The inspiration for Ludovico Einaudi's I Giorni was a 12th-century folk song from Mali about a hippopotamus who was cherished by the residents of a nearby village but killed by a hunter. "The song," writes Einaudi in his succinct liner note, "is sung as a lament for the death of a king or a great person or for the loss of a loved one." The result is a tender and introspective set of 14 piano pieces, performed on this recording by the composer himself.
I Giorni comes hot on the heels of Eden Roc, released just eight months earlier, which demonstrates Einaudi's popularity. I Giorni is the Italian composer's second all-piano disc, the first b...
Whoever first dreamt up the title "The Only Piano/Opera/Banjo Album You'll Ever Need" must have been hoping record buyers wouldn't take it too literally. A translation would be "We Hope That When You've Listened To This You'll Want To Buy Lots More Piano/Opera/Banjo Albums". So as an attempt to lure listeners into the world of the piano, how does this set measure up? Most of the all-time favourite piano pieces are here (though you won't find Golliwogg's Cakewalk) and childhood memories may well be stirred by the likes of Für Elise and Rondo alla Turca. It's not all solo piano--the orchestra is wheeled on for the Big Moments from concertos by Grieg, T...
