THE Goldberg Variations by the new star DG, appeared just three years after those of Lang Lang, a “mega-event” in the form of a sword in the water. Ólafsson is infinitely more interesting than Lang Lang, because he doesn’t ask himself questions of micromanagement by weighing every corner of every variation. The art and challenge of the Icelander is that of the orator: the 1D Variation It blows your mind so much (quickly) that you hang on to the speech and the journey waiting to see what else will surprise you. What we discover, especially at first, is an imperious and visceral gesture which attempts to rediscover the impulsiveness, both tripal and visionary, of Gould-1955. This is obviously not sustainable in the long term, since Ólafsson observes the recoveries. But the pianist follows a line: a game which does not simper on the touch (it is harpsichord transposed to the piano) and accentuates the contrasts. These are not the Goldberg the most metaphysical, but they keep you in suspense.
Click here to view an excerpt.
To watch on video