| Víkingur Ólafsson | Piano |
Ólafsson can make the most familiar music feel new – even music as familiar as Mozart’s C major Piano Sonata designated ‘for beginners’ (even if you don’t think you know it, you probably do).
For this recital focusing on Mozart and his contemporaries, the Icelandic pianist brings his unparalleled ear for colour and articulation to Mozart in every guise imaginable.
We hear from Mozart at his most sunny and optimistic (Rondo in D), at his most fragile and introspective (Adagio in B minor) and at his most quirky and unpredictable (Kleine Gigue), all punctuated by two great sonatas and Ólafsson’s own transcription of Mozart for choir and string quartet.
The recital programme features works by Mozart and a selection of his leading contemporaries, such as rarities from Cimarosa and Galuppi, as well as Ólafsson’s own haunting transcriptions.
Ólafsson’s ingenious programming dispels the image of Mozart as a naive child prodigy, instead presenting a darker and more ambiguous image, while still playful and inventive.
Ólafsson was named Gramophone Magazine’s Artist of the Year 2019.
Members' presale Tue 6 Jul, 10am