Delicious 'Guardian Einaudi review

[Richard Tarleton]

I didn't realise until just now that Einaudi was the son of the founder of the publisher of that name, which until taken over by the Berlusconi monster was the most prestigious book publisher in Italy. I guess that sort of background would have given him quite a career advantage over similarly "talented" people from lowlier origins.

Interesting - I looked up the only other prestigious Italian publisher I could think of, whom I knew about for publishing Dr Zhivago and The Leopard - I confess I'd failed to keep up with his subsequent career

Oh and -
- this is really unfair. My posts get edited/removed just like anyone else's. If anyone really thinks I receive some kind of special treatment they should take this up with the moderators!

Indeed!

(By the way until LezLee's OP I hadn't heard of Einaudi, so I naturally did a bit of research on YouTube. Not sure that I'll be pursuing it)

[Beresford]

Like others here, I disengage from Einaudi's music after about 20 seconds, when I realise it isn't going to change. But why do so many people love it?

So I switched off my critical side, and tried to watch all a YouTube video of his Albert Hall concert. It's like being massaged with Essential Oils. SPOILER ALERT - it does change after about 20 minutes, to a different chord! YouTube shows the musicians smiling at each other just before this change. Many of the YouTube comments are along the lines "That change was so emotional", and "Why don't classical buffs realise how wonderful / emotional / recharging is this music?"

I listened to a few imitators (?) on YouTube. None were as good. They sounded much more formulaic. I don't know why that should be, but it is clearly something other than harmonic invention. Perhaps if you took a simple pop tune, say "Pennies From Heaven", and extended it to an hour, it might eventually get up your nose more than Einaudi's simple chords.

My guess is that many in Einaudi's audiences find the tension / resolution pattern of most conventional classical music to be too didactic, almost telling them what to feel, when what they want is the restorative effects of a chillout. After being hassled all day by screens / people / London, the refuge of being "mesmerised" (Guardian critic) has great appeal.

[Serial_Apologist]

Like others here, I disengage from Einaudi's music after about 20 seconds, when I realise it isn't going to change. But why do so many people love it?

So I switched off my critical side, and tried to watch all a YouTube video of his Albert Hall concert. It's like being massaged with Essential Oils. SPOILER ALERT - it does change after about 20 minutes, to a different chord! YouTube shows the musicians smiling at each other just before this change. Many of the YouTube comments are along the lines "That change was so emotional", and "Why don't classical buffs realise how wonderful / emotional / recharging is this music?"

Maybe the answer is somewhere along the lines of the man in the psychiatric hospital banging his head against a wall who, when asked why does he do it? answers that it's so nice when he stops.

I'm reminded of a story about Debussy, in a composition class, being urged by the teacher, "Modulate! modulate now!" to which the young Claude replies, "Why should I modulate? I'm quite happy in this key!"

[Padraig]

"Why should I modulate? I'm quite happy in this key!"

In B or not in B?...A good question.

[Serial_Apologist]

In B or not in B?...A good question.

B sharp, c?

[LezLee]

"Why should I modulate? I'm quite happy in this key!"

You could go blind, you know

[Boilk]

"Why should I modulate? I'm quite happy in this key!"

You musn't venture too far from the key you're already in. Everything in modulation.

[LeMartinPecheur]

You musn't venture too far from the key you're already in. Everything in modulation.

In that case, beware of Wagner's Ring-modulator!

[oddoneout]

I thought briefly that Sarah Walker was playing Einaudi this morning - snippets of vaguely familiar tunes not going anywhere, but the player seemed to be hammering the piano rather more forcefully than I expected. It was Michael Nyman playing one of his pieces... I wasn't in the room when it was announced because I wanted to leave some space between the Judith Weir which had just finished and whatever came next.

[Richard Barrett]

the player seemed to be hammering the piano rather more forcefully than I expected.

That should have been a giveaway!

[Serial_Apologist]

That should have been a giveaway!

Too cheap - it would have been a Steinway!

[ahinton]

I thought briefly that Sarah Walker was playing Einaudi this morning

It might have been better had she been driving one...

[Padraig]

It might have been better had she been driving one...

I can can't hear you properly.

[ahinton]

I can can't hear you properly.

Quoi?

[LezLee]