Einaudi: In a Time Lapse
14 January 2013, 12:41 | Updated: 24 January 2013, 10:28
The Italian composer strikes gold once more with a haunting combination of dreamlike piano tunes and busy orchestral soundscapes. Drive Featured Album, 14 January 2013
Don't be fooled by the large universe-encompassing titles like Life, Orbits, and Experience - the music is refreshingly simple, often blooming from a single trance-like rhythmic idea as the harmony gradually develops. The title track, Time Lapse, is a particular highlight; starting with a gentle metallic ticking from the strings, the melody builds imperceptibly from almost nothing to a pulsing climax, as Einaudi's poignant piano raindrops fall over the top of the texture.
Many of the pieces follow one simple yet effective formula: the piano twinkles with the Italian composer's trademark minimalist tunes, interweaved with an insistent orchestra of impassioned strings. Yet each track is refreshingly different, from the peaceful cello melodies of Waterways to moments of percussion-fuelled frenzy in Experience - punctuated, of course, by a healthy dose of dreamy solo piano music.
