Italian pianist Ludovico Einaudi has a message for the world. And he uses his piano to send that message. In his recent video, Einaudi performs his composition titled “Elegy for the Arctic” while a dissolving glacier is shown in the background. The video gives viewers a visual display of the effects of global warming. Einaudi is actually playing on a floating platform right in front of the Wahlenbergbreen glacier (or what’s left of it), on the island of Spitsbergen, Norway.
Einaudi and his piano drift about the Greenland Sea while he plays his tribute to the Arctic. The sea is littered with ice that has separated from the glacier. You can even hear the sound of the ice scrape across the sides of his floating stage. The video carries a somber tone, but has an extremely powerful message. The saddest part? It’s getting worse by the day.
In a press release, Einaudi said, “Being here has been a great experience. I could see the purity and fragility of this area with my own eyes and interpret a song I wrote to be played upon the best stage in the world. It is important that we understand the importance of the Arctic, stop the process of destruction and protect it.”
