Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall from Hyde Park
General information
Type	Concert Hall
Architectural style	Italianate
Address	Kensington Gore South Kensington London SW7 2AP
Country	England, United Kingdom
Coordinates	51°30′03.40″N 00°10′38.77″W / 51.500944°N 0.1774361°W / 51.500944; -0.1774361
Construction started	18671
Completed	18711
Inaugurated	29 March 1871
Cost	£200,0001
Height	135 feet (41 m)2
Design and construction
Client	Queen Victoria
Main contractor	Lucas Brothers
Architect	Captain Francis Fowke and Major-General Henry Y.D. Scott of the Royal Engineers
Website
Official website
References
1 - Victorian London: Royal Albert Hall 2 - Royal Albert Hall, London

The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941.

Since its opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from several performance genres have appeared on its stage and it has become one of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings. Each year it hosts more than 350 events including classical concerts, rock and pop, ballet and opera, sports, award ceremonies, school and community events, charity performances and banquets.

The hall was originally supposed to have been called The Central Hall of Arts and Sciences, but the name was changed by Queen Victoria to Royal Albert Hall of Arts and Sciences when laying the foundation stone as a dedication to her deceased husband and consort Prince Albert. It forms the practical part of a national memorial to the Prince Consort – the decorative part is the Albert Memorial directly to the north in Kensington Gardens, now separated from the Hall by the road Kensington Gore.

History[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2011)

In 1851, the Great Exhibition was held in Hyde Park, London, for which the Crystal Palace was built. The exhibition was a great success and led Prince Albert, the Prince Consort, to propose that a permanent series of facilities be built in the area for the enlightenment of the public. Progress on the scheme was slow and in 1861 Prince Albert died, without having seen his ideas come to fruition. However, a memorial was proposed for Hyde Park, with a Great Hall opposite.

Postcard of the Hall (circa 1903) with an inset of the Albert Memorial.

The proposal was approved and the site was purchased with some of the profits from the Exhibition. Once the remaining funds had been raised, in April 1867 Queen Victoria signed the Royal Charter of the Corporation of the Hall of Arts and Sciences which was to operate the Hall and on 20 May, laid the foundation stone.^[1] The hall was designed by civil engineers Captain Francis Fowke and Major-General Henry Y.D. Scott of the Royal Engineers and built by Lucas Brothers.^[2] The designers were heavily influenced by ancient amphitheatres, but had also been exposed to the ideas of Gottfried Semper while he was working at the South Kensington Museum. The recently opened Cirque d'Hiver in Paris was seen in the contemporary press as the design to outdo. The hall was constructed mainly of Fareham Red brick, with terra cotta block decoration made by Gibbs and Canning Limited of Tamworth. The dome (designed by Rowland Mason Ordish) on top was made of wrought iron and glazed. There was a trial assembly made of the iron framework of the dome in Manchester, then it was taken apart again and transported to London via horse and cart. When the time came for the supporting structure to be removed from the dome after re-assembly in situ, only volunteers remained on site in case the structure dropped. It did drop – but only by five-sixteenths of an inch.^[3] The hall was scheduled to be completed by Christmas Day 1870 and the Queen visited a few days beforehand to inspect.^{[citation needed]}

The official opening ceremony of the Hall was on 29 March 1871. A welcoming speech was given by Edward, the Prince of Wales; Queen Victoria was too overcome to speak although she did comment that it reminded her of the British constitution.^[1]

A concert followed, when the Hall's acoustic problems became immediately apparent. Engineers first attempted to solve the strong echo by suspending a canvas awning below the dome. This helped and also sheltered concertgoers from the sun, but the problem was not solved: it used to be jokingly said that the Hall was "the only place where a British composer could be sure of hearing his work twice".

Initially lit by gas, the hall contained a special system where its thousands of gas jets were lit within ten seconds. Though it was demonstrated as early as 1873 in the Hall,^[4] full electric lighting was not installed until 1888.^[1] During an early trial when a partial installation was made, one disgruntled patron wrote to The Times newspaper declaring it to be "a very ghastly and unpleasant innovation".

Acoustic diffusing discs (lit in blue) hanging from the roof of the Hall. The fluted aluminium panels are seen above, lit in red.

In 1936, the Hall was the scene of a giant rally celebrating the British Empire, the occasion being the centenary of Joseph Chamberlain's birth. In October 1942, the Hall suffered minor damage during World War II bombing but was left mostly untouched as German pilots used the distinctive structure as a landmark.^[4]

In 1949 the canvas awning was removed and the glass dome was replaced with fluted aluminium panels in a new attempt to solve the echo; however, the acoustics were not properly tackled until 1969 when a series of large fibreglass acoustic diffusing discs (commonly referred to as "mushrooms" or "flying saucers") were installed below the ceiling to reduce the notorious echo. ^[1]

Renovation and redevelopment[link]

Between 1996 and 2004 the Hall underwent a programme of renovation and development supported by a £20 million (roughly $32 million US) grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to enable it to meet the demands of the next century of events and performances. Thirty "discrete projects" were designed and supervised by BDP without disrupting events.^[5] These projects included improving ventilation to the auditorium, more bars and restaurants, new improved seating, better technical facilities and more modern backstage areas. The largest project was the building of a new south porch – door 12, accommodating a restaurant, new box office and below a new delivery area. Although the exterior of the building was largely unchanged, the south steps leading down to Prince Consort Road were demolished to allow construction of an underground vehicle access and accommodation for 3 HGVs carrying all the equipment brought by shows. The steps were then reconstructed around a new south porch on the same scale and in the same style as the three pre-existing porches: these works were undertaken by Taylor Woodrow Construction.^[6] The original steps featured in early scenes of 1965 film The Ipcress File. On 4 June 2004, the project received the Europa Nostra Award for remarkable achievement.^[7] The East and West porches were glazed and new bars opened along with ramps to improve disabled access.

Internally the Circle was rebuilt in four weeks in June 1996 providing more leg room, better access and improved sight lines. The Stalls were rebuilt in a four week period in 2000 using steel supports allowing more space underneath for two new bars. 1534 unique pivoting seats were laid – with an addition of 180 prime seats. The Choirs were rebuilt at the same time. The whole building was redecorated in a style that reinforces its Victorian identity. New carpets were laid in the corridors – specially woven with a border that follows the elliptic curve of the building in the largest single woven design in the world.

The works included a major rebuilding of the great organ, originally built by "Father" Henry Willis in 1871 and rebuilt by Harrison & Harrison in 1924 and 1933. The current work was performed by Mander Organs between 2002 and 2004^[8] and the organ is now again the second largest pipe organ in the British Isles with 9,999 pipes in 147 stops. The largest is the Grand Organ in Liverpool Cathedral which has 10,268 pipes.^[9]

Design[link]

The Triumph of Arts and Sciences.

The hall, a Grade I listed building,^[10] is an ellipse in plan, with major and minor axes of 83 m (272 ft) and 72 m (236 ft). The great glass and wrought-iron dome roofing the hall is 41 m (135 ft) high. It was originally designed with a capacity for 8,000 people and has accommodated as many as 9,000 (although modern safety restrictions mean that the maximum permitted capacity is now 5,544 including standing in the Gallery).

Around the outside of the hall is a great mosaic frieze, depicting "The Triumph of Arts and Sciences", in reference to the Hall's dedication. Proceeding anti-clockwise from the north side the sixteen subjects of the frieze are: (1) Various Countries of the World bringing in their Offerings to the Exhibition of 1851; (2) Music; (3) Sculpture; (4) Painting; (5) Princes, Art Patrons and Artists; (6) Workers in Stone; (7) Workers in Wood and Brick; (8) Architecture; (9) The Infancy of the Arts and Sciences; (10) Agriculture; (11) Horticulture and Land Surveying; (12) Astronomy and Navigation; (13) A Group of Philosophers, Sages and Students; (14) Engineering; (15) The Mechanical Powers; and (16) Pottery and Glassmaking.

Above the frieze is an inscription in 12 in (300 mm) terracotta letters that combine historical fact and Biblical quotations: "This hall was erected for the advancement of the arts and sciences and works of industry of all nations in fulfilment of the intention of Albert Prince Consort. The site was purchased with the proceeds of the Great Exhibition of the year MDCCCLI. The first stone of the Hall was laid by Her Majesty Queen Victoria on the twentieth day of May MDCCCLXVII and it was opened by Her Majesty the Twenty Ninth of March in the year MDCCCLXXI. Thine O Lord is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty. For all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine. The wise and their works are in the hand of God. Glory be to God on high and on earth peace."

Events[link]

The Hall has played host to over 150,000 different events and has been affectionately titled "The Nation's Village Hall".^[11] The first concert at the Hall was Arthur Sullivan's cantata, On Shore and Sea, which was performed on 1 May 1871.^[12][13]

Many events are promoted by the Hall themselves, whilst Raymond Gubbay promotes over 70 events a year, having brought a range of events since the early 1970s, including opera, ballet and classical music. Some events include classical and rock concerts, conferences, ballroom dancing, poetry recitals, education, motor shows, marathons, ballet, opera and circus shows. It has hosted sporting events, including boxing, wrestling (including the first Sumo wrestling tournament to be held in London as well as UFC 38 (the first UFC event to be held in the UK) and tennis.^[14][15]

The climax of the Alfred Hitchcock film The Man Who Knew Too Much was filmed in the Royal Albert Hall.

The International Poetry Incarnation was held at the Hall on 11 June 1965. It attracted an audience of 7,000 people to readings and live and tape performances by a wide variety of figures, including Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs.

The psychedelic rock band Cream played two farewell concerts at the Hall on 26 November 1968 before they broke up. 37 years later, they reunited for a series of four shows at the Hall in May 2005, the success of which inspired a further series of concerts at Madison Square Garden, New York City in October 2005.

The original lineup of the Jimi Hendrix Experience gave their last European performances at the Hall on 18 and 24 February 1969. Footage was shot of the performances, but the Hendrix estate has yet to release it.

After Sandie Shaw won the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, the BBC hosted the 1968 Eurovision Song Contest at the Hall.

Led Zeppelin also performed a gig here during their 1970's United Kingdom Tour on January 9 1970.

Lata Mangeshkar, India's greatest playback singer performed her first ever international concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 1974; this was the first time an Indian performed at the hall. Following its resounding success, she returned to the same venue in 1979, this time performing with the Wren Orchestra.

Miss World Pageant finals were held at the Hall from 1969 to 1988.

On 24 September 1969 Deep Purple and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performed the classic rock Concerto for Group and Orchestra.

Les Miserables Celebrates its 10th Anniversary on October 8th, 1995 with a concert performed by the 'Dream Cast' led by the Original London & Broadway Jean Valjean Colm Wilkinson & Philip Quast as Javert Les Misérables: The Dream Cast in Concert

The Corrs performed on 17 March 1998 as a St Patrick's Day Special. This was their first live concert in the UK, which was broadcast on the BBC and released on VHF titled The Corrs: Live at the Royal Albert Hall.

The Concert For George was held at Royal Albert Hall on November 29, 2002, the first anniversary of George Harrison's passing.

The American rock band The Killers performed two shows on 5 and 6 July 2009, that were recorded for the DVD Live From The Royal Albert Hall. The DVD was packaged with a CD and was released on 6 November of the same year and earned a rating of five stars and the "best rock dvd of the decade" by Starpulse.^[16]

Swedish prog-death metal band Opeth also filmed its 20th anniversary DVD In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall, covering two sets: its breakthrough album, Blackwater Park, in its entirety, and a chronologically-arranged set of one song from each of its other eight albums.

On 22 September 2011 Adele filmed her DVD Live At The Royal Albert Hall.

On 2 October 2011, the Hall was used to broadcast the 25th anniversary performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera to cinemas across the UK - it was also the first time Phantom had been performed at the venue.^[17] Lloyd Webber, the original London cast including Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford, and four previous actors of the titular character, among others, were in attendance - Brightman and the previous Phantoms (aside from Crawford) performed an encore.

Regular events[link]

BBC Proms[link]

A prom seen from the Circle.

The BBC Promenade Concerts, known as "The Proms" is a popular annual eight-week summer season of daily classical music concerts and other events at the Hall. In 1942, following the destruction of the Queen's Hall in an air raid, the Hall was chosen as the new venue for the proms.^[18] In 1944 with increased danger to the hall, part of the proms were held in the Bedford Corn Exchange. Following the end of World War II the proms continued in the Hall and have done so annually ever summer since. The event was founded in 1895, and now each season consists of over 70 concerts, in addition to a series of events at other venues across the United Kingdom on the last night. In 2009, the total number of concerts reached 100 for the first time. Jiří Bělohlávek described The Proms as "the world's largest and most democratic musical festival" of all such events in the world of classical music festivals.^[19]

Proms is short for promenade concerts, a term which arose from the original practice of audience members promenading, or strolling, in some areas of the concert hall during the concert. Proms concert-goers, particularly those who stand, are sometimes described as "Promenaders", but are most commonly referred to as "Prommers".^[20]

Cirque du Soleil[link]

Cirque du Soleil has performed several of its shows at the Hall beginning in 1996 with Saltimbanco, a show which returned in 1997. In 1998 they had their UK première of Alegría and returned in 1999. After a few years away they returned in 2003 with Saltimbanco. Their European première of Dralion was held at the Hall in 2004 and returned in 2005. 2006 and 2007 saw the return of Alegría whilst 2008 saw the UK première of Varekai, which returned in 2010 marking 25 years of Cirque du Soleil. Quidam returned to London (but a first for this show at the Hall) in 2009, however Varekai returned in 2010. In January and February of 2011 and again in 2012 they presented Totem.

Festival of Remembrance[link]

The Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance, is held annually the day before Remembrance Sunday.^[21]

Graduation ceremonies[link]

The Hall is used annually by the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London for graduation ceremonies. Kingston University also held its graduation ceremonies at the Hall until 2008, but have since relocated to the new Rose Theatre, Kingston upon its completion.

English National Ballet[link]

Since 1998 the English National Ballet has had several specially staged arena summer seasons in partnership with the Hall and Raymond Gubbay. These include Strictly Gershwin, June 2008 and 2011, Swan Lake in-the-round, June 2002, 2004, 2007 and 2010, Romeo & Juliet (Deane), June 2001 and 2005 and The Sleeping Beauty, April – June 2000.^[22]

Teenage Cancer Trust[link]

Starting in the year 2000 the Teenage Cancer Trust has held annual charity concerts (with the exception of 2001). They started as a one off event but have expanded over the years to a week or more of evenings events. Roger Daltrey of The Who has been intimately involved with the planning of the events.^[23]

Regular performers[link]

Eric Clapton is a regular performer the Hall, having played host to his concerts almost annually for over 20 years. It was also the venue for his band Cream's farewell concerts in 1968 and reunion shows in 2005. Clapton has cited it as his favourite venue to play in the world.^{[citation needed]} He also instigated the Concert for George, which was held at the Hall on 29 November 2002 to pay tribute to Clapton's life-long friend, former Beatle George Harrison.

Shirley Bassey has often sung at the Hall, usually as a special guest at high profile events. In 2007, Bassey performed in Fashion Rocks in aid of the Prince's Trust. On 30 March 2011, she sang at a gala celebrating the 80th birthday of Mikhail Gorbachev.^[24] She also performed at the Classical Brit Awards in May 2011, singing Goldfinger in tribute to the recently deceased composer John Barry.^[25] On 20 June 2011, Bassey returned to perform Diamonds Are Forever and Goldfinger, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, as the climax to the memorial concert for John Barry.

Mislabellings[link]

The Hall from Prince Consort Road, showing the South Steps leading up to Door 12.

A famous and widely bootlegged concert by Bob Dylan at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester on 17 May 1966 was mistakenly labelled the "Royal Albert Hall Concert". In 1998, Columbia Records released an official recording, The Bootleg Series Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Live 1966, The "Royal Albert Hall" Concert, that maintains the erroneous title, but does include details of the actual concert location. Dylan actually did close his European tour at the hall on 26 and 27 May 1966; these were his last concerts before Dylan got into a motorcycle accident. It was several years until he toured again.

Another concert that was mislabelled as being at the Hall was by Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR). An album by CCR entitled The Royal Albert Hall Concert was released in 1980. When Fantasy Records discovered that the show on the album actually took place at the Oakland Coliseum, it retitled the album The Concert.

Transport links[link]

Public transport access

London Buses	Royal Albert Hall 9, 10, 52, 360, 452
London Underground	Gloucester Road
	High Street Kensington
	Knightsbridge
	South Kensington

See also[link]

Ballet portal

• Albert Memorial
• Albertopolis
• List of concert halls

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Royal Albert Hall

• Official site with timeline
• Read a detailed historical record about the Hall
• Architecture of the Hall from the Royal Institute of British Architects
• Royal Albert Hall at Structurae
• Royal Albert Hall Survey of London entry
• Albert Hall (Victorian London)

Coordinates: 51°30′03.40″N 00°10′38.77″W / 51.500944°N 0.1774361°W / 51.500944; -0.1774361

Ludovico Einaudi
Ludovico Einaudi at Quirinal Palace in 2008
Background information
Birth name	Ludovico Einaudi
Born	(1955-11-23) 23 November 1955 (age 56) Turin, Piedmont, Italy
Genres	Classical, minimalist, film score
Occupations	Musician, sound designer, film score composer
Instruments	piano, synthesizer, keyboard
Years active	1980–present
Labels	Decca Records, Universal Music Group
Website	www.einaudiwebsite.com

Ludovico Einaudi OMRI (Italian pronunciation: [ludoˈviːko eiˈnaudi]) (born 23 November 1955 in Turin, Piedmont) is an Italian pianist and composer.

Biography[link]

Einaudi was born in Turin, Italy. His mother played to him on the piano as a child. He began his musical training at the Conservatorio Verdi in Milan, gaining a diploma in composition in 1982. That same year, he studied with Luciano Berio and gained a scholarship to the Tanglewood Music Festival.

After studying at the Conservatory in Milan, and subsequently with Berio, he spent several years composing in traditional forms. In the mid-1980s he began to search for a more personal expression in a series of works for dance and multimedia, and later for piano. His music is ambient, meditative and often introspective, drawing on minimalism, world music, and contemporary pop. He has made a significant impact in the film world, with four international awards to his name.^{[citation needed]}

His father, Giulio Einaudi, was a publisher, and his grandfather, Luigi Einaudi, was President of Italy between 1948 and 1955. He currently resides on a vineyard in the Italian region of Piedmont.

Music[link]

	"Ludovico Einaudi – Primavera" noicon Extract from 2007 album "Divenire"
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Although Einaudi would prefer not to be labeled as any particular type of genre, he is sometimes referred to as a Minimalist. He says: "In general I don't like definitions, but 'Minimalist' is a term that means elegance and openness, so I would prefer to be called a Minimalist than something else." However, Einaudi's style differs from those of the Minimalism movement, and this attribution is likely more due to his work's sparse orchestration and simple melodies.

Einaudi's own words on the matter reflect this viewpoint, with Einaudi referring to Minimalism as "elegance and openness", despite its more formal definition as a musical movement to which he arguably does not belong.

Einaudi is signed to Sony Music Entertainment's classical music division, Sony Classical.

Einaudi's Due Tramonti was featured in the film I'm Still Here (2010) directed by Casey Affleck.

Einaudi's Nuvole Bianche was featured in the film Insidious (2010) directed by James Wan, the British TV-drama This Is England 86 and in the TV-series Derek (2012) directed by and starring Ricky Gervais.

Einaudi's Una Mattina and Fly were recently featured in a French success movie Intouchables (2011) directed by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano.

In June 2011, BBC Radio 1 Presenter Greg James started a campaign to get I Giorni in the top 40 singles chart. He mentioned that he found the piece therapeutic when he was studying in University. The first plays of the song got a phenomenal response from listeners which led to the song appearing in the charts

Most recently Einaudi's Divenire is featured in a Proctor & Gamble advertising campaign on Youtube in light of the 2012 London Olympics and Mother's Day in United States.^[1]

Works[link]

• Time Out (1988)
• Stanze (1992, harp)
• Salgari (1995)
• Le Onde (1996, piano)
• Eden Roc (1999, piano and strings)
• I Giorni (2001, piano)
• Diario Mali (2003; piano, harp)
• Una Mattina (2004; piano, cello)
• Divenire (2007; piano, string quartet)
• Nightbook (2009; piano, electronic)

Recordings[link]

• 1988 Time Out – BMG Ricordi
• 1992 Stanze – BMG Ricordi
• 1995 Salgari – BMG Ricordi
• 1996 Le Onde – BMG Ricordi^[2]
• 1998 Fuori dal Mondo – BMG Ricordi
• 1998 Ultimi Fuochi – BMG Ricordi
• 1999 Eden Roc – BMG Ricordi
• 2001 I Giorni – BMG Ricordi
• 2001 Luce dei miei Occhi- BMG Ricordi
• 2002 Dr. Zhivago – BMG Ricordi
• 2003 La Scala Concert 03.03.03 – BMG Ricordi
• 2003 Le parole di mio padre – BMG Ricordi
• 2003 Diario Mali (with Ballaké Sissoko) – Ponderosa IRD
• 2004 Echoes: The Einaudi Collection
• 2004 Una Mattina – Ponderosa Music and Art/Decca/Sony Classical
• 2006 Divenire – Ponderosa Music and Art/Decca
• 2009 Cloudland^[3] – Ponderosa Music and Art
• 2009 Nightbook – Ponderosa Music and Art/Decca
• 2010 The Royal Albert Hall Concert – Ponderosa Music and Art
• 2011 Islands: Essential Einaudi – Decca (UMO)

Film and television scores[link]

• 1988: Treno di panna (Director: Andrea De Carlo)
• 1994: Da qualche parte in città (Director: Michele Sordillo)
• 1996: Acquario (Director: Michele Sordillo)
• 1998: Aprile (Director: Nanni Moretti)
• 1998: Giorni dispari (Director: Dominick Tambasco)
• 1999: Fuori dal mondo (Director: Giuseppe Piccioni)
• 2000: La vita altrui (Director: Michele Sordillo)
• 2000: Un delitto impossibile (Director: Antonio Luigi Grimaldi)
• 2001: Le parole di mio padre (Director: Francesca Comencini)
• 2001: Alexandria (Director: Maria Iliou)
• 2002: Luce dei miei occhi (Director: Giuseppe Piccioni) – Italian music award for best film score
• 2002: Doctor Zhivago (TV mini-series, Director: Giacomo Campiotti)
• 2004: Sotto falso nome (Director: Roberto Andò) – Prize for the best film music at Avignon Film Festival 2004
• 2004: Mission: Saturn
• 2006: This Is England (Director: Shane Meadows)^[4]
• 2010: This Is England '86 (Director: Shane Meadows)^[4]
• 2010: Stargate Universe – Pathogen
• 2010: Sangandaan – Landas ng Buhay
• 2010: I'm Still Here (Director: Casey Affleck)
• 2010: Das Ende ist mein Anfang - German film
• 2010: Black Swan (Director: Darren Aronofosky) (Trailer)
• 2011: Elena - Mysterio ng Kahapon
• 2011: BBC - background music to minute of silence for recent racing deaths before Formula 1 Airtel Grand Prix of India (October 30)

• 2011: This Is England '88 (Director: Shane Meadows)^[5]
• 2011: Intouchables - (Director: Olivier Nakache & Eric Toledano)
• 2012: J. Edgar - (Director: Clint Eastwood)
• 2012: Derek (Pilot episode) - (Director: Ricky Gervais)
• 2012: Proctor and Gamble commercial for the Olympics 2012

Numerous episodes of the BBC's Top Gear

• Year of creation unknown: National Basketball Association (NBA) of America, Where Will Amazing Happen This Year (Magic Johnson Sky Hook)^[6]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• The Independent review Album: Ludovico Einaudi, Nightbook (Decca) (16 October 2009), accessed 19 February 2010
• Voce di Italia review of Ludovico Einaudi – The Nightbook Tour by Daniele Orlandi (13 February 2010), accessed 19 February 2010 (Italian)
• Romagna Noi review Ravenna – Ludovico Einaudi all'Alighieri by Daniele Orlandi (8 February 2010), accessed 19 February 2010 (Italian)

External links[link]

• Composer's website
• Chester Novello biographical page
• Ludovico Einaudi at the Internet Movie Database
• Ponderosa biographical page, accessed 19 February 2010
• (Italian) A brief critical essay on Ludovico Einaudi
• History and Mystery: The piano spheres of Ludovico Einaudi, Bluefat interview

Robbie Williams
Williams performing as part of the Progress Live tour in May 2011
Background information
Birth name	Robert Peter Williams
Born	(1974-02-13) 13 February 1974 (age 38) Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England
Genres	Pop rock, soft rock, dance
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician, vocal coach, record producer, actor
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, synthesiser, drums, piano, violin, harmonica, marimba
Years active	1990–present
Labels	Universal (2011–present) Virgin (2009–2010) Chrysalis (1996-2008)
Associated acts	Take That
Website	robbiewilliams.com

Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams^[1] (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That.

Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams left the group in 1995 to launch his solo career. On 15 July 2010, it was announced he had rejoined Take That and that the group intended to release a new album in November 2010^[2][3] which became the second fastest-selling album of all-time in UK chart history^[4] and the fastest-selling record of the century.^[5]

Williams has sold over 70 million records worldwide, which ranks him among the best-selling music artists worldwide.^[6] He is the best-selling British solo artist in the United Kingdom and the best selling non-Latino artist in Latin America. Six of his albums are among the top 100 biggest-selling albums in the United Kingdom. He has also been honoured with seventeen BRIT Awards—more than any other artist—and seven ECHO Awards. In 2004, he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame after being voted as the "Greatest Artist of the 1990s."

Life and career[link]

1974–89: Early life[link]

Williams was born to Peter and Janet Williams in Stoke-on-Trent on 13 February 1974. His parents ran a pub called the Red Lion in the town of Burslem, before his father became the licensee at the Port Vale F.C. Social Club - this led to Williams' lifelong affinity for the team.^[7] Williams attended Mill Hill Primary School in Stoke-on-Trent^[8] then St Margaret Ward Roman Catholic School in Tunstall,^[9] and also attended dance school UKDDF in Tunstall.^{[citation needed]} He participated in several school plays, and his biggest role was that of the Artful Dodger in a production of Oliver!.

1990–95: Take That[link]

In 1990, the sixteen year old Williams was the youngest member to join Take That. According to the documentary Take That: For the Record, his mother read an advertisement seeking members for a new boy band and suggested that he try out for the group. He met fellow member Mark Owen on the day of his audition/interview with Nigel Martin-Smith. During the heights of the band's popularity, Williams was known as the extrovert and practical joker of the band. Although the majority of the band's material was written and performed by Gary Barlow, Williams did perform lead vocals on their first Top Ten hit "Could It Be Magic", "I Found Heaven", and "Everything Changes". However, he had conflicts with Martin-Smith over the restrictive rules for Take That members, and he began drinking more alcohol and dabbling in cocaine.

In July 1995, Williams's drug abuse had escalated to the point of his having a near drug overdose the night before the group was scheduled to perform at the MTV Europe Music Awards. According to the documentary For the Record, he stated that he was unhappy with his musical ideas not being taken seriously by lead singer Barlow and Nigel Martin-Smith, because his desire to explore hip hop and rap conflicted with the band's usual ballads. Barlow explained in interviews that Williams had given up trying to offer creative input and merely did as he was told. As well as Williams's friction with the management of the band, Jason Orange had problems with his increasingly belligerent behaviour, his lack of interest in performing, and his frequent habit of missing the band's rehearsals.

Both Orange and Barlow confronted Martin-Smith about the internal conflict, because they did not want him dropping out while touring and before any possible future touring of America, which never took place. During one of the last rehearsals before the tour commenced, the group confronted Williams about his attitude and stated they wanted to do the tour without him. He agreed to quit the band and left; it would be the last time for twelve years that they were all together. Despite the departure of Williams, Take That completed their Nobody Else Tour as a four-piece band. They later disbanded on 13 February 1996, Williams's 22nd birthday.

Shortly afterwards, Williams was photographed by the press partying with the members of Oasis at Glastonbury Festival. Following his departure, he became the subject of talk shows and newspapers as he acknowledged his plans to become a solo singer, and he was spotted partying with George Michael in France. However, a clause in his Take That contract prohibited him from releasing any material until after the group was officially dissolved, and he was later sued by Martin-Smith and forced to pay $200,000 in commission. After various legal battles over his right to a solo career, Williams was victorious in getting released from his contract with BMG. On 27 June 1996, Williams formally announced that he had signed with Chrysalis Records.

[edit] 1996–98: Life Thru a Lens and I've Been Expecting You

After leaving Take That, Williams launched his solo career starting off in 1996 by covering George Michael's "Freedom", the single reached number two in the UK Singles Chart.^[10]

Recordings for Williams's first album began at London's Maison Rouge studios in March 1996. Shortly after his introduction to Guy Chambers, Williams released "Old Before I Die" which would be the first single taken from his début album. The single reached number two on the UK Charts;^[10] however, it was largely ignored on international charts.

His debut album, Life Thru a Lens, was released in September 1997. The album launched with his first live solo gig at the Élysée Montmartre theatre in Paris, France. The album debuted at number eleven of the UK Album Charts.

Williams released what would be the fourth single taken from his album. "Angels" became Williams' best-seller in the United Kingdom.^[11] The song, apart from becoming a hit around Europe and Latin America, caused sales of his album to skyrocket. The album remained inside the British top ten for forty weeks and spent 218 weeks there altogether, making it the 58th best selling album in UK history with sales of over 2.4 million.^[12] The album eventually managed to sell over three million copies in Europe.^[13]

Williams and Chambers started writing the second album in Jamaica in early 1998. The first single, "Millennium", became Williams' first solo number one single in the United Kingdom.^[14] It also became a top twenty hit in many European countries, Latin America and Australia.^[15]

When the album I've Been Expecting You was released in late October 1998, it débuted at number one in the UK Albums Chart.^[14] The album received more attention outside the United Kingdom, leaving its mark in the European and Latin American markets with hits such as "No Regrets", a collaboration with The Pet Shop Boys' singer Neil Tennant and The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon.

A cover of a track from World Party's album, Egyptology, became Williams' second number one hit in the UK.^[14] Williams finished the year with a European Tour late in 1999.

The album I've Been Expecting You sold almost 3 million copies in the UK and was certified 10x Platinum by the BPI.^[16] In Europe, the album sold over 4 million copies.^[17]

[edit] 1999–2001: Sing When You're Winning and Swing When You're Winning

In 1999, Williams was signed to Capitol Records in the United States, a part of EMI. He embarked on a US promotional tour and released his first U.S. and Canadian single, "Millennium". The album The Ego Has Landed was released in July 1999 in the United States and Canada.

Williams in London in 2000, gesturing to a paparazzo photographer.

In the middle of promotion and the tours in 1999, Williams began work on his third studio album. This time he had finally found his inner confidence.^[18]

The first single taken from the album was "Rock DJ", a song inspired by Williams's UNICEF mentor, the late Ian Dury. The video showed Williams in an attempt to get noticed by a group of females, first stripping and then tearing chunks of skin and muscle from his body, and caused controversy in the United Kingdom and many other countries. The video was edited by Top of the Pops for its graphic content and many other channels followed suit.^[19] The song became an instant hit, reaching number one in the UK (becoming his third number one single as a solo artist) and New Zealand. The song went on to win "Best Song of 2000" at the MTV Europe Music Awards, "Best Single of the Year" at the BRIT Awards and an MTV Video Music Award for Best Special Effects.

When the album, Sing When You're Winning was released in August 2000, it topped the charts in many different countries.^[20] In the UK the album was certified 2x Platinum on its first week of release.^[21]

After the success of his third album, Williams wanted to take another musical direction. He took two weeks off from his tour to record what would be his fourth studio album, a big band album.^[22] Born from his life-long love for Frank Sinatra – combined with the success of the track "Have You Met Miss Jones?" that he recorded for the film Bridget Jones' Diary in early 2001 – the album was recorded at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles.

Williams took the chance to duet with his long-time friend Jonathan Wilkes, Little Voice star Jane Horrocks, Saturday Night Live star Jon Lovitz, Rupert Everett and actress Nicole Kidman. The first single released from the album was a duet with Kidman, on "Somethin' Stupid". Originally a hit for Frank and Nancy Sinatra, the song became Williams' fifth number one hit in the UK.^[23] It eventually went on to become one of the biggest hits of 2001.^[24]

When the album Swing When You're Winning (in reference to his 2000 studio album Sing When You're Winning) was released in late 2001, it became an instant hit in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Austria, Germany and Switzerland.^[25]

"Beyond the Sea" was featured over the credits of the film Finding Nemo in 2003 and was also released on the film's soundtrack CD.

A DVD called Robbie Williams Live at the Albert Hall was released in December of that year. So far, it has become one of the best selling music DVDs in Europe, being certified 6x Platinum in the United Kingdom^[26] and 2x Platinum in Germany.^[27]

[edit] 2002–05: Escapology and Intensive Care

In 2002, Williams signed a record-breaking £80 million contract with EMI.^[28] The contract included a number of provisos, including the label ceding greater creative control to the artist and a commitment to breaking Williams into the US market. So far it is the biggest music deal in British history. The deal was brokered by Ingenious Media, a leading UK corporate finance advisory business.^[29]

Williams began working on what would be his fifth studio album, spending a year in the recording studio. The album heralded a new era for Williams. He had taken a more active role in the making of this album, giving an indication of his growing confidence in the studio. "One Fine Day", "Nan's Song", and "Come Undone" were the first songs that Williams wrote without the input of Guy Chambers. Most of the songs were recorded in Los Angeles.^[29]

The album's first single, "Feel", written by Williams and Chambers, was recorded as a demo. When they started working on the album and were trying to re-record the vocals, Williams felt unsatisfied with it, so he decided to include the demo version and then release it as the first single.^[30] When the single was released in late 2002, it became Williams' biggest international hit, going number one in countries like The Netherlands and Italy, as well as reaching the top ten in almost every single European country.^[31]

When Williams' fifth studio album, Escapology, was released in late 2002, it hit number one in at least 10 countries around the world. In the United States, however, it failed to make such an impact.

Due to the controversial video for the album's second single, "Come Undone", it was heavily censored by MTV Networks Europe for depicting a debauched (but fully clothed) Williams having three-way sex with two women. The video was about some young people having a party and it showed footage of fights, drug taking and alcohol abuse. It also showed unsettling images of insects and reptiles. The uncensored version of the video was released on DVD single in Europe and was also included on the Enhanced CD Single.^[32] BBC Radio 2 also banned the song for its explicit content.^[33] At that time, it was confirmed that Williams and Guy Chambers were to officially split up.^[32]

Escapology sold almost 2 million copies by the end of 2003 in the United Kingdom.^[34]

In October 2003, Williams released his first live album, Live at Knebworth.

In October 2004, Williams released, Greatest Hits, a retrospective of his career, and also, to reveal the new tracks he had been working on with the then-new collaborator, Stephen Duffy.^[35] "Radio", the compilation's first single, debuted at number one in the UK Singles Chart^[14] (becoming Williams' sixth number-one hit). When the compilation was later released it debuted at number one in the UK^[14] and was the best selling album of the year in the UK^[36] and Europe.^[37]

Eight years after the release of "Angels", in February 2005 the British public voted it as the "Best Single of the Past Twenty-Five Years" at the 2005 BRIT Awards.^[38]

After touring Latin America in late 2004 for the promotion Greatest Hits, Williams started working on his sixth studio album. Recorded at his house in the Hollywood Hills, the album was co-written by Stephen Duffy over the course of 24 months.^[39]

The track "Ghosts" was inspired by the Human League's "Louise", about a man who breaks off a relationship with his partner and realises he still has strong feelings for her.^[39]

The album Intensive Care was launched in Berlin on 9 October. It became a smash hit around the world.

In November 2005, Williams took home the MTV Europe Music Award for 'Best Male', but also, entered in The Guinness Book of World Records when he announced his World Tour for 2006, selling 1.6 million tickets in one single day.^[40] But after the success, Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Jason Orange, and Howard Donald had agreed to reunite in Notting Hill, west London, for a preview screening of a documentary about Take That. The documentary screened on ITV1 on 16 November 2005. Unfortunately, according to a source quoted by The Sunday Mirror, "Robbie announced he wasn't coming. The rest of the band were gutted but felt the show had to go on."^[41]

Williams kicked off his Close Encounters World Tour in South Africa in April 2006, when he finished his European leg of the tour. 2.5 million people had seen the show,^[42] and after touring Latin America and Australia the numbers went up to 3 million.

[edit] 2006–09: Rudebox and Reality Killed the Video Star

Robbie Williams in concert in Hamburg, Germany in 2006

Williams released his much anticipated dance/electro album, Rudebox, on 23 October 2006. It featured collaborations with the Pet Shop Boys, William Orbit, Soul Mekanik, Joey Negro, Mark Ronson, Chris Grierson, The Orr Boys. It received mixed reviews: Allmusic gave it a four star rating, the NME 8 out of 10, and Music Week and MOJO were equally positive,^[43] but it received much weaker reviews from some of the British press.

The first single, "Rudebox", was premièred on radio by Scott Mills on his show on BBC Radio 1. The event caused some controversy, as the record label's embargo date was broken, although Williams himself later backed the presenter for doing so. More controversy followed due to the first single's radical change of direction when compared to his older releases. British newspaper The Sun named the song "The Worst Song Ever".^[44] However, Victoria Newton stated that there were sure-fire hits on the album.^[45]

Robbie Williams at a concert in Vienna, Austria in 2006.

The album sold 2x Platinum in Europe with sales of over 2 million making it the fastest platinum-selling album of 2006.^[46] The album finished at number eighteen in the list of 2006's best selling albums worldwide. Neil Tennant claimed the album had sold 4.5 million copies by early 2007.^[47]

To promote his album, Williams commissioned a series of short films.^[48] Goodbye to the Normals was directed by Jim Field Smith and features "Burslem Normals" by Robbie Williams.

On 4 October 2007, Williams made a guest appearance at Mark Ronson's concert in Los Angeles, performing The Charlatans' "The Only One I Know", which features on Ronson's album Version.

Rumours of a new studio album co-written with Guy Chambers surfaced in early 2007, along with known commitments required by Williams to his EMI contract. British singer-songwriter Laura Critchley commented that she had sung vocals for three songs, and said that it would not be released until 2009.^[49]

On 16 January 2008 UK tabloid The Sun announced that Williams had been working on some songs with The Blockheads member Chaz Jankel. The article went on to state that the reunion with Chambers hadn't worked out and that the material that Williams is working on with Jankel will form the basis of his next studio album.^[50] However, although it had been confirmed on the Blockheads' official site that Jankel was writing with Williams, the rumour that Chambers was no longer working with him was not official. In late August 2008, Williams' friend Callum Blue commented that he was still working on the album.^[51]

Williams performing at ARIA Music Awards of 2009 in Sydney, Australia.

In February 2009, it was confirmed that Williams had written material with Guy Chambers and Mark Ronson. A spokesman said that Williams was planning to begin the recording sessions in March and that the new album would be released in late 2009. This will probably be the last Williams album released by EMI.^[52] On his official website, Williams confirmed that he was working with producer Trevor Horn on his new album, which would eventually be titled Reality Killed the Video Star,^[53] a reference to the song "Video Killed the Radio Star" by Horn's former band The Buggles. The album was released on 9 November 2009 in the United Kingdom.^[54]

On 11 October 2009 Williams published a 12-track compilation album, titled Songbook, as a free CD for the newspaper The Mail on Sunday. The CD is a one-off album of some of his biggest hits - including several rare live performances.^[55] That same evening, Williams made his "comeback" on The X Factor results show, performing his new single "Bodies" for the first time live.^[56]

On 20 October 2009 Williams opened the BBC Electric Proms at the London RoundHouse.^[57] It was his first live concert for 3 years^[58] and was broadcast across 200 cinemas worldwide.^[59] Accompanied by a string section, horn section, full band and producer Trevor Horn, Williams performed several new tracks from Reality Killed the Video Star and older tracks.

Reality Killed the Video Star was previewed in the UK on the Spotify music streaming service on 6 November 2009, and official released on 9 November.^[60] In a high profile chart battle, Williams' album was pitted against X Factor 2008 runners-up JLS who released their debut album the same day. JLS beat Williams to the number one spot by 1500 sales. The album was also released in the United States (Williams' first album to be released there since 2002's Escapology).

In late November 2009, Williams traveled to Australia to perform at the ARIA Music Awards of 2009.

[edit] 2010–2011: In and Out of Consciousness and reunion with Take That

In October 2010 Williams released his second greatest hits album, In and Out of Consciousness: The Greatest Hits 1990–2010, to celebrate 20 years as a performing artist.^[61] A single, "Shame", was also released, which was written and sung by Williams and Barlow.^[61]

On 15 July 2010, Williams announced he was returning to Take That. A joint statement between Williams and the group said "The rumours are true... Take That: the original lineup, have written and recorded a new album, to be called, Progress for release later this year," read the band's statement. "Following months of speculation Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams confirmed they have been recording a new studio album as a five-piece, which they will release in November."^[62]

On 26 August 2010, it was announced Williams would become a guest vocal coach on the ninth series of German reality television show Popstars: Girls forever to teach candidates for a girl group.^[63]

On 20 September 2010, Williams released his second book called "You Know Me" in collaboration with Chris Heath. The book features a collection of photographs of Williams from the past 20 years of his career and discussion of them by Williams as transcribed by Heath.^[64]

In October, Media Control named Williams the most successful album-artist of the millennium due to the fact that he had spent No. 1 on the German Albums Chart for 38 weeks since 2000. He also reached that chart's Top Ten 135 times.^[65]

2011-present: Move to Universal and ninth studio album[link]

In June 2011 Robbie Williams revealed that he has been working with Gary Barlow on a new solo album, that will be produced by Barlow.^[66] Williams confirmed on his official site that he will be doing a new duet.^{[67][citation needed]}

Williams launched a radio show titled Radio Rudebox on 6 October 2011 where he played music and interviewed Gary Barlow.^[68]

On 21 October 2011 Williams announced that he had signed with Universal Music, following his departure from his previous record label EMI in 2010. He said in a statement, "I'm really thrilled to be joining the Universal family at what I think is the most exciting time in my career." The singer's forthcoming ninth studio album is set to be released during the autumn of 2012.^[69]

Other projects[link]

Reunion of Take That[link]

Williams announced in December 2008 that he was planning to relocate to the UK prior to releasing his eighth studio album in late-2009, and a possible reunion with Take That. Photos also showed Williams with his new tattoo of the Take That logo on his right arm, in tribute to his former bandmates.^[70] Williams bought a £7 million home in the village of Compton Bassett, Wiltshire.

On 27 March 2009, Williams stated he felt ready to re-join Take That. He said: "I'm in regular contact with them, even Gaz, and it's looking more likely by the week. The lads all seem up for it and some people think it's a done deal. I think it would be fun."^[71] Williams was eager to re-join the band on their The Circus Live tour, but these plans never materialised. In September 2009, Williams was reported to be working in New York with Take That, however these rumours were never confirmed.^[72]

While it was rumoured that Williams would reunite with Take That on 12 November 2009 for a Children In Need charity concert at The Royal Albert Hall, they merely greeted each other warmly on stage between performances. However, both did join with the other acts in the final song of the evening, with Williams putting his arm around Gary Barlow and singing "Hey Jude". Williams subsequently implied in an interview that a proper reunion was still a distinct possibility. On 15 February 2010, The Sun printed an interview with Williams, stating that he and Take That had been sighted going to an Los Angeles studio together.^[73]

It was announced on 15 July that Williams had rejoined Take That. In November 2010 the Take That album Progress was released, becoming the fastest selling album since 2000 and the second fastest selling album in UK history. Williams explained that the long-standing friction between himself and Gary has been resolved, and how close they now were.^[74]

The band also announced the Progress Live tour which would travel across the UK, including a record breaking 8 nights at Wembley Stadium in London,^[75] then continue across Europe. The tour was the fastest selling in UK history with ticket hotlines and websites crashing under the demand.^[75]

Collaborations[link]

One of his most famous collaborations was on the song "Kids", a duet with Australian pop star Kylie Minogue. The single peaked at number 2 on the UK singles charts in 2000. Williams also collaborated with Australian film star Nicole Kidman on a cover of Frank and Nancy Sinatra's "Somethin' Stupid". The single reached number 1 on the UK singles chart in 2001. His single "No Regrets" featured Neil Tennant, and Neil Hannon on backing vocals.

In 2002, Williams appeared on the track "My Culture" on the 1 Giant Leap album, alongside rapper Maxi Jazz (which features lyrics from the hidden track "Hello Sir" from Life Thru a Lens). Williams also features on a double CD titled Concrete which was released on the same day as Rudebox. The CD features a concert recorded for the BBC featuring the Pet Shop Boys and Williams singing their classic hit "Jealousy". Their joint effort, "She's Madonna", was released as a single in March 2007. On 13 August 2007, a Dean Martin duets album was released, on which Williams sings "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone". Most recently it was announced that Williams has recorded what is going to be Mexican singer Thalía's first single from her upcoming English-language album.

In 2010 he announced that he was to release "Shame", a duet with Take That lead singer songwriter Gary Barlow as the first single from his greatest hits collection In and Out of Consciousness: The Greatest Hits 1990–2010 which was certified silver in the UK and charted in 19 countries worldwide.

Video game[link]

Williams features in his own karaoke video game, We Sing Robbie Williams which was released on 12 November 2010 by Nordic Games.

Achievements[link]

It has been claimed that Williams has sold more albums in the UK than any other British solo artist in history and has won more BRIT Awards than any other artist to date.^[76] His album sales stands at over 57 million worldwide.^[77][78][79] Williams was entered in The Guinness Book of World Records when, after he announced his World Tour for 2006, 1.6 million tickets were sold in one single day.^[80]