Víkingur Ólafsson Continues His Journey Through the Music of Johann Sebastian Bach

As he continues his epic tour of J.S. Bach’s equally epic Goldberg Variations, Víkingur Ólafsson announces the release of a series of six new Bach singles. Recorded at Reykjavík’s Harpa concert hall in January, the tracks feature piano arrangements of sacred pieces by Bach, four of which have been realised by Ólafsson himself. All six of these gem-like recordings reveal, once again, the pianist’s profound affinity with the composer’s music.

The first single, presenting Ólafsson’s arrangement of the bass aria “Es ist vollbracht” from the Cantata, BWV 159 will be issued digitally on 5 April 2024. An EP including all six works will be released by Deutsche Grammophon digitally and on vinyl on 18 October.

Víkingur Ólafsson has learned much about Bach’s music through the process of analysing both vocal and instrumental scores in order to transcribe them for the piano. Having included one cantata arrangement on his award-winning Johann Sebastian Bach album, he has now prepared four more for this series. As well as “Es ist vollbracht”, he has arranged the choruses “Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis” from BWV 21 (out on 17 May) and “Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen” from BWV 12 (21 June) and “Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich” from BWV 150 (19 July).

The pianist has also recorded two arrangements by other composers. A four-hands version of the chorale prelude Das alte Jahr vergangen ist, BWV 614, arranged by the legendary Hungarian composer György Kurtág, is set for release on 20 September. Ólafsson performs the work with his wife, Halla Oddný Magnúsdottir, who also appeared on From Afar. Whereas his reading of the sacred song Komm, süßer Tod, BWV 478, arranged by Harold Bauer (1873–1951) will be issued on 18 October, alongside the EP.

Now approaching the home straight of his six-continent, season-long Goldberg Variations tour, Ólafsson is continuing to earn huge audience ovations and critical acclaim wherever he goes. Recent highlights include his Carnegie Hall and Australian debuts. The remaining dates take him to Zürich, Montevideo, São Paulo, Los Angeles, Costa Mesa, Berkeley, Seattle, Dortmund, Abu Dhabi, Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kaohsiung, Hamburg and, finally, Schloss Elmau in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which is where the 90‑date epic tour began in August 2023.

“To say this recital … was wonderful, even miraculous, is to undersell it. To only be able to give it five stars seems paltry … Ólafsson managed to find colours that we never knew were there”

Limelight, reviewing Ólafsson’s Sydney Opera House Goldberg Variations recital (18 March 2024)

Ólafsson’s Goldberg Variations recording was released last October to unanimous critical acclaim. Chosen as a “best of 2023” album by The New York Times, The Boston Globe, the Financial Times and The Guardian, it achieved extraordinary international chart and streaming success. It also helped to increase his audience on social media and led to his becoming the most streamed living Bach pianist of 2023.

Víkingur Ólafsson is one of the most sought-after artists on the global stage today. His multiple awards include OPUS KLASSIK Instrumentalist of the Year (2023), OPUS KLASSIK Solo Recording Instrumental (twice), CoScan’s International Nordic Person of the Year (2023) and the Rolf Schock Prize for Music (2022). His DG recordings – Philip Glass Piano Works (2017), Johann Sebastian Bach (2018), Debussy · Rameau (2020), Mozart & Contemporaries (2021), From Afar (2022) and Bach · Goldberg Variations (2023) – have captured the public and critical imagination and led to career streams so far of almost one billion.