Víkingur Ólafsson: A portrait of the Icelandic pianist

Víkingur Ólafsson has been called the new superstar of classical piano by the British Daily Telegraph, and even “Iceland’s Glenn Gould” by the New York Times. With his idiosyncratic interpretations of the classical piano repertoire, Víkingur, who was born in Iceland in 1984, not only delights dyed-in-the-wood classical music fans but also captivates a wider audience. And he stands out with the quiet tones more than anything else. His new album “From Afar” is almost meditative and reminds the listener of the magnificent expanses of the Icelandic landscape.

This portrait is a snapshot in the career of the extraordinary pianist. Through interviews and musical excerpts, it tells us how Víkingur interprets the works of well-known composers in new ways, giving each piece an almost “Icelandic” tone. This creates the impression that we are on a journey through Iceland ourselves.

At a glance:
(00:00) Bach: Adagio from Violin Sonata No. 3 in C major, BWV 1005 (music excerpt)
(01:09) Víkingur on Bach’s Violin Sonata No. 3
(01:39) Bach: Adagio from Violin Sonata No. 3 in C major, BWV 1005 (music excerpt)
(02:30) Víkingur on interpretive art
(03:14) Bach: Prelude No. 10 in B minor, BWV 855 (Videoclip excerpt)
(03:35) Víkingur on Bach’s Prelude in B minor and his video clip in an Icelandic fish factory
(04:54) Víkingur on how he interprets classical music
(05:42) Béla Bartók: Three Hungarian Folk Songs from Csík, I. Rubato (music excerpt)
(06:08) Víkingur on Bartók and folk songs
(07:35) Béla Bartók: Three Hungarian Folk Songs from Csík, I. Rubato (music excerpt)
(08:04) Víkingur talks about an Icelandic folk song
(08:30) Snorri Sigfùs Birgisson: Where Life and Death May Dwell (music excerpt)
(08:46) Víkingur talks about a collection of Icelandic folk songs
(09:29) Víkingur on his new Album “From Afar”
(09:54) György Kartág: Harmonica (music excerpt)
(10:16) Víkingur on his love of the piano
(10:59) Mozart: Laudate Dominum from Vesperae solennes de confessore (music excerpt)
(11:34) Víkingur talks about how he discovered music and the piano
(12:36) Debussy: La fille aux cheveux de lin (music excerpt)
(13:17) Víkingur on how his career has developed slowly
(13:46) Philip Glass: Etude for Piano No. 14 (music excerpt)
(14:14) Víkingur on Vladimir Ashkenazy as a mentor
(14:48) Philip Glass: Etude for Piano No. 14 (music excerpt)
(15:11) Víkingur on how Iceland inspires him
(15:38) Philip Glass: Etude for Piano No. 14 (music excerpt)

© Deutsche Welle 2023

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