Continuum
Continuum
"When I play Bach, I am reminded that historical eras in music are notions we superimpose on what is essentially a continuum: an unbroken thread linking us all, a running stream flowing through us – what the Germans, incidentally, call a Bach." Continuum is Víkingur Ólafsson's personal Bach diary, a dialog with Bach's music and an ongoing tribute to his artistry.
Goldberg Variations
Goldberg Variations
“At least to me, the Goldberg Variations’ genius lies not in the general, but the specific, as each variation unfolds, one must be wholly gripped by its individual drama and affect, drawn into its own marvellous little microcosm and filled with the joy of discovering it.”
From Afar
From Afar
"As in my previous albums, different threads connect various pieces. Many of the works come from my own musical past and indeed my childhood: Bach, Mozart, Schumann and Bartók, the love for whom my parents instilled in me from a very young age, and whose music I played extensively as a child."
Mozart & Contemporaries
Mozart & Contemporaries
Víkingur Ólafsson presents some of his favourite Mozart keyboard works in the company of pieces by a selection of the composer’s leading contemporaries. Juxtaposing works by Mozart, Haydn and C.P.E. Bach with rarely-recorded Galuppi and Cimarosa, Mozart & Contemporaries dispels the image of Mozart as the angelic and prodigious idiot savant, instead presenting a mature composer through music primarily dating from the 1780s: a resourceful, hard-working adult who had come to know adversity. All is artfully brought together by Ólafsson’s signature thought-provoking programming.
Reflections
Reflections
A brand new reworks album, staggered in various EP releases, including unreleased original compositions and reflections of previous compositions in new arrangements and re-interpretations by Vikingur, alongside artists such as Hania Rani, Balmorhea, Hugar and Helgi Jonsson.
Triad
Triad
This limited edition presents three outstanding albums by Víkingur Ólafsson in a box set including additional fan content and deluxe packaging. With three albums on Deutsche Grammophon so far Ólafsson is known as one of the most exciting pianists of today and widely acknowledged for his “individuality of spirit and intelligence of execution” (Limelight Magazine).
His albums from 2017, 2018 and 2020 comprise a broad scope of repertoire including Philip Glass, J. S. Bach, Claude Debussy and Jean-Philippe Rameau.
Debussy - Rameau
Debussy - Rameau
After the remarkable global success of his award-winning J.S. Bach recording, celebrated Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson returns with his third Deutsche Grammophon solo album, Debussy · Rameau. It juxtaposes pieces by two of the greatest French composers – both musical revolutionaries – exploring the contrasts and common ground between them. The innovative new recording follows Ólafsson’s extraordinary albums Philip Glass Piano Works and Johann Sebastian Bach.
J.S. Bach - Works & Reworks
J.S. Bach - Works & Reworks
In celebration of a triumphant 2019 award season, Víkingur Ólafsson presents a deluxe edition of his two Bach albums, combining his 2018 release, which documents the wellspring of Johann Sebastian Bach’s keyboard music, with reworks from today’s most innovative composers. Featuring Peter Gregson, Ben Frost, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Skúli Sverrisson and Valgeir Sigurðsson.
Bach Reworks / Part 1
The infinitely inspirational power of Bach’s music can be heard on Víkingur Ólafsson’s Bach Reworks, bringing together atmospheric reworkings of music by composers such as Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Ben Frost, Peter Gregson and Valgeir Sigurðsson – reimaginings that artfully defragment the creations of Bach. Bach Reworks / Part 1 is available for download and streaming. Both Part 1 and Part 2 together are available on vinyl.
Bach Reworks / Part 2
The infinitely inspirational power of Bach’s music can be heard on Víkingur Ólafsson’s Bach Reworks, bringing together atmospheric reworkings of music by composers such as Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Ben Frost, Peter Gregson and Valgeir Sigurðsson – reimaginings that artfully defragment the creations of Bach. Bach Reworks / Part 2 is available for download and streaming. Both Part 1 and Part 2 together are available on vinyl.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
“Bach is a free country” - Following on from his critically acclaimed recording of piano works by Philip Glass, Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson now offers listeners a very personal vision of Bach’s intricate keyboard music in all its rich variety. Featuring original works alongside inspired adaptations by composers including Rachmaninov, Busoni and Ólafsson himself.
Philip Glass: Piano Works
Philip Glass: Piano Works
Víkingur Ólafsson's debut release on Deutsche Grammophon features a selection of Philip Glass’s Piano Etudes. The pianist’s fascination with reinterpreting the Piano Etudes grew as he toured and performed the works with Glass himself. “On the surface, they seem to be filled with repetitions. But the more one plays and thinks about them, the more their narratives seem to travel along in a spiral,” he explains. “My approach to each of the etudes is to enable the listener to create his or her own personal space of reflection.
