LUDOVICO EINAUDI | LIVE REVIEW
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Sun 20 Nov
The Millennium Centre is lit up in a warm, welcoming red tonight as streams of smartly-dressed fans flood in from the bitter November cold for the highly anticipated visit of Ludovico Einaudi, the ubiquitous Italian pianist and composer. Few other names in modern classical music command such reverence from such a broad audience: as well as dominating classical charts, Einaudi has collaborated with noted musicians from around the world, been remixed by Mogwai and scored countless films, commercials and TV shows. He has a huge reputation, which he more than lives up to in Cardiff tonight.
Touring is still underway to promote 2015’s excellent Elements and tonight’s show is ostensibly divided into an Elements half and a second set of works from across Einaudi’s near 30-year recording career. Even still, the Elements material dominates the setlist, fitting seamlessly alongside older works, such as Fly from 2007’s Divenire, or the dramatic Ultimi Fuochi, from Eden Roc.
Appearing onstage with minimal fuss, Einaudi opens with Night, immediately followed by Twice, two of the standout moments from Elements. Eschewing conversation with the capacity crowd, save a brief thank you and the introduction of his fellow musicians, the Italian plays with his back to the audience, a figure of intense concentration and passionate focus, throwing his hands in the air to conduct those around him, as necessary. His intensity is matched by that of his five supporting musicians, black-clad and fixed upon their instruments, which include, alongside traditional strings and percussion, a saw, a waterphone and a metal sheet, suspended in water.
The material is equally captivating, whether played alongside his bandmates, or during a 20-minute solo section, in which Einaudi plays an elegantly stripped-back medley. By contrast, the sonic intensity of Logos, played late in the second set, builds to a thunderously heavy prolonged crescendo, Francesco Arcuri’s chugging guitar work lending the magnificently rich sound a bite that wouldn’t sound out place in a Russian Circles set. A sparse, yet powerful, light show adds to the impact of the more dramatic moments, with dazzling strobes propelling shafts of light into the packed audience.
The dazzled look remains fixed upon many of the gleeful faces that tumble out of the centre later, giddy with delight, following a triumphant two-hour performance which more than warranted its standing ovation.
words HUGH RUSSELL
