To become a popular classical musician with today's youth, a few things need to happen. First, you need to score popular shows and movies that are attractive to a youth audience, then you need the support of other popular artists that have a grip on the attention of youngsters. And lastly, as is the case with Ludovico Einaudi, your tunes need to consume their attention and never let it go.
Perhaps he's England's David Lang, or maybe their Nico Muhly, but Mr. Einaudi has yielded a large, young fanbase. As it's been reported, his Spotify account supersedes Beethoven's with a prestigious 400,00-strong followership, he dresses like a "hip" Larry David and yet, he's provided the sonic landscape for some of the most popular and beloved TV shows and movies of the day.
One being This Is England¸ a film starring a young Jack O'Connell (who fell into the hearts of millenials with his role as James Cook on E4's Skins) and a score that sounds like a heartbreak in slow motion. Mr. Einaudi has also won the praise of big names like Nicki Minaj, Ricki Gervais and Iggy Pop, and that might be plenty to sustain his relevance.
But in a recent interview, Einaudi revealed that his roots in making music really stem from bands like Radiohead and performers like Eminem--instead of, say, Shostakovich.
When asked about his roots, he commented, "All my life, my heart has felt closer to rock'n'roll...I think there is a rigidity [in classical music] and I don't like too much the academic environment."
And when pressed about if the classical world sticks its proverbial nose up at him, Einaudi continued:
"Yes, I think that's all seen as a negative It's ridiculous, but I don't mind. I don't crave acceptance in the classical world... For me, this was the world that was really connecting to me musically, and also spiritually and artistically," he says. "Of course it was a time of revolution in the schools. But it was not just everyone screaming about Mao Zedong. People were reacting against a formal world that they didn't want to have any more."
It is perhaps this kind of protesting that has kept Einaudi more of a figure and icon than a stiff performer of classical. He may not crave the acceptance from the classical realm of music but he certainly wants to rebel against it in some way.
Be sure to read the full interview and get caught up on Einaudi below in the meantime.
