An Album to Not Fail Your Finals To

Heather Matthews, Culture Editor

   If you are anything like me, it is almost impossible to do homework, because before I know it, I find myself singing along to Italian opera songs and annoying my suite mates. Thus, as of my senior year of high school, I made the study music transition to classical music. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a huge fan of classical. In fact, I usually only like falling asleep to it. However, after I discovered Einaudi’s “Divenire,” my outlook changed completely. Not only had I found a CD to listen to while biking in the summer, sleeping in the winter and studying during all seasons in between, but I found a classical artist that didn’t make me want to Van Gogh myself.

   I hesitate to compare Einaudi to another musician, purely because to put the classical label on him is a huge turnoff and not entirely accurate. Like Philip Glass, he is current, breathtaking, complex and absolutely stunning in almost every song. “Divenire,” released in 2007, is in my opinion the culmination of his most amazing work. Take for example one of Einaudi’s acclaimed tracks, “Primavera.” Not only is this piece my most favorite Einaudi piece in the history of forever, but it proves to be a cathartic song for all occasions. Whether I am riding my bike down route 12 in upstate New York or studying for my LIT 250 test, “Primavera” is almost always the song I turn to.

   Also on “Divenire” are some of my other favorites of Einaudi’s: “Uno,” “Monday,” “Oltremare,” “Fly” and “L’originie Nascosta.” If you happen to not be an italian scholar like myself, these titles usually do mean something once translated into our mother tongue. For example, “Oltremare” translates to the word “overseas,” which adds an entire other layer to the song once you can imagine the waves of the ocean corresponding to the musical swells.

   Overall, “Divenire” provides what is, to me, the ultimate studying experience. Not only can I listen to the entire CD without singing along and accidentally writing lyrics inside of my essays, but the music creates a studying environment that is peaceful and non-threatening — the exact opposite of finals week. So today, as you settle down at your desk for the first time all semester and decide to read all of the books that built up cobwebs all semester, seek out some Einaudi. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed.