The music of Italian pianist/composer
Ludovico Einaudi, poised between
Glass' minimalism and the shifting shades of the ambient movement, has gained more traction in Europe than in the Western hemisphere. That could change with this release by Canadian violinist
Angele Dubeau and her chamber orchestra (with piano),
La Pieta.
Dubeau and
Francois Vallieres have arranged a variety of
Einaudi's pieces, most of them at his typical length of four or five minutes, for the violin-and-orchestra combination. Thoughts on it will depend largely on what some think of
Einaudi's music to begin with. For those who are new to it, start with one of
Einaudi's own recordings. The music of the general minimalist orbit usually stands up well to being arranged -- think of the multiple versions of
Arvo Paert's major works, where such adaptability is almost a hallmark of the style -- but
Einaudi is so oriented toward the spaces inside the notes of a solo piano that you might think this version dilutes it a bit. On the other hand,
Einaudi has composed music for many instruments other than the piano. Moreover, this group is beautifully recorded in a Montreal studio;
Einaudi here receives one of his happiest engineering treatments. Recommended for
Einaudi fans. ~ James Manheim
