It will not surprise fans of the probing, insightful pianist Víkingur Ólafsson that his newest project goes deep. Previously, he devoted an entire season of performances to Bach's Goldberg Variations--playing the cycle for 88 concerts in total, including at Cal Performances in May 2024--because, in his words, "I wanted to know how deeply I can dive into a composition and how many different facets I can discover in it." He won a Grammy Award this year for his sterling recording of that work.
Here, Ólafsson has designed a program exploring the first of Beethoven's great final piano sonata trilogy, Op. 109, in depth. He presents this masterpiece in the context of the composer's formal breakthrough in his earlier Op. 90 sonata and of Beethoven's ongoing fascination with the legacy of J.S. Bach. Beethoven's profound influence on his younger contemporary Schubert is still another thread of the program: the rarely performed Sonata in E minor, which Schubert wrote when he was only 20, shows his awareness of Beethoven's innovative two-movement Op. 90.
Ólafsson describes the recital as "a road to Opus 109.... Some of [the music] is very Classical. Much of it is progressive and Romantic, but the roots all lie in the Baroque period with Bach."
Program
BACH Prelude in E major from The Well Tempered Clavier, Book I
BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90
BACH Partita No. 6 in E minor
SCHUBERT Piano Sonata in E minor
BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109
~~~~~~~~~
The New York Times dubbed this deep-thinking pianist "Iceland's Glenn Gould" for his charismatic performance style, breathtaking energy, and intense focus. Vikingur Olafsson has recorded and performed everything from Bach and Mozart to Glass and Adams to enthusiastic audiences and reviews in Europe and the Americas.
One of the most sought-after artists of today, Olafsson's multiple awards include Gramophone magazine's 2019 Artist of the Year, Opus Klassik Solo Recording Instrumental (twice) and Album of the Year at the 2019 BBC Music Magazine Awards.
Olafsson continues to perform with the world's leading orchestras and as artist in residence at the top concert halls and festivals. He also works with some of today's greatest composers.
show less
Here, Ólafsson has designed a program exploring the first of Beethoven's great final piano sonata trilogy, Op. 109, in depth. He presents this masterpiece in the context of the composer's formal breakthrough in his earlier Op. 90 sonata and of Beethoven's ongoing fascination with the legacy of J.S. Bach. Beethoven's profound influence on his younger contemporary Schubert is still another thread of the program: the rarely performed Sonata in E minor, which Schubert wrote when he was only 20, shows his awareness of Beethoven's innovative two-movement Op. 90.
Ólafsson describes the recital as "a road to Opus 109.... Some of [the music] is very Classical. Much of it is progressive and Romantic, but the roots all lie in the Baroque period with Bach."
Program
BACH Prelude in E major from The Well Tempered Clavier, Book I
BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90
BACH Partita No. 6 in E minor
SCHUBERT Piano Sonata in E minor
BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109
~~~~~~~~~
The New York Times dubbed this deep-thinking pianist "Iceland's Glenn Gould" for his charismatic performance style, breathtaking energy, and intense focus. Vikingur Olafsson has recorded and performed everything from Bach and Mozart to Glass and Adams to enthusiastic audiences and reviews in Europe and the Americas.
One of the most sought-after artists of today, Olafsson's multiple awards include Gramophone magazine's 2019 Artist of the Year, Opus Klassik Solo Recording Instrumental (twice) and Album of the Year at the 2019 BBC Music Magazine Awards.
Olafsson continues to perform with the world's leading orchestras and as artist in residence at the top concert halls and festivals. He also works with some of today's greatest composers.
It will not surprise fans of the probing, insightful pianist Víkingur Ólafsson that his newest project goes deep. Previously, he devoted an entire season of performances to Bach's Goldberg Variations--playing the cycle for 88 concerts in total, including at Cal Performances in May 2024--because, in his words, "I wanted to know how deeply I can dive into a composition and how many different facets I can discover in it." He won a Grammy Award this year for his sterling recording of that work.
Here, Ólafsson has designed a program exploring the first of Beethoven's great final piano sonata trilogy, Op. 109, in depth. He presents this masterpiece in the context of the composer's formal breakthrough in his earlier Op. 90 sonata and of Beethoven's ongoing fascination with the legacy of J.S. Bach. Beethoven's profound influence on his younger contemporary Schubert is still another thread of the program: the rarely performed Sonata in E minor, which Schubert wrote when he was only 20, shows his awareness of Beethoven's innovative two-movement Op. 90.
Ólafsson describes the recital as "a road to Opus 109.... Some of [the music] is very Classical. Much of it is progressive and Romantic, but the roots all lie in the Baroque period with Bach."
Program
BACH Prelude in E major from The Well Tempered Clavier, Book I
BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90
BACH Partita No. 6 in E minor
SCHUBERT Piano Sonata in E minor
BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109
~~~~~~~~~
The New York Times dubbed this deep-thinking pianist "Iceland's Glenn Gould" for his charismatic performance style, breathtaking energy, and intense focus. Vikingur Olafsson has recorded and performed everything from Bach and Mozart to Glass and Adams to enthusiastic audiences and reviews in Europe and the Americas.
One of the most sought-after artists of today, Olafsson's multiple awards include Gramophone magazine's 2019 Artist of the Year, Opus Klassik Solo Recording Instrumental (twice) and Album of the Year at the 2019 BBC Music Magazine Awards.
Olafsson continues to perform with the world's leading orchestras and as artist in residence at the top concert halls and festivals. He also works with some of today's greatest composers.
read more
Here, Ólafsson has designed a program exploring the first of Beethoven's great final piano sonata trilogy, Op. 109, in depth. He presents this masterpiece in the context of the composer's formal breakthrough in his earlier Op. 90 sonata and of Beethoven's ongoing fascination with the legacy of J.S. Bach. Beethoven's profound influence on his younger contemporary Schubert is still another thread of the program: the rarely performed Sonata in E minor, which Schubert wrote when he was only 20, shows his awareness of Beethoven's innovative two-movement Op. 90.
Ólafsson describes the recital as "a road to Opus 109.... Some of [the music] is very Classical. Much of it is progressive and Romantic, but the roots all lie in the Baroque period with Bach."
Program
BACH Prelude in E major from The Well Tempered Clavier, Book I
BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90
BACH Partita No. 6 in E minor
SCHUBERT Piano Sonata in E minor
BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109
~~~~~~~~~
The New York Times dubbed this deep-thinking pianist "Iceland's Glenn Gould" for his charismatic performance style, breathtaking energy, and intense focus. Vikingur Olafsson has recorded and performed everything from Bach and Mozart to Glass and Adams to enthusiastic audiences and reviews in Europe and the Americas.
One of the most sought-after artists of today, Olafsson's multiple awards include Gramophone magazine's 2019 Artist of the Year, Opus Klassik Solo Recording Instrumental (twice) and Album of the Year at the 2019 BBC Music Magazine Awards.
Olafsson continues to perform with the world's leading orchestras and as artist in residence at the top concert halls and festivals. He also works with some of today's greatest composers.
show less
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