On March 15, 2019, Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi released a new studio album: Seven Days Walking: Day One. This heartfelt album is the first in a huge musical project, where Einaudi plans on releasing a new album each month (the rest being Day Two, Day Three, etc. through Day Seven) over the next six months.
Seven Days Walking
The project as a whole represents Einaudi’s own thoughts and experiences. “I remember that in January 2018 I often went for long walks in the mountains, always following more or less the same trail,” Einaudi said. “It snowed heavily, and my thoughts roamed free inside the storm, where all shapes, stripped bare by the cold, lost their contours and colors. Perhaps that feeling of extreme essence was the origin of this album.”
Each Day focuses on several main themes that reoccur in different forms: “seven variations following the same imaginary itinerary. Or the same itinerary, retraced in seven different moments.”
The idea to split the music up into seven distinct-yet-related albums came after Einaudi had started recording his new music. He said of the project:
“The idea [for several Days] first came to me as I was listening to the recordings of the first sessions: each version [of the track] seemed to me to have its own personality, with subtleties so distinct from one another that I was unable to choose which I preferred. I associated everything with walking, with the experience of following the same routes over and over, discovering new details each time. And so
in the end I decided to thread them all together in a sort of musical labyrinth, a little like stepping inside the twists and turns of the creative process, to understand how a musical idea can develop in multiple directions, and changing once again at the moment in which it is heard.”
Day One
Day One of Seven Days Walking has 11 tracks, each of which tells a story. Einaudi uses a breathtaking combination of piano and strings to showcase each simple yet beautiful melodic line, painting vivid images in the listener’s mind.
Low Mist, Var. 1
This beautiful, minimal piece is a wonderful way to start the album. The calming nature of the slow rhythms and the emotional harmonies speak out to every listener. Be sure to listen for the subtle strings that add support around 1:15!
Low Mist
Low Mist utilizes a haunting piano motif to create a sense of empty-yet-moving space. Things shift around at 1:
Gravity
The
Matches
In Matches, the melody is pieced together like paint splatters, creating the sensation of lost thoughts and memories. Even though it comes across as more simple than the other tracks on Seven Days Walking, Matches is a perfect little interlude of imagination.
Cold Wind, Var. 1
This might be one of my favorite tracks on the album. I love how Einaudi treats the strings like a cold wind whispering through the trees, leaving bursts of color in its wake.
Golden Butterflies
This sweet little track combines melodic bursts with singing strings to create a magical and whimsical atmosphere.
Fox Tracks
Fox Tracks is almost folk-like with its lilting rhythms and a scooping approach to the melody reminiscent of a fiddle. Notice how Einaudi uses open 4th and 5th intervals to create a sense of vast space.
A Sense of Symmetry
The gorgeous low cello supports the delicate piano waltz before joining in the dance. Listen for how the accompaniment is accented on beat 2, which gives this track a unique, dream-like mood.
The Path of the Fossils
The Path of the Fossils combines minimalist texture, an improvisatory mood, and repeated motifs to create a slowly intensifying work as layers and dynamics gradually increase.
Ascent
This beautiful melody reminds me of a lullaby accompanied by soft colors and nostalgic harmonies.
Low Mist, Var. 2
Einaudi returns to Low Mist to close out Seven Days Walking: Day One. This variation is contemplative and emotional, perhaps reminiscent of each track from the album. Check out that incredible (yet subtle) energy that starts at 0:56!
