably wasn't made for me.

 

A fair amount of what I've heard from Einaudi here in this thread (and the additional pieces that YouTube automatically serves up), maybe not made for me. A few selections from the his Time Out album I found interesting, though, thanks for posting that.

 

But in the larger scope of things, I think it's good for me to listen to music that's new to me, that I've never heard before, just to see what's out there. Chances are, there's going to be SOME new music out there eventually that IS made for me...

 

Tim

[ProfD]

Well, another example that goes to show there is an audience for all types of music.🤣 

 

Similar to build it and they will follow...play it and they will listen.😁 😎

[synthizen2]

I would just call his music "pure impressionism". Something to create a mood. Good for soundtracks, hence his success in that area (helped out, no doubt, by his family connections). 

 

[niacin]

10 hours ago, analogika said:

Wow. What lovely, generous, positivity regarding others' music. 

Not to put too fine a point to it, but: what the fuck have you accomplished that speaks to millions of people? 

 

So if someone doesn’t get that break and hit the big time they’re not entitled to an opinion ?

[analogika]

14 hours ago, niacin said:

So if someone doesn’t get that break and hit the big time they’re not entitled to an opinion ?

 

Oh no, that was just a dig at some guys here. 

I'm saying that you're not entitled to slag off anyone's music, regardless of whether you've "hit the big time" or not.

You don't have to like it. 

If somebody's "hit the big time" by creating music that you think is shit, they're obviously really good at something that you're probably not. 
You can accept that, or be an asshole about it. 
 

[Mighty Motif Max]

Having listened to all the tunes posted in this thread, here’s my take. Most of what I heard is what I would call “spa” music, like the relaxing meditative music one hears in salons, spas, some coffee shops, fancy hotel pool areas, and so forth. As someone who started off playing more in that style way back when (that and ragtime), I do appreciate it. It’s very peaceful and relaxing. However, I wouldn’t probably go to a concert of his or buy an album. I see it as more of an “ambience music” for an environment than a technical composition expanding the borders of music or something that translates well to a live show. Not my favorite thing out there but it has a purpose and that’s valid. I think that we saw this style of music really come into the soundtrack forefront (at least in the US) when Interstellar was released...and that was a Hans Zimmer soundtrack, nothing to sneeze at. I just hear a lot of similarities (with Zimmer’s soundtrack being superior IMO).
 

That said, I did rather enjoy the second piece in the Tiny Desk video. Quite nice. That Primo piece from his first album is very, very different than the later music, something I find interesting.

[yannis D]

On 7/26/2022 at 9:05 AM, analogika said:

Richard Claydermann

George Winston

Yann Tiersen

Ludovico Einaudi

Yiruma

…?

 

Every Generation needs one. 

I think Yann Tiercen does not belong to this list of people...

Just take some time and listen to his work apart from Amelie soundtrack and you will understand why.

He has got a punk/rock background that keeps him away from any kind of muzak

 

 

[ProfD]

39 minutes ago, Mighty Motif Max said:

I see it as more of an “ambience music”

Ambient music is a style. 

 

Erik Satie got the ball rolling with "furniture music" i.e. background music. 

 

Brian Eno coined Ambient with his Music for Airports:

 

 

 

It was our beloved KB instruments especially synthesizers that took Ambient music to another level. 

 

There are composers who've made a lot of money noodling musically.  The subject of this thread isn't by himself.😁😎

[Rod S]

I find that there is space for minimalistic music, and I use that term pretty broadly.     Whether it is background, 'focus music' (which people  like studying too), ambient, soundtrack.     While I don't care for a lot of his work, I've noticed it moves a lot of folks A LOT, it has gotten people to learn piano, and I think that is very cool.  

 

I dig artists that folks here in this forum have said 'they hate them with a passion'.

 

I walked out of a Philip Glass concert in the 80s.   Jazz festival in Rio in the 80s, had another artist that I wanted to see the same evening, but walked out in that segment and waited in the lobby.    

 

I'm currently in Rio-Brazil, and my 15 year old niece only listens to 'trap funk'.  I can't stand it personally, and I find it extremely unmusical and annoying.  But is is a predominant genre in this age group in Rio.  

 

[CyberGene]

I was recently at a team building where there were young people from our team who seemed to aggressively impose what music we should listen to. It was basically one and same song to me, the same rhythm, the same ugly way of singing, the same arrangement. To my taste it was not just annoying but obnoxious. I learned later it’s called reggaeton. I really can’t imagine how one can like that thing… But apparently there’s music for everybody 😢

[Mighty Motif Max]

8 hours ago, ProfD said:

Ambient music is a style. 

 

Erik Satie got the ball rolling with "furniture music" i.e. background music. 

 

Brian Eno coined Ambient with his Music for Airports:

...

It was our beloved KB instruments especially synthesizers that took Ambient music to another level. 

 

There are composers who've made a lot of money noodling musically.  The subject of this thread isn't by himself.😁😎

 

My experience with ambient music (the genre) was limited to more electronic ambient music/noise music/dark ambient and not anything with piano and such. I used the term "ambience music" in referring to music that would provide an ambience to an environment. Now that I looked up the actual definition of ambient music, it looks like that is indeed the definition of the ambient genre itself.... Ya learn something new every day. 🙂

 

These, for example, are what I tend to think of as ambient music - electronic, sort of generative "music", more like an actual ambient environment morphed into music, rather than the other way around (music creating an environment):

 

 

[Spider76]

10 hours ago, Rod S said:

 I've noticed it moves a lot of folks A LOT, it has gotten people to learn piano, and I think that is very cool. 

 

That's also another thing to consider.

Whatever gets young people to take up piano, is a good thing.

If a kid hears a nice easy melody on a movie or tv ad and thinks "Wow, I want to learn this!", how can that be a bad thing?

This happens a lot, and is probably one of the main reasons we still have a few people learning this ancient, outdated and unfashionable instrument 😉

I know there are tons of much better easy pieces in the classical repertoire, but they will rarely end up in a successful tv ad or a blockbuster movie.

 

Every generation has its example, as Analogika said. My generation had The Piano effect by Nyman (everybody I know learned The Heart Asks Pleasure First to pick up girls).

Then there was the Amelie effect, now Einaudi.

Is it that bad?

 

[marczellm]

There are these two Hungarian pianists, Balázs Havasi and Peter Bence whose music I find superficial too. I don't like this music, but my problem is not when other people do.  What is highly annoying about all three of them is the fact that their listeners are often led to believe, sometimes by the artist's own marketing blurbs, that these guys are the modern day equivalent of a Bach or Liszt, that they are the greatest most innovative composers or pianists of our time, which they clearly aren't. They are free to make whatever music they want and make as much money as they can but they shouldn't lie about or misrepresent what it is or isn't.

[Bobadohshe]

I first discovered Einaudi about 3 years ago when a student brought a book of his in. Then some of the libraries I write for started to call for Einaudi style music. The compositions are simple and yes, kind of boring. But as I took it upon myself to imitate the style, I found there is an art to getting even that mundane recipe right.

 

That said, I find his piano stuff makes me yawn. And I had almost written everything about him off as simple and obnoxious. But then I heard some of his stuff orchestrated, and I have to say liked it much more. The dimension and texture of an orchestra playing the simple stuff adds a timbral interest that I actually dig a lot.

 

Kudos to him for his success, even if it's because he comes pretty much from Italian nobility.

[RudyS]

Also really not my cup of tea, but a lot of people like it.

 

I sometimes have a popular classical radio station on the background in my living room. They play common classical music, but sometimes also play Einaudi and the likes. They have a commercial about playing “the great composers like Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and Einaudi”….ehh I don’t think so.

 

But to each their own. Can’t judge taste in music. 

[CyberGene]

What I heard here is really bland, bordering on annoying and obnoxious, however since I knew nothing about him, I just read the Wikipedia article about him and realized he has composed some soundtracks, including for The Father (with Anthony Hopkins) which was a great movie and I don't remember being annoyed by the soundtrack, actually I don't remember it, maybe it was subtle and unobtrusive, but that's still a success because I would have been annoyed if it was the same music as the one that is linked here.