Music Review | Works of Ludovico Einaudi

Solo Albums

Stanze (Sony Classical, 1992)

Stanze is the second album by Ludovico Einaudi. This album features electric harp is played by Cecilia Chailly.

The first track “Notte part 1” is a bright composition, harp plays arpeggios, fragmental piano ride on them.

“Calore”, harp plays melodies, and low tone piano plays backings in few tones.

“Calmo” is a refreshing song, harp plays nostalgic melodies.

“Vega” is a track of improvisational cooperative play of piano and harp.

“Onda” is a sentimental and Scottish taste harp is highly modulated by reverb solo song.

“Respiro” is a harp dubbing European Folk taste song. Harp plays backings and melodies.

“Lento” is a gloomy Folk taste harp solo song.

“Attesa” is a Folk taste song, harp plays backing arpeggios and piano plays simple melodies.

“Cadenza” is nostalgic music, piano plays minimal backings, harps plays melodies.

“Ritorno” is contemporary and minimal taste harp solo music.

“Notte part 2”, it begins with harp arpeggios and harp phrases, from the later part piano plays backings and harp solo become dynamic.

Einaudi solely fulfilled the roll of a composer, this album entirely featured electronic harp played by Cecilia Chailly.

Le Onde (Sony Classical, 1996)

“Le Onde” is a Post-classical piano solo album. The music is Classical also popular, serious but easy to listen.

The title track, “Le Onde” is sentimental also refreshing sophisticated but simple piano piece.

“Ombre” is a beautiful melancholic piece.

“La Linea Scura” is an arpeggio based Classical piano piece.

“Tracce” is a sentimental and solitary slow song.

“Questa Notte” is a serious and Folk taste grandiose song. The best composition of this album, I think.

“Dietro L’Incanto” is a very sad ballad song.

“Onde Corte” is a bright, cute and refreshing simple piano piece.

“Passaggio” is a European Folk taste orthodox and serious piano piece.

“L’Ultima Volta” is an apathetic also significant piano piece.

A very good Post-classical piano solo album for a wide range listeners.

Eden Roc (Sony Classical, 1999)

“Yerevan” is silent piano quintet song.

The title track, “Eden Roc” is a Folk and Pop taste high-tempo, bright and refreshing song.

“Fuori Dalla Notte” is an European Folk taste and melancholic piano quintet song.

“Due Tramonti” is a bright, fresh and refreshing violin and piano duo song.

“Nefeli” is a passionate piano solo piece with the impressive theme.

“Ultimi Fuochi” is a dynamic and passionate piano and string ensemble song owns the elements and the methods of Minimal Music.

“Giorni Dispari” is a miserable, pathetic but emotional and grandiose piano quintet song. The combinations and crossings of each part is very nice and technical.

“Julia” is a simple nostalgic Folk taste piano solo piece which associates George Winston.

“Password” is a sentimental and sweet also bright simple piano and celle song, easy to listen.

“Exit” is a grand work of piano quintet.

This album is a full-volume album contains various tastes of composition and styles of music. You can listen to the genius of Ludovico Einaudi.

I Giorni (Sony Classical, 2001)

“I Giorni” is a piano solo album by Ludovico Einaudi. The orthodox but contemporary, pure and refreshing but unique piano solo album.

“Melodia Africana I – III” series is an arpeggio based, bright, refreshing and smooth composition, I feel a fresh wind blows.

“In Un’Altra Vita” is a sentimental and passionate good piano piece.

“I Giorni” is a sentimental and bright song for reflection.

“Samba”, despite the title, is a melancholic arpeggio based piano composition.

“La Nascita Delle Cose Segrete” is an apathetic, sentimental but bright piano piece.

“Quel Che Resta” is an arpeggio bases piano song which associates a green forest.

“Limbo” is a sentimental and pathetic song like Fabrizio Paterlini.

“Bella Notte” is a fantastic and passionate song.

The very good modern and orthodox, refreshing and bright Contemporary Classical album associates George Winston, Fabrizio Paterlini and Pat Metheny. I recommend this album for who like their music.

Diario Mali (Sony Classical, 2003)

“Diario Mali” is a collaboration album of Ludovico Einaudi and Malian musician Ballaké Sissoko who plays West African instrument kora.

“Laissez-moi en paix” is Folk and nostalgic taste refreshing song of kora backing with piano melodies.

“Entre nous” is slow-tempo warm Folk taste song, Pino and kora are corssing.

“Soutoukou” is a simple and few tones warm also sentimental song with repetitions of motifs.

“Chanson d’amour” is a gentle and warm song features piano melodies like a vocal.

“Chameaux” is modern piano and kora improvisations, has elements of Jazz.

“Ma mère” is a tender and relaxing solo ballad. Piano and kora play melodies repeatedly.

“À l’ombre” is an apathetic and gentle Folk taste song.

“Niger Blues” is a Country and new age taste refreshing song.

“Mali Sajio” is fragmental also/and fine Folk and Ballad taste song.

“Dessert dans le désert” is based on repetitions of motifs played by piano with hard freely improvisational play of kora.

This album is a collaboration of and Italian pianist and a Malian kora player, but the compositions or songs have gentle, nostalgic and contemporary American Folk and/or Country tastes.

Una Mattina (Sony Classical, 2004)

“Una Mattina” is a piano solo album by Ludovico Einaudi. The theme of this album is things and persons around his daily life. Some tracks are cello and piano duo with a cellist Marco Decimo. The taste of this album is classical and modern.

“Resta con me” is a bright and light ballad song with cello accompaniment.

“Leo” is a miserable and fragmental piano piece.

“A fuoco” is a significant and sorrowful piano and cello grand work.

“Come un fiore” is a simple beautiful and gentle piano piece.

“DNA”, cello plays sorrowful and elegant melodies and piano plays arpeggio accompaniment.

“Nuvole nere” is a melancholic and minimal piano piece.

“Questa volta” is a neutral feeling, sorrowful also delight beautiful piano piece by few tones. It makes use of intervals among tones.

A good work of Ludovico Einaudi. Especially three cello and piano duo songs are excellent.

Divenire (Sony Classical, 2006)

“Uno” is a track like Ambient with grand piano, piano like synthesizer sequence.

The title song, “Divenere” is a grand piano and string orchestra dynamic and significant, sentimental also brave grand work.

“Monday” is a beautiful melancholic piano solo piece.

“Andare” is a simple sorrowful aosng with piano, guitar, cello and strings.

Despite the title, “Primavera” is sentimental also grandiose song with impressive melodies and harmonies played by piano and string orchestra. It progresses dynamically with the orchestra accompaniment and its passionate passages.

“Oltremare” is an arpeggio based fine grand work of piano solo.

“Fly” is a minimal and anxious piano solo based song with dub effects and keen reflections.

“Ascolta” is a sentimental and European taste composition. Improvisational piano solo rides on electronic sequences and noises.

“Svanire” is a grand work like symphony is consist of full orchestra and solo violin. A bright and apathetic and gentle composition.

“Luce” is an apathetic and sentimental long piano solo piece.

A fine and sophisticated and usual (in the good meaning) Post-classical or Contemporary Classical album contains various style of songs.

Elements (Decca, 2015)

“Elements” is a Modern Classical or Post-classical album by Ludovico Einaudi. This album is classical and alchemic four elements of air, water, earth and fire.

“Petricor” is a grandiose and passionate Classical also contemporary song features a violinist, Daniel Hope.

“Night” is a sentimental New Age piano piece with percussive synthesizer sequences and a string orchestra accompaniments.

“Drop” is a sorrowful piano piece with synthesizer sequences, percussion loops and electronic noise.

“Four Dimensions” is a elegant, sentimental and apathetic piano piece with triangle, glockenspiel and sythesizer pad accompaniments.

“Elements” is a minimal composition that associates Steve Reich and Philip Glass, is consist of electric bass, string ensemble, electric piano, synthesizer sequences and orchestral percussion.

“Whirling Winds” is a melancholic piano song with silent string chord. Later part, is become dynamic, and piano and string arpeggios are crossing.

“Twice” is a today’s pop taste refreshing song with acoustic and modulated electronic percussions.

“Nowhere” is apathetic, silent and warm Ambient by electric piano, glockenspiel and sythesizer pads. In later part, piano and strings follow.

“Mountain” is simple also minimal piano piece with sythesizer pad chord accompaniment.

“Song for Gavin” is bright and transparent New Age piano music.

“Drop Variation”, “Elements Variation” and “Twice Variation” are piano solo arrangement variations of each song.

12 Songs from Home (Decca, 2020)

“12 Songs from Home” is a “home studio recording” piano solo album by Ludovico Einaudi released in 2020.

“A Sense Of Symmetry” is a modern simple piano piece.

“Oltremare” is a 11 minutes long melancholic and sorrowful piano piece which associates Fabrizio Paterlini

“Berlin Song” is a bright, gentle and modern fragmental piano piece.

“Tu sei” is a melancholic and vague fragmental improvisational piano piece.

“Elegy for the Arctic” is an arpeggio based sorrowful and fragmental piano piece.

“Ascent” is a bright and sentimental beautiful piano solo ballad.

“Nuvole Bianche” is pathetic and tragic Classical and sophisticated piano piece.

“Le Onde” is the representative composition of Einaudi. The sorrowful piano piece with impressive phrases.

“High Heels” is gentle and pretty also melancholic good piano piece.

“The Earth Prelude” is also the representative work of Einaudi. The arpeggio based significant and sorrowful piano piece.

This album might be recorded in his home studio. The sound contains key touch and hammer noises and environmental noises, they are warm and entire mood is relaxing. You can feel his musical genius, piano play style and heart.

Resources and Links

Ludovico Einaudi (Official Site)

Wikipedia (EN)

Discogs

AllMusic

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Wise Music Classical

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Music Review | Works of Max Richter

Profile

Max Richter is the representative musician, the leading figure and the pioneer of today’s Post-classical music and the Contemporary Classical scenes. He is German born, British composer, multi-instrumentalist and music producer. He is active from the middle of 90’s, produced and performed various genres and types of music such as studio recording albums, experimental performances, ballet, and many cinema scores and music for television. And a member of the six pianist group, the repertory of the group is Contemporary Classic and Minimal Music, “Piano Circus”.

His characteristics is mixture of the orthodox Classical Music and its way of composition and instruments, and electronic and computer technologies. Especially the string composition with synthesizer pads and sequences, and electronic noises.

Already his compositions were played as “Classical Music” by some pianists.

Solo Albums

The Blue Notebooks (130701, 2004 / Deutsche Grammophon, 2014)

“The Blue Notebooks” is the second album of Max Richter released in 2004 and the theme is a protest for 2003 invasion of Iraq and a meditation for violence and war. This album features the readings of “The Blue Octavo Notebooks” by Franz Kafka, “Hymn of the Pearl” and “Unattainable Earth” by Czesław Miłosz.

“On the Nature of Daylight” is a minimal and significant string quartet song with no apparent melody. This song might be the main song of this album, I think one of best compositions of Mac Richter.

“Shadow Journal” begins with type writer noises, a reading and pad arpeggio. A violin slo, electronic noises, piano arpeggio, strings and a timpani follows. A beautiful and mysterious song.

“Organum” is atmospheric track is consist of highly modulated synthesizer pad(s) and a piano, and a very high tone and keen synthesiser pad play a lead part.

“The Trees” is mysterious and malancholic song by piano arpeggios and strings passages. The plays gradually become passionate.

“Horizon Variations”, “Vladimir Blues”, “Written on the Sky” and “A Catalogue of Afternoons” is good short piano solo pieces.

Song from Before (FatCat Records, 2006 / Deutsche Grammophon, 2014)

“Song from Before” is a Post-classical album of Max Richter. The feature of this album is combinations of Classical instruments string ensemble and piano, and electronics technologies and synthesisers. Some songs contains readings of quotations of novels of Haruki Murakami, are red by Robert Wyatt.

“Flowers for You” is a simple pathetic and significant composition, which is consist of strings, synthesizer pads and electronic noises.

“Harmonium” features a synth pad and its reflections with glockenspiel phrases like Ambient music.

“Autumn Music” is a piano quintet elegant and melancholic composition. A piano solely plays arpeggio backings. Strings play melodies and they cross.

“Sunlight” is a pathetic also passionate strings quintet song.

“Autumn Music 2”, like the “1”, is a piano solo elegant and melancholic composition.

“From the Rue Vilin” and “Leo” are short beautiful arpeggio based minimal piano pieces.

infra (2010, Deutsche Grammophon)

“infra” by Max Richter is a Post-classical and Electronica, contains various types and tastes of tracks. An experimental also orthodox and classical album it also includes elements of Ambient, Minimal Music and Noise Music.

Main instruments are string ensemble(s), a piano and synthesizers. Almost tracks are highly modulated by effects and are attached electronic and environmental noises. It’s a unique mixture of Classical Music and experimental sound.

“infra 1” is a atmospheric song like Ambient of synthesizer pads, environmental noises and strings.

“journey 1” is a song of piano arpeggios and electronic noises.

“Infra 2”, on the recording, a synthesizer pad arpeggio and string instruments crosses.

“journey 4” is an impressive apathetic minimal string emsenble song.

“journey 5” is a minimal strings song like Phillip Glass, but the later part strings sound is distorted and overloaded by effects.

“infra 8” is an impressive grandiose and solitary strings ensemble composition.

SLEEP: Tranquility Base (2023, Deutsche Grammophon)

“SLEEP: Tranquility Base” by Max Richter is a music for sleeping, and an album of Post-classical style variations.

Classical or Celtic Folk tastes theme and phrases are played by the method of Minimal Music. Richter must play an organ and synthesizer(s), many guests play string instruments, sequences pads and bases of synthesizers, and an electric base, a female singer sings vocalises.

Between each track there are no interval. I can’t listen the divides while listening. Each part inset by fade in slowly and come out by fade out slowly.

A very unique, impressive, calm, Classical and modern, Post-classical work. I associated this album with works of Steve Reich, Mike Oldfield and Tangerine Dream.

Resources & Links

Max Richter Official Website

Deutsche Grammophon – Max Richter

Decca Publishing – Max Richter

Max Richter – Wise Music Classical

Wikipedia (EN)

AllMusic

Discogs

Rate Your Music

Pitchfork

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Max Richter – Sleep

Max Richter | The New Four Seasons

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Music Review | Works of Ólafur Arnalds

Profile

Ólafur Arnalds is one of representative musicians in today’s Post-classical music scene, is from Mosfellsbær, Iceland and now lives in Reykjavík.

Solo Albums

Eulogy for Evolution (Erased Tape, 2007)

“Eulogy for Evolution” is an early work of Ólafur Arnalds. The songs are Classical also modern and minimal (But it isn’t Minimal Music) that make use of space and intervals among instruments, and effects of ensemble. On his compositions, there’s no clear theme and minute melody.

“Boundaries” is a slow, beautiful but splendid piano quartet song.

“The Engine” is a good song features passionate strings.

“Kistch” is a simple but grandiose and passionate song. The plays of strings are impressive and vivid.

“3055” is a melancholic and elegant song with splendid violin melodies, a piano accompaniment and reflection noises. Then the drum follows and become a dynamic instrumental Pop song.

“Vemeer” begins a silent piano passages but it expands Heavy Metal song with very distorted guitar, then suddenly the guitar is cut out ends with strings calmly.

…And They Have Escaped The Weight Of Darkness (Erased Tapes, 2010)

“…And They Have Escaped The Weight Of Darkness” is a Post-classical album. It contains songs of various arrangement styles. The concept of this album is a crossover between Classical and Pop or Rock. He made the album for the wide range of listeners.

“Tunglið” is a passionate piano and strings song, a drum kit follows.

“Loftið verður skyndilega kalt” is an impressive sophisticated Minimal Music piano quintet composition with few notes.

“Kjurrt” is also a Minimal Music piano quintet composition with fewer notes.

“Gleypa okkur” is an orthodox piano quintet composition with drums and an electric base. The next song “Hægt, kemur ljósið” is more passionate one includes a keen tone synthesizer pad solo.

“Undan hulu” is a simple composition with piano arpeggios with cello melodies.

“þau Hafa Sloppið Undan þunga Myrkursins” is a melancholic also refleshing piano quartet composition, drums follows in the later part.

“Hratt” is a mysterious and wonderful, Folk taste ensemble song with a electric piano and drums.

A very nice and typical Post-classical album.

For Now I Am Winter (Mercury, 2013)

“Sudden Throw” is an apathetic song of pad and Pino backing. In later part strings, bass guitar follows and become very dynamic and suddenly ends.

“Brim” is Electronic with drum sample loops, piano arpeggios, sequences and strings ensemble melodies.

“For Now I Am Winter” is a sorrowful Post-classical and Electronica style vocal song with strings, piano electronic drum loop accompaniments.

“A Stutter” is a non-rhythem apathetic vocal song with strings, piano and pads.

“Words of Amber” is a track like Ambient which is consist of piano arpeggios, slight, vague pads and electronic pulses.

“Reclaim” is a significant and grandiose vocal song with a bold and avid string orchestra. Later part drum sample loops follows.

“Only the Winds” is a sentimental also hopeful but brave song with piano, string ensemble and drums.

“Old Skin” is an English Folk mood vocal Pop song beings with a vocal and piano, later part, electronic drums and strings synthesizers follow.

“This Place Was a Shelter” is sad and significant Electronica with impressive sold string ensemble, synth sequences, pads and electronic drums.

“Carry Me Anew” is a silent pad solo like Ambient.

A good Post-classical and Electronica album combines vocals, electronic and acoustic instruments, and contains various style and formations of songs.

Island Songs (Mercury KX, 2016)

“Island Songs” is the Post-classical album by Ólafur Arnalds. It’s consist of seven songs, and in each song, it collaborates with a musician and/or an ensemble.

“Árbakkinn” is sentimental and apathetic song, which begins with a narration or a poetry reading and piano, then string ensemble follows.

“1995” is a minimal also serious composition with repetitions of a motif by organ, and string ensemble accompaniment.

“Raddir” is a song like Choral of sacred chorus with organ, electric bass and some string instruments.

“Öldurót” is a grandiose composition with an impressive strings arrangement, is consist of string orchestra, oboe and electric bass with electric piano backing.

“Dalur” is a melancholic song features piano arpeggios, with some strings and percussions accompaniment and tape noises.

“Particles” is a female vocal Ballad song with piano chord backings and strings chords.

“Doria” is a wonderful minimal Classical composition. It begins with fine piano arpeggios. Strings and another piano melodies and chords follow.

“Study for Player Piano (II)” is a miserable and melancholic mood minimal piano piece.

A good acoustic Post-classical album of various styles and the melancholic and apathetic mood.

re:member (Mercurey KX, 2018)

“re:member” is a Post-classical or Electronica album by Ólafur Arnalds.

The title track “re:member” is a refreshing piano and strings song, but the later part an organic electronic drum kit, and electric base and voice synthesizer pad take part in.

“samen” is an arpeggio based very good minimal piano piece. My favourite song.

“brot” is a sacred song like a choral consist of beutiful strings and synthesizer pads.

“they sink” is a silent Electronica track with piano collages and strings.

“ypsilon” is a piano arpeggio and backing based calm Electronica song with cute percussions.

“partial” is a beautiful song is consist of strings, synthesizer pad and impressive synthesizer sequence arpeggios. The synthesizer sequence must be made by Arnalds’ own making plugin “STRATUS”.

“momentary” is a very tiny but precious short piano solo piece.

“undir” is a sentimental and refreshing and bright minimal song features a fragmental piano and swinging electronic drums.

“ekki hugsa” is a wonderful, refreshing and bright minimal song features arpeggios of strings. Then the later part, it expands dynamic with synthesizer pads and arpeggios and an electronic base.

“nyepi” is a simple apathetic piano piece is composed by few tones.

He did experiments in each track, and this album is full volume album in the length and the contents, you can enjoy various styles and tastes his production. And this album is one of the fruits of Arnalds’ career.

Some Kind of Peace (2020, Mercury KX)

A Post-classical and Electronica album features some guest musicians.

“Loom” is a short electronic track features Bonobo.

“Woven Song” is Classical also experimental song, is consist of a motif by violin, strings chords accompaniment, later part strings become dynamic and piano fragmental accompaniment follows.

“Still / Sound” is a silent Electronica song with electric piano, chorus sample and electronic noises. Later part small string ensemble replaces them.

“Back to The Sky” is melancholic vocal song features an Icelandic singer JFDR (Jófríður Ákadóttir). The song associates songs of Bjork. It’s consist of synthesizer pad, strings electric piano and electronic percussions.

“Zero” is a Post-classical tracks like Ambient. It begins with few tones piano and strings chords. In the middle part, strings sound become bold by filter and/or delay effects.

“New Grass” is a sorrowful also grandiose traditional composition. It consist of piano arpeggio and string orchestra.

“The Bottom Line” is a serious Pop style vocal song features a German singer-songwriter Josin. The songs is her vocal with piano arpeggios, and string orchestra. Later part electric bass and electric percussions follow.

“We Contain Multitudes” is a solitary and apathetic piano piece.

“Undone” is melancholic and apathetic song with fragmental piano and glockenspiel and string orchestra passages.

Resources and Links

Ólafur Arnalds (official site)

MERCURY KX – Ólafur Arnalds

Erased Tapes – Ólafur Arnalds

Spitfire Audio – Ólafur Arnalds

Bandcamp

Wikipedia (EN)

Discogs

AllMuisc

Facebook Page

X (former Twitter)

Instagram

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Post-classical, New Age, Ambient, Minimal Music, Electronica
(English, Deutsch, Français, Español, Italiano)

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