Ludwig van Beethoven; Johann Sebastian Bach; Franz Schubert - Opus 109 (Víkingur Ólafsson)

Information

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven; Johann Sebastian Bach; Franz Schubert

• Bach - The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I: Prelude No. 9 in E Major, BWV 854
• Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 27 in E Minor, Op. 90
• Bach - Partita No. 6 in E Minor, BWV 830
• Schubert - Piano Sonata No. 6 in E Minor, D. 566
• Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109
• Bach - French Suite No. 6 in E Major, BWV 817: III. Sarabande
• Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109: III. Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo (Edit)

Víkingur Ólafsson, piano

Date: 2025

Label: Deutsche Grammophon (DG)

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GRAMMY®-winning pianist Víkingur Ólafsson presents his new album Opus 109, centered on Beethoven’s late Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109. The program traces the lineage of this masterpiece, exploring connections with Bach—represented by three works including Partita No. 6—and Beethoven’s own Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90, which also influenced Schubert’s early Sonata in E minor, D. 566. These works form the conceptual core of the album, highlighting how Beethoven and Schubert engage with Bach’s legacy. Ólafsson, who experiences synaesthesia, perceives the key of E as rich, vibrant shades of green, adding a unique sensory dimension to his interpretation.

Víkingur Ólafsson, born 14 February 1984 in Reykjavík, Iceland, is an acclaimed pianist who began studying under his mother and later trained with Erla Stefánsdóttir, Peter Máté, and at the Juilliard School with Jerome Lowenthal and Robert McDonald. He has performed with leading orchestras worldwide, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and New York Philharmonic, under conductors such as Thomas Adès and Esa-Pekka Salonen. A highly decorated artist, Ólafsson has received numerous honors, including the 2025 GRAMMY Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo, Musical America's Instrumentalist of the Year, Gramophone Artist of the Year, the Rolf Schock Prize, Opus Klassik Awards, and the 2025 Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal.