Perfect Art - Ludovico Einaudi

Having seen almost 100 shows at Wolf Trap, I've seen just about every kind of artist I can think of. But occasionally, I'm still surprised and last night we had an incredible concert by a visionary composer and performer. Ludovico Einaudi was born in Turin, Italy and studied at the Milan Conservatory in his early years. At this point, his compositions were more by the book and he mainly focused on chamber orchestras and symphonies. In the 90's, he was gaining more exposure through his use of multimedia presentations and for being featured in many film soundtracks. His unique artistry was just in its infancy, however, and he explored world music, minimalist techniques, and the use of a variety of instruments. He has released a number of successful solo recordings while continuing to tour around the world. His 2009 release "Nightbook" was his first recording to feature electronic instruments and this has opened the door for an even more immersive quality to his work. More recently, he was featured in a Greenpeace promo where he played on an iceberg in the Arctic! Einaudi has since become one of the most famous classical composers in the world and his integration of a wide range of styles has pushed him to the forefront of ambient music.

Simply put, this concert was so cool! First off, it was such a simplistic stage set up. Einaudi and his piano were in the center and he was joined by 5-6 other incredible musicians. But there were hardly any lights on the musicians and the only time he spoke was when he introduced the performers at the end of the show. But no words were needed to display his passion and dexterity during his numbers. The music wasn't like anything I had really heard before. Most of the pieces were based on a simple motif but the music swelled and waned all the while the musicians maintained perfect synchronization with each other. This was perhaps the most impressive part because the variety of instruments would usually make for difficult transitions and cohesiveness. Sure, there were pianos, guitars, synthesizers, bass guitar and percussion; but they also used a thumb piano, and weird drum thing, and this metal sheet that they dipped in a fish tank. This all made for an immersive sonic experience that had me totally fixated on the sound. At one point, Einaudi did a 20 minute piano solo that never got louder than mezzo piano but was more expressive than 99% of the piano solos I've heard. There were about 2100 people in the audience but more than once I felt like I was alone in the theater. This type of music definitely might not appeal to everyone but to a musician like myself, it was heavenly!

I didn't really have a favorite part of the show but when all the musicians were locked in sync and following Einaudi's lead, they attained this perfect harmony that all performers aspire to.

Looking forward to more shows in the future!

DC