You might not know Ludovico Einaudi’s name but you will almost certainly have heard his music. Einaudi, often cited as the world’s most popular classical composer, gives his music its own genre: ‘atmospherica’, which has been described as a mix between classical, pop and minimalism. Einaudi’s last tour of Australia resulted in an instant invitation to return. “The last time I went anywhere in Australia, I was really well received,” he remembers. “It was very warm. I had to come back, no question of it.”
The Italian-based artist has composed for film and television, including the music for Black Swan, the scores for J. Edgar and The Intouchables, as well as This Is EnglandandRicky Gervais’ Derek. His concert in Sydney will include 19 musicians from the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra performing string-heavy versions of Einaudi’s compositions, including music from his 2013 album In A Time Lapse.
“I will be bringing some different repertoire,” he says, speaking from Italy. “There will be some new music as well as the other music I played here previously. Audiences will see some little changes – they will get a different view of my music.
“With music I am full of thoughts,” Einaudi says of his creative process. “I always have a lot of ideas. Also I keep recording, keep noting, before I start the process of composing. I never have that feeling of the empty page. There’s always an uncertain phase, then it becomes clear where you’re wrong.
“It’s a bit difficult to explain where I get my inspiration from,” he continues. “Ideas, books… there’s always something that catches your attention, but then at the same time the things that catch your attention are synchronous with what is going on in your life, things you might be going through.”
For Einaudi, however, composing isn’t a cathartic exercise in emotional self-expression. “There’s a balance,” he says. “Inspiration involves reflections of yourself. I always try to get inspiration from other things rather than in respect to myself. There’s also a universal feeling of alchemy from time to time. A deeper, better level of musical awareness. Everyone, every musician has their own ideas of arriving somewhere. Something that keeps you awake at night. Of course, this is a feeling of a bit of a fear of not arriving at another level. You want to explore something different. Something you’ve not done before. There’s something I always search for when composing that I’m very interested in – it is always part of my work. I like to evolve, explore different cultures – [I have] many things still to do. Really, one life is not enough to do everything!”
As a teenager, Einaudi started composing his own music and playing folk guitar. Music, for him, is a vocation. “I knew when I was 16 or 17 – I realised I couldn’t live a life away from music. It has become something like a religion. Yesterday in Rome during rehearsals I was looking at the musicians in the group, looking at their faces. Participation in music, it’s always a bit of religion for everyone – to be there, to be devoted. Even if you’re not connected to a particular religion, you can love sacred music. Music can touch a spiritual side of life.”
Catch him at the Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House onSunday February 8, tickets online.
