Customer Reviews

Nightbook

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I "discovered" Ludovico Einaudi about two years ago after building a large piano CD collection by the likes of George Winston, Phillip Aaberg, Michael Jones, etc. I first heard Einaudi's music on NPR's "Echoes", and immediately was entranced by the way he fused classical, folk, and "new-age" piano. Nightbook is no exception and every note is well worth the US price of admission for an outstanding neo-classical aural experience under the guidance of a world-class pianist!

I first heard about Nightbook listening to a BBC broadcast in the middle of the night when I could not sleep. There was an interview with Ludovico Einaudi and he played some of the pieces in the BBC studio. I had never heard of him before and was not sure how to spell his name. The next morning, the music was still haunting me. Fortunately, I was able to find the composer's name on the BBC web site - but it would be another month before the CD release in the United States.

After some Internet searching, I found a domestic copy of the CD for $14 and pre-ordered it.

The CD finally arrived about two weeks ago and - I must say - I find it more beautiful and compelling than I had expected.

The CD ranges from the quiet and introspective to the soaring and majestic. I do think there are a couple of stellar pieces here though. Lady Labyrinth and Nightbook (tracks 2 and 3) are strong churning pieces that combine piano, strings, percussion, etc. Simply awesome. These segue into Indaco (track 4), which is a haunting somber number that starts quietly, builds and fades. Beautiful.

At this point, Amazon has not posted audio clips from the album. If you would like to listen to some of the music, there are currently several YouTube video clips posted with music from this album. Check them out.

Sometimes the pace of life can be intense these days. If you need to bring things down a notch, and want to sit back, relax and find some inner peace - give this one a listen.

As the promotional material I received says, "Ludovico Einaudi might be the most popular musician you've never heard of. But if you're a fan of film, television, or even basketball, you've probably heard his music." Several years ago, I was lucky enough to have a friend from England send me the European release, "Echoes," a "best of" album akin to Narada's and Windham Hill's releases of David Lanz's and Yanni's music. I loved the music, but that and Einaudi's many other albums were always imports and expensive. That has finally started to change. His latest album, "Nightbook," was released in Europe last fall and just recently in the US, to be followed by a couple of concerts in CA in March 2010. Einaudi's music is very difficult to classify - sometimes classical crossover, sometimes new age or ambient, sometimes pop, Einaudi is an artist who cannot be put in a box, and more power to him for that! Nightbook contains a fascinating combination of the gentle, dreamy music Einaudi is especially known for, some very uptempo "fun" music, and some really edgy stuff. Most tracks include strings, percussion, and electronics, but Einaudi's piano is always the "star."

"Nightbook" begins with "In Principio," a piece for piano and electronics that suggests floating in open space - calm and very peaceful. Next up is "Lady Labyrinth," with a driving rhythm, cello, lots of percussion, and a feeling of dark mystery. I love this one! Then comes the title track! I love this one, too! A real toe-tapper while remaining soulful and passionate, the energy is infectious and thrilling. Almost an antidote to the fun, "Indaco" gently brings us back to earth with a haunting piece for piano and strings. Gorgeous! "The Snow Prelude N.15" and "N. 2" are the only two solo piano pieces (not counting the bonus track), and both are elegant and deeply emotional. "Eros" is extremely intense. Strings, piano, drums, and electronics play repeated notes and rhythms that continue to build throughout the piece with only slight variations (possibly driving some listeners a little crazy!). This seems like great music for a film soundtrack because of the dark intensity and suspense. "The Crane Dance" is a dramatic change, calming and soothing with incredible beauty. "The Tower" is the edgiest piece on the album. It must have been recorded in layers, as Einaudi plays piano, electric piano, celesta, tubular bells, and acoustic guitars while Robert Lippok supplies live electronics. Very dark and intense, it builds slowly from a quiet but frenetic start to a bigger, denser, and extremely agitated climax and then starts to recede. Whew! It's quite a ride! After that, "Reverie" is pure musical heaven - gentle, sweet, and full of grace. I love the pairing of piano and cello, and this one is magical! "The Planets" shows Einaudi's more ambient side. Just piano and electronics, we are again effortlessly floating in space, completely at peace. The bonus track, "Piste Sans Titre 13," is a different version of the title track. Much slower and a piano solo, it is almost meditative in its stillness. I have to admit that I was amazed to discover that it was the same piece. What an incredible album!

This is some amazing music, and I fully expect this album to be one of my favorites of the year! Very highly recommended!

I have been getting into piano music alot more in recent years.. all the soulless pop drivel nowadays does bore you after a while...

I have einaudi's echoes best of album and i really love that album... it's full of brilliant and soothing piano melodies... i was a little cautious buying this new album... i haven't any of his full albums and i thought maybe it would be too much of a good thing in ways... i doubted how a full album could all be of a similar quality to the tracks on the best of...

I was wrong!

This album is another fine collection of piano songs....

the theme of the album is darkness and light... and you do sense that..

soem tracks are a little eerie or moody in principo, eros and the tower are a little less enjoyable for me as they are more dark and sound like the soundtrack of movie at tense moments...
But the rest of the tracks i love....

Lady Labyrinth is genius... it's so bouncy and catchy ... the melody gets stuck in your head for hours.... I love too how Indaco recalls in the middle the melody of Lady Labyrinth but in a slower way.
The title track Nightbook is another soothing little number too that i especially enjoy
and the crane dance is a particularly relaxing number too that i enjoy...

All in all, if you like his other work, i would definetly recommend this.... if you are new to his music or are looking for a particulary soothing album, then i would recommend echoes by einaudi as a great introduction and then this too...

Relax and enjoy!

This album is not like his previous works. Where Divenire or Le Onde were beautiful piano works, Nightbook consists of two main tracks that are high energy percussion/strings arrangements: "Nightbook" and "Lady Labyrinth".

Of course, if you still want the quiet, contemplative piano music, you'll find the pieces "In Principio", "Bye Bye Mon Amour" and "Bell Tower" - absolutely stunning.

Basically, the album is engaging and beautiful - I highly recommend it!

From the moment I heard Ludovico's "Two Sunsets" six years ago, I've been mesmerized by his work. Einaudi doesn't simply play the piano, but he allows his life to be translated in his work; and listening to him play has always been a wonderful reminder of the person I am and the person I want to be. As much as I love all of his music, I believe in this album, Einaudi has reached another level in his writing. Ludovico has not only written a beautiful piece of art, but he has captured the feeling and very essence of life. With this album I was translocated from my very busy, loud city neighborhood to a tranquil tranze, it was as if I could feel his very emotion in every piece, and for seventy minutes I was in beautiful surreal world. An ABSOLUTELY amazing album.

You hear Ludovico Einaudi's music and then you can die. If asked to define Heaven - just hear ANY of his work. The latest album is achingly beautiful, as everything else he does. The Snow Prelude N. 15, from the latest album Nightbook, is one of the three most beautiful and my favorite songs of all time (along with Le Onde and Uno). I discovered Ludovico's music when I first heard Le Onde on tv by accident, and it was the first time in my life that I had a favorite song, finally, the one that moved me to my core. As is the case with the greatest artists, his work holds so much beauty that it brings tears to your eyes.