Ludovico Einaudi remains one of the most important composers and musicians of the last century.

While he may not be a household name in all corners of the world, Einaudi’s music is ubiquitous. He is one of the most highly-streamed classical musicians and his compositions have been featured in many high-profile films and television shows including Nomadland and The Father.

Originally from Turin, Italy, Einaudi studied music composition in conservatory. Later studies with two icons of 20th century classical music, Luciano Berio and Karlheinz Stockhausen, laid the groundwork for his unique compositional style.

Einaudi’s music draws on several traditions and sources.

A student of the avant-garde, Einaudi’s rigorous academic study furnished him with a strong technical and fundamental background, especially in the modernist experiments underway in music in the 20th century.

However, it was a chance encounter with the minimalist composer and pianist Philip Glass that had a monumental effect on Einaudi’s compositional direction.

Inspired by the concept of combining his academic musical background with stylistic nuances of pop and rock music, Einaudi has since risen to world-wide renown and released some wonderful music along the way.

Similar to another composer of the same generation, Max Richter, Einaudi’s music so perfectly captures zeitgeist moments that it is often repurposed and placed in multiple visual contexts.

Not surprisingly, Einaudi and Richter were both students of Luciano Berio as well as other luminaries of the 20th century avant-garde.

‘ELEGY FOR THE ARTIC’

One of Einaudi’s most well-known audio/visual performance pieces is “Elegy For The Arctic.” It was originally composed and released as a single in 2016.

A live performance organised by Greenpeace took place with Einaudi performing piano solo on a floating platform in front of a glacier in Svalbard, Norway. 

Like his mentors Berio and Stockhausen, Einaudi’s “Elegy For The Arctic” takes direct inspiration from the natural world. Even parts of the performance seem to float perfectly together with the sounds of glacial ice cascading into the ocean.

Einaudi re-recorded and released an alternate version on his 2020 album, 12 Songs From Home, recorded on his upright piano and iPhone.

‘NOMADLAND’

Einaudi’s music was featured prominently in the 2020 film Nomadland directed by Chloe Zhao.

Zhao originally found Einaudi’s work after a Google search led the writer-director to Einaudi’s floating performance of “Elegy For The Arctic”.

It was precisely the sort of nature inspired feeling that Zhao was searching for.

At the time of their initial contact, Zhao had finished shooting the raw footage for the film and Einaudi’s music provided her with the perfect ambiance to piece together the final cut of the film.

A handful of Einaudi’s compositions were placed in the film, including one of his most popular pieces, “Oltremare”. It was originally released in 2006 on the album Divenire and has since garnered over 20 million plays.

The piece clocks in at exactly 11 minutes and features many Einaudi signature elements.

These include an accessible chord progression more closely inspired by pop and rock music than advanced classical harmony; a strong bass line generally played in octaves in the left hand that offers a powerful sense of dynamic and drama to the music; a well-developed sense of lyrical arc and form; and a simple, yet stirring melody that is highly-consonant and pleasing to listen to.

The film features several other Einaudi hits including “Golden Butterflies” from his nature-inspired album Seven Days Walking and “Petricor” from his 2015 release Elements.

‘THE FATHER’

Director Florian Zeller likewise selected a handful of tracks from Einaudi’s Seven Days Walking album for his 2020 psychological drama, The Father, starring Anthony Hopkins.

Zeller’s placements include “Cold Wind Var. 2 - Day 4”, a stirring and restless piece featuring piano and strings.

Like “Oltremare”, the piece features a relatively simple harmonic structure that is readily accessible and aesthetically pleasing.

Einaudi composed a single original work for the film, “My Journey”.

In contrast to the other pieces selected here, “My Journey” opens with a deep and mournful synth pad that tugs and pulls around a central axis for nearly four minutes, gently exploring some meandering atmospheric ambience, before generally tapering out without making much of a definitive statement of any kind.

A MASTER OF MOOD

Einaudi has become a master of peaceful, reflective and emotive piano music. He has a strong compositional style that is quite easily recognisable and resonates across genre and geography.

Like contemporary composer Richter, Einaudi’s compositions seemingly fit a wide range of contexts – proving their powerful connection to the zeitgeist and strong musical identity.

Cover: Ray Tarantino

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Writer | Edward Bond

Edward Bond is a multi-instrumentalist composer, performer, and writer currently bouncing between Trondheim and Berlin. He apparently has the eyes of the devil, enjoys leopard prints, and will read your tarot, but not your future.