Simply Beautiful
04/09/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I heard the title song 'I Giorni' on the radio and thought it was excellent so I looked up the CD on the internet and after listening to a few clips, decided I would buy it.
It really is a wonderful CD with beautiful pieces that have really encouraged me to look into classical music more.
The flowing melodies are very relaxing and not dissimilar to Nyman's 'The Piano', so if you like this style of music, I would highly recommend buying it."
The contemporary, expressive style
G. S. Foster | UK | 04/11/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Ludovico is a quintessential example of a proponent of the neo-classical style of music, the natural development of late romantic efforts of Erik Satie and his peers. Ludovico's music is often musically fairly simplistic and technically not difficult in many cases, but this is by no means a comment on his talent. For me as an appreciator of this genre the true beauty of his work lies in the vivid self expression and freedom that the player is allowed. I am quite an unskilled pianist, but in playing his work i find a quite unique form of personal expression that is only possible in such free-flowing, emotional music. Many people would describe this music as ambient, but personally I find it to be engaging to the emotions. The warmth and clear love of playing present in his style serves to make the album beautiful from an artistic point of view, and his graceful treatment of the piano I welcome over many of the more brash works of artists such as Chopin or Satie.
As for the comparison with Nyman, This is certainly valid. Nyman also evokes the emotions marvellously is some of his pieces; I particularly recommend 'The Scent of Love' and 'The Beach' which is a variation on a similar theme arranged as a concerto. Nyman, however, I find to be less consistent, because his interests in jazz music have clearly influenced him and this is not to my personal taste. Anyone who is a fan of saxophone and piano concertos should clearly look to Nyman's 'Where the Bee Dances' before considering Einaudi's work.
On the other hand, any fan of raw happiness and contentment expressed through the symbiosis of artist with instrument should definetly listen to this album. If you subsequently find that you like it, I would also recommend Eden Roc as it shows Einaudi in his progressive stage, as he experiments with different techniques and instruments, and therefore provides an interesting change from his typical style."
A Trip into your Emotions
Alex Louis Klein | 01/03/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"wow! every song brings back a mirad of emotions. If you are like me looking for music to put you to sleep at night and write poems to during the day this music is perfect for you"