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Perhaps one of the most well-known pieces by contemporary composer Ludovico Einaudi, Nuvole Bianche is a gorgeous (and heartbreaking) piano-solo-turned-song that connects with listeners around the world.
Like the sheet music? Get it here!
*Fun fact: “nuvole bianche” is Italian for “white clouds”!
Background
Nuvole Bianche was released in 2004 on Einaudi’s album Una Mattina. Since then, the piece has appeared in the TV drama This is England 86, the 2010 movie Insidious, and more.
Analysis
A big part of the beauty of Nuvole Bianche is its simplicity. The minimalist accompaniment ebbs and flows, creating a sense of peace and emotion underneath the lyrical yet transparent melody. The harmonies subtly alternate between major and minor, creating happiness and sadness at the same time. (It’s like the feeling you get when you watch the clouds in the sky, reminiscing about things past.)
A Song of Heartbreak
Then Einaudi put lyrics to the piece and turned it into a song:
Here’s a (rough) English translation:
| hOk, let him sleep, Now he can not understand. No, don’t tell him Why she doesn’t feel this heart any more. Wind, you will not tell, He can not understand now, He is sleeping and doesn’t want, And she doesn’t like to be with this heart any more. Four winds and I’m alone… My writing…I have been not lucky… Let him sleep, Let this soul die without love. No, you can not help it, The time passes and you don’t speak, The time passes and there is nothing to say. | Wind, let me lose my mind. I must leave sooner or Leave me alone, Let me forget, My soul is free. Let me do it. The time passes and we will not see. The time passes and there is nothing to say. Now you can not stop me. I must stay in loneliness. Let the Sun raise up, I must go at daybreak, Now you can not stop me. You don’t love me The time passes and you don’t speak, The time passes and you may not say. |
| That’s why you know What we wanted, What is happening to us, What is still here… Only if you want, No, if you can, Come back to me… | That’s why you know What we wanted, What is happening to us, What is still here… Only if you want, No, if you can, Come back to me… |
| And you, if you love my heart, stay here. Just close your eyes and you will see… Imagine that you will eat with me, Breathes and tears of love which there is not You have been my love… | And you, if you want to come back, Just close your eyes and You will find me. Imagine, you sing with me. Breathes and tears of love which there is not You have been my love… |
A Bigger Picture
Una Mattina as a Story
Einaudi said of the album Una Mattina:
“If someone asked me about this album, I would say it is a collection of songs linked together by a story. But unlike my other albums, it doesn’t belong to a time in the past.
“It speaks about me now, my life, the things around me. My piano, which I have nicknamed Tagore, my children Jessica and Leo, the orange kilim carpet that brightens up the living room, the clouds sailing slowly across the sky, the sunlight coming through the window, the music I listen to, the books I read and those I don’t read, my memories, my friends and the people I love.”
And indeed, you can hear similar thoughts, themes, harmonic ideas, and rhythms that appear throughout the full album. Listen to the work Dietro Casa (“Behind the House”) from the same album:
The chord progression in this piece is actually the same as Nuvole Bianche, and the melodies (along with the underlying accompaniments) of the two pieces have a similar shape and rhythm.
What are your thoughts on Nuvole Bianche? Do you feel the happiness and the heartbreak portrayed in the music and the lyrics?
nice – what I really like about this one is the way that it gradually builds up to the big chorus. More than most of his work it reminds me of contemporary electronica in that way.
I love that too. Do you have a favorite piece by him?
“Experience” is a major favorite of mine.
I love many songs by Einaudi. I looked up on YouTube, the saddest song in the world, and a synthesis version of nuvole bianche is what it was. Then I watched Rousseau do it. Along with reading a sad comment about a loss, me having to leave my friends, and the beautiful melody and left hand, it was too much and I cried. I love experience, and so many others. I found this connection to music by listening. And I actually notice something about nuvole bianche. If you watch and listen to Rousseau do it, then go to the live version and listen to Einaudie play it, it sounds a little different. Maybe he changed it up a little bit for some reason?. I don’t know. But anyway, I love his pieces. This connection I have with music is something very special to have. It makes my life worth living🙂
Your post so resonated with me. I lost my 16 yr old cat Zoe last November and I heard this song for the first time shortly after. I couldn’t listen all the way through, it hurt so much. Now, it’s been a little over 3 months and I can listen to it, although it still makes my heart ache. Thank you for posting this.
Do you use the damper pedal when playing this? I’m learning it currently and appreciate any advice you would have!
Yes, use the damper pedal! Just play from your heart. That’s the best way to learn this piece. 😊
Randomly found this while searching for more info on this song. I am not a pianist, just heard this on Amazon music and instantly loved it. It made me cry, which seldom happens from a song with no lyrics. I actually prefer the version with no lyrics because it lets your own feelings come through. I felt both happiness and sadness listening to it. Made me think of a child growing up.
I agree that the version without lyrics can be more personal. It’s such an emotional piece! I love the idea you had about a child growing up. It certainly has that bittersweet feeling.
This song gets me very emotional. It was the soundtrack of a beautiful video called “the mountain”, available on YouTube, which was my partner’s favorite video. He passed away last May and I think instantly about him when I hear this song
I’ve seen that video, it’s so beautiful. It’s amazing how music captures the purest of emotions. You remember your partner when you hear this song, but it tells the story of your relationship too. ❤️
This song inspired me so much I went and bought a piano same day and now I can’t stop playing. What is amazing is the story of the lyrics (not knowing there were lyrics at first). My struggle today is letting go of a 3.5 year relationship with the girl I thought was the one. Very moving piece.
Thank you for your comment, Josh! I love how this music inspired you to play the piano. That’s amazing. And thank you for sharing your struggle; I understand how hard that situation can be. Hopefully the music can help you heal♥️
Every time I play this song I give it a different meaning, But always with the same rollercoaster feelings of sadness and happiness… I picture myself in the trouble moments but with a lot of hope at the end, not neccessarily happy but with faith and calm…
I love your comment. I think this piece portrays exactly that – a rollercoaster of troubled moments and faith and calm. Absolutely beautiful.
I found this music on Youtube today and it made me cry. I think this song touches the hearts of those who are troubled and gives us freedom to feel our real emotions. At the same time, it also gives comfort and relief. What a wonderful piece it is! ❤️❤️❤️
It definitely touches the hearts of those who listen. Thank you for your beautiful comment!
Hi Kathryn,
I am glad that I found your little place here 🙂
I LOVE this song and I am also improving my playing of it.
For me it expresses sadness and hope in one piece. In my opinion this fits very well for this crazy times.
My english is not very good but I think the comment of rebeca kind of nailed it.
Love and light 🙏
Andi
I agree, I think this piece perfectly fits very well for this time. Thank you for your comment, and good luck with your playing!
The song, lyrics written and sung by Alessia Tondo, is on Einaudi’s “Taranta Project” (my favourite of his recordings).
Such beautiful music!
OOOH thanks soo much! I hadn’t been able to find the version with lyrics to buy.
Thank you for your post about “Nuvole Bianche.” When I first heard this song (no lyrics), I was captivated by it instantly. It is wonderfully rich and beautifully sad. It invites complex emotions to surface. It feels like battling depression and hoping to win. There’s an overwhelming sense of heaviness with moments of levity sprinkled throughout. I can listen to this on repeat, but like the ocean, I have to be careful not to get pulled in too far.
When do you use the pedal? Because if I only lift it when I change accords, it sounds a little bombastic. Especially in the middle when the faster part happens.
It’s okay to experiment and find what works best for you. Try lifting on every beat or two and see how that sounds.
I love this song! my sister plays it on the
piano all the time, its so beautiful I ask her to play it all the time.
My daughter learned to play this song recently. While she practiced, sometime I would want to dance like a ballerina, and other times it felt so dramatic and heartbreaking. When she played it at her recital today, I was so overcome that I wept, but then it turned into outrageous laughter! Yes, a very moving and emotional song indeed.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Michelle! Congratulations on your daughter’s recital.