Although Vikingur Ólafsson was the celebrated pianist and international drawcard touring the world’s major concert halls in 2023/24, his audience in Elisabeth Murdoch Hall was given a highly satisfying warm-up with a performance by Consortium, a beautiful (all-female) quintet of viols that set the stage for this exciting night of musical magic. The five viols – a prominently centred bass viol and 2 treble and 2 alto viols – played by elegant musicians were a rare visual and aural experience for many, so this was a very welcome musical treat. We were taken back in time with intimate and sensitively blended sounds of 16th and 17th century dances: sensuous, elegant pavans of John Dowland and Thomas Weelkes, and a lightly robust, lilting yet unhurried Galliard by Dowland. In William Lawes’ Fantazya a 5, the sweet softness in gently weaving contrapuntal lines was quite hypnotic. Christopher Tye’s In Nomine, “Round” was most uplifting in spirit as individual instrumental lines circled then blended seamlessly. More complex and sophisticated in design was the final work of this set, William Byrd’s Prelude and Ground, “The Queen’s Goodnight”. In clear sections of elegance and warmth, long instrumental phrases grew with increased dynamic activity and rhythmic dance steps. This was fine and fitting, atmospheric concert opener.
“Bach is my alpha and omega – more than any other composer – he reveals who you are as a performer”…“There is no such thing as repetition in music” (Ólafsson on his album of music by Bach, Rameau, Debussy and Glass for Deutsche Grammophon – Limelight 2020’s Recording of the Year)
Ólafsson’s tour follows his 2023 DG recording of Bach’s colossal keyboard work, Goldberg Variations: Aria – 30 Variations and closing Aria – as he performs the work 96 times around the world. The tour offers Ólafsson an extraordinary challenge to be truly submerged in a profound musical journey, experiencing this phenomenal work in different venues with different acoustics, on different keyboards, with different audiences and different listening attitudes. He has spoken before of what he has in common with the Vikings of his homeland, with those who travelled the world to give or take a message, as he too desires to give and take creative dialogue through his interpretations. He has shown an extraordinary dedication and exploration of the music of major composers, seeing them in a different light, and tonight truly proving his admirable achievement as an explorer and voyager.
At the Steinway piano, this tall, modest and thoughtful young man offered self-composure and physical calmness, with barely noticeable arm movement in performance. The vision couldn’t have been more different from our imagined portraits of the lives and journeys of Vikings and “great” composers.
Ólafsson turned the Steinway piano into a remarkably evocative communicator. We were overawed by the freshness, musical clarity, and the studied colouration of every single note. At times we heard a crystal clear modern freshness of a modern piano, at times we caught a veiled, nostalgic glimpse of a candle-lit forte-piano, just a hint of detached notes of a baroque keyboard, at times heavenly bells or a steely gleaming phrase, at times soft strings and mellow colours. Absolutely glorious was the range of tone colour given to different Variations, with the piano being an orchestra under his fingers and mellow string-like resonant walking bass lines appeared in warm middle voicings of dense chords. Most admirable was Olafsson’s personally intuitive and complex pedalling. Baroque ornamentation never dominated, but was beautifully placed and unhurried. The silence between each of the thirty variations was carefully timed, whether energy and drama was on the rise, or final notes held so, so long as we held our breath hearing every harmonic part of a sound rise in the air until there was nothing but pure silence.
The 26th Variation allowed Ólafsson a toccata-like freedom of expression and virtuosity, with the 29th variation showing his extraordinary ease with Bach’s notoriously awkward hand-crossings. Passionate and brilliant in descending runs and orchestral thematic enhancement, the pianist portrayed total ease and love for this music. Bach’s 25th Variation was deeply moving with its Chopin-like voice, soulful, sensitive and thoughtful, a place for deep reflection before the final movements. Ólaffson brought out the full orchestra for the final Variation 30, with bright and resplendent themes akin to a full ceremonial chorale setting. Holding us motionless then for a long pause we heard again the (Opening) Aria, double pianissimo, hushed and magical, each single note pedalled and resonating with rich tonal expression, giving a shadowy memory and reflection of where the work had begun.
Every person rose for a lengthy standing ovation, which was humbly received, with Ólafsson then returning to the stage with the Melbourne Recital Centre’s Director of Programming, Marshall McGuire, for a short post-concert talk with this inspiring pianist. His modest and fine address to the audience, sharing his enjoyment of Australia and his concert audiences should ensure a future sell-out tour.
Photo supplied.
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Julie McErlain reviewed “Víkingur Ólafsson + Consortium”, presented as part of the Melbourne Recital Centre’s Exquisite Classical Experiences series in the Elisabeth Murdoch Hall on March 25, 2024.
