Johann Sebastian Bach / Vikingur Olafsson

VÍKINGUR OLAFSSON

Víkingur Ólafsson, referred to as ‘Iceland’s Glenn Gould’, plays Bach - a collection of both well-known and rarely performed pieces by the famous Baroque composer, including reworks by Bach of pieces from Vivaldi and Busoni as well as Ólafsson’s own transcriptions of Bach chorales. Free spirit Víkingur Ólafsson has stated “It would all mean nothing without Bach, If Philip Glass’s music is minimal, then Bach’s is maximal!” Having studied his music intensively, he here casts new light on some of the composer’s many different faces. Excerpts from the Well-Tempered Clavier such as the Prelude and Fugue in E minor, BWV 855 or contrapuntal gems such as the Sinfonia No. 15 in B minor, BWV 801 showcase him as, in Ólafsson’s words, “the master of the short story”, while the larger-scale but playful Aria variata, BWV 989 forms the structural heart of the album. The original works are juxtaposed with colourful contributions from other composers, including Rachmaninov’s arrangement of the Gavotte from the Partita No. 3 for Violin in E major, BWV 1006; Busoni’s transcription of the chorale “Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ”; and Ólafsson’s own mesmerising transcription of the first aria from the solo cantata for alto “Widerstehe doch der Sünde”. As his Glass album demonstrated, the pianist is an intelligent and innovative sculptor of sound, an artist who defies conventional categorisation and is redefining classical music. On Bach, the 34-year-old’s lean but immensely expressive playing captivates listeners, his eloquence and the sensuous delight he takes in experimentation holding them spellbound. “Everything is there in Johann Sebastian’s music: architectural perfection and profound emotion,” says Ólafsson. In his hands, the universe that is Bach shines with new light. Víkingur Ólafsson’s upcoming season includes performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Esa-Pekka Salonen, a concert series with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra under Yan Pascal Tortelier, and his solo recital debuts at Vienna’s Konzerthaus and Hamburg’s newly inaugurated Elbphilharmonie. Stunning on so many levels, this recording is satisfying to the listener and to critics alike and is likely to garner many awards. This is a very special Recording.

Price: $18.98