“Nuvole Bianche,” which translates to “white clouds” in Italian, is a piano piece by Ludovico Einaudi that has landed millions of listeners “on cloud nine” (sorry, I couldn’t help myself). But seriously, just as the pun infers, this musical work has inspired many with feelings of elation and blissful happiness. It is perhaps the most popular track from Einaudi’s 2004 album Una Mattina and has since appeared in many dramas including This is England 86, and the 2010 movie Insidious.
The composer provided this description about his music:
“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.”
Ludovico Einaudi is an Italian composer who smoothly blends classical, contemporary and minimalist styles. His work is emotionally evocative, often using relatively simple themes that expand climactically then contract gently. He takes us on a journey using a wide range of expression, from arpeggiated crescendoes to soft, peaceful chordal interludes.
The repetitive theme of “Nuvole Bianche,” oscillating between notes yet having a main repeating tone, reminds me somewhat of Chopin’s “Raindrop Prelude.” The repetitive singularity acts as a connecting thread, a linear path, throughout the piece’s evolution. Harmonically, the piece plays between major and minor modes, working within a four-chord structure, a template commonly used in pop songs. The chordal transitions are like clouds shifting in the sky, sometimes darkening with heaviness, other times lifting with a brilliant clarity.
“Nuvole Bianche” is a relaxing piece to play on piano, and one that listeners almost always respond to enthusiastically.