Photo: iTunes Festival 2013
Arguably the most unique act to perform at the iTunes Festival this year, 57-year old Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi brought his show to the Roundhouse and despite such a strong start, by the end of the performance it became clear that maybe the festival is not ready for the work of this musical master.
Be it the music from an advert or the poignant soundtrack heard on a film like This Is England, most people are unwittingly aware of the work of this hugely talented figure. The classical pianist, along with his 8-piece band that includes a string section, an array of percussionists and even some digital synth effects spent the first hour showcasing tracks from Einaudi’s latest album In a Time Lapse.
The man of the show, Einaudi, sits at his piano with his back to the audience, remaining impressively calm as he and an ensemble of brilliantly talented musicians take the audience on a journey. The sound whirls around the famous London venue and the respectful audience stay hushed as the spellbinding pianist hardly breaks stride. With the spectacle of the show only being enhanced by the mesmerising visuals created by Italian artist Claudio Sinatti, there is a feeling that a classical show is hitting home.
From the delicate plucking of a single cello string to a full band crescendo the musicianship and togetherness of this big band is stunning. With no obvious composer it is left to Einaudi to dictate with subtle head nods and arms movements somehow keeping them together brilliantly. After an hour the band depart the stage to leave Einaudi and his piano and this seemed to affect the whole performance.
The London crowd seemed to become restless; the swooning couples who were horribly (but quietly) embracing now wanted to talk and the city workers needed a drink. The delicate nature this part of the show should have come with was lost and as more and more people headed for the exit by the time the band reappeared it was to a much more sparse crowd.
As the show edged towards the two hour mark, the quality and intensity of the music was unaltered but the impatient and disrespectful nature of many members of the audience was a far cry from the start of the show. The big build ups and powerful finales that structure many of Einaudi’s numbers were no less impressive, in fact as percussionist Riccardo Lagana beat on his drums during a vamped up rendition of ‘Solo’ it provided the best part of the night.
Leaving the stage to a good reception, the Roudhouse floor was half empty when Einaudi and his band returned for an encore. The appreciation that should have been shown when the Italian introduced each member of his band was already out the door and despite an energetic finale which saw the remaining audience members enthusiastically clapping along whilst Einaudi had a beaming smile across his face, it was a clear indication that this festival made up of a crowd of competition winners are not ready to be treated to such musical delights.
