Einaudi vs Einaudi: ‘The Summer Portraits’

The hugely successful ‘The Summer Portraits’ album by composer and pianist Ludovico Einaudi has been given a makeover by the great man’s son, Leo.

This is not the first such collaboration, but it brings a delicate and refreshing spin to the collection of eight tracks.

All of this is alongside the announcement of a series of concerts in 2026 that will feature the pianist in different settings. Following a record-breaking and stunning run of concerts at London’s Royal Albert Hall earlier in 2025 (you can read my review here), he has just confirmed his biggest ever UK performance, at The O2, London on Friday 10 July 2026 with his full band. There will also be an appearance at that event of organist Anna Lapwood MBE.

With the remix of The Summer Portraits, Einaudi v Einaudi is anything but a battle. It is a refreshing of the original tracks, which the composer described as the result of a cascade of personal memories triggered by sun, summer and family holidays.

The son’s reinterpretations of the father’s creations are a homage. There is no attempt to improve, but rather to adapt them to a different style. 

Consider In Memory of a Dream: Leo’s version is a recognisable, electronic version of the original: just as jazz musicians regularly take standards and tunes and make them their own. It doesn’t help to (as I tried) play sections of the original and compare to the newer iteration. Each track is looked at by a different musician, and there’s something quite marvellous about them.

Ludovico explains, “For several years now, I have been engaged in a musical exchange with Leo, collaborating on various projects, films, and more. There has always been a strong understanding between us, and in addition to having a musical sensibility very close to mine, Leo possesses an artistic sensitivity that I perceive as deeply personal. This is why ‘Einaudi vs Einaudi’ offers a renewed perspective on my original versions, bringing a fresh interpretation to the pieces while preserving their spirit.”

Leo adds, “From the outset of our musical connection, working with my father has always been marked by a deep sense of complicity and a true symbiosis of ideas. What has always amazed me is how natural our collaboration felt. Reimagining his songs happened with that same ease — it became a journey of constant discovery through the endless details at the heart of his music. It allowed me to see new sides of it, to let those elements enter my own imagination, and to shape them into a new form — one that respects their essence while giving them a new life.”