Ludovico Einaudi concert

Having loved the music of pianist/composer Ludovico Einaudi for several years, last night I had the pleasure of going to his concert in Northampton. This was such a treat. Really listening fully to the music, often with my eyes shut, and sometimes with tears gently emerging, the music contained so many messages for me. His music ebbs and flows – a metaphor for life. The first piece I ever heard was Le onde - the waves - it really conjures up the waves in the sea, ‘always the same but always different’ (composer’s words). This remains a favourite of mine, and he finished with this as his final encore – wonderful.

However, all his music has the same quality, in that it conjures up every emotion and experience possible – simultaneously sad, melancholic, joyful, confused, gentle, inspiring, beautiful, pounding, rushing, driving, tumbling, loving, laughing, thoughtful, celebrating – every experience from life, all flowing along together. I was struck by the thought that just as his music never stops still, neither does life; and yet he also has momentary pauses, just as life can appear to have, and he sometimes ends a piece suddenly, unexpectedly, just as life does for some.

As we live, we are in constant transition, with some old and some new continually flowing together. For instance, over a few years, we move home, change friends, change hobbies and jobs, start and end relationships etc. Einaudi’s music has this feature – themes are mixed, such that the music changes dramatically over time, but it feels gradual, because new themes and old are interconnected.

I then realised that, at the instant I was sitting listening and experiencing these thoughts, somewhere in the world, every emotion and experience was taking place for someone. Every second people are born, others die, some become ill, others recover, some fall in love, others end a love, some laugh, some cry etc… His music is an appropriate accompaniment to all that is happening at any moment in the universe.

Strange thoughts to arise during a concert – but I came away a different, more enlightened human being, thanks to Ludovico Einaudi.

To look for a concert near you, see http://www.ludovicoeinaudi.com/ and click on News. And to listen to his latest album, click here.