Composer Ludovico Einaudi turns daily walk into 7-part musical journey

Ludovico Einaudi — Seven Days Walking — Day One (Decca)

"I think it's Cezanne that was painting the same mountain for 20 years, and every time he was painting the mountain there was a different light. It's beautiful to watch the different versions of the same view."

Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi offers his own spin on a set of variations with an ambitious project representing each day of the week. It's called Seven Days Walking.

Ludovico grew up in Turin, Italy. He remembers vividly soaking up the music that his mother would play at the piano.

"At a certain point I remember I started to listen to this piano that was around me all the time, like a fireplace. I remember I was connecting with my emotions through the sound of the piano and my mother.

"When I was younger, I was studying classical music at the same time I was exposed to the music of the '60s and '70s. I remember my mother was playing classical music, but at the same time she introduced me to "Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones. I also grew up with my older sister listening to Bob Dylan and The Beatles."

I'm thinking about one of your other big influences, the avant-garde composer Luciano Berio, and how he helped you explore music in an open way. That seems to fit in with what your music has become. Can you talk a little bit about how he helped you to learn that?

"I remember once we were in the countryside, and there was a beautiful group of birds. They were flying together, then they were spreading, and then they came back. Berio was looking at them. I was there, and he told me, 'It could be very interesting if you could make a transcription for a group of strings of what these birds are doing.' I think that was an approach that stayed with me, and it's still with me."

It sounds like transcribing your experiences is exactly what you're doing with your new project, Seven Days Walking. I know the first recording is officially out, and there's going to be seven. Tell me about this project and how it evolved through your daily walking in the Alps?

"I wanted to create a sort of musical route. The route was the same, but every day there was different weather. Sometimes the sky was clear, and I could see, and this is similar to where my mind was going. I could see where my musical route was going, so I felt connected with this idea. I felt that the metaphor of walking was very good for what I wanted to do.

"I like the idea that you can enter into this realm of music. It's like a garden where you sit and get lost — you don't know where you are anymore. I think if you like the space where you are, you can stay there."

To hear the rest of my conversation, click on the extended interview above, or download the extended podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

Resources

Seven Days Walking (Amazon)