Live Review: Ludovico Einaudi

Ludovico Einaudi is currently presented as the most streamed classical composer in the world.

With that title comes many questions — most of them variants of 'Why him?' His performance tonight was an interesting set of answers to that question. Some were beautiful. Others were frustrating. Some were a mixture of the two.

For example; viewed in succession and in a live environment, Einaudi's compositions reveal a formula that is otherwise artfully disguised on record. By way of demonstration, in nearly every composition Einaudi utilises small, rhythmic pulses (played on bells, tambourines, piano, guitar) to bring a sense of tension and motion to his melodies. It's a neat, subtle trick that serves to lend an urgency to his compositions on record — but inevitably grows monotonous in concert.

Similarly, Einaudi is either incapable of or uninterested in delivering on following a true crescendo with a climax. His music maintains an illusion of motion through transitions and arrangements (like the aforementioned stylistic tic) but, even after lengthy escalations in dynamics, Einaudi seems to struggle to know what to do with a composition. Whenever a climax seems due, Einaudi either ends a composition or simply retreats to a quiet restating of a melody. Again, this is an interesting approach that frustrates more in live performance than it does on record.

None of which is to say that Einaudi isn't capable of moments of truly stirring beauty. His melodies are gorgeous and, with an ensemble of multi-instrumentalists constantly shifting and readjusting to articulate them, his set was rife with moments of beauty. It's no surprise that he received a standing ovation when tonight's performance was concluded. But, the approaches that make him such a popular artist on streaming platforms (constant motion, no clear climaxes) actually work against him in a live context — leading to a set that's beautiful but monotonous and, too often, frustrating.

As his success continues to grow, it will be interesting to see if his performances will continue to shift and evolve to counter those shortcomings. With some expanded dynamics, tonight's performance could have been truly incredible.