Johann Sebastian Bach - Continuum II (Víkingur Ólafsson)

Information

Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

1. Keyboard Concerto No. 1 in D Major, BWV 972 (After Vivaldi, RV 230): II. Larghetto
2. Prelude in D Minor, BWV 926
3. Prelude in D Major, BWV 925
4. Air on the G String (Arr. Ólafsson for Piano from Orchestral Suite No. 3, BWV 1068)
5. Drum fahrt nur immer hin, ihr Eitelkeiten, BWV 123/VI (Performed on Piano)
6. Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 436 (Performed on Piano)
7. Erbarm dich mein, o Herre Gott, BWV 721 (Performed on Piano)
8. Prelude in C Major, BWV 924a
9. Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Minor, BWV 1018: III. Adagio (Arr. Ólafsson for Piano & Strings)
10. Prelude in F Major, BWV 928
11. Prelude in G Minor, BWV 930
12. Prelude in F Major, BWV 927
13. Keyboard Concerto in F Minor, BWV 1056: II. Largo
14. Welt, ade! ich bin dein müde, BWV 27/VI (Performed on Piano)
15. Nun ruhen alle Wälder, BWV 392 (Performed on Piano)
16. Ob bei uns der Sünden viel, BWV 38/VI (Performed on Piano)
17. Es ist genug, BWV 60/V (Performed on Piano)
18. Air on the G String (Arr. Ólafsson for Piano from Orchestral Suite No. 3, BWV 1068) (Upright Version)

Víkingur Ólafsson, piano

Siggi String Quartet

Xun Yang, double bass

Date: 2026

Label: Deutsche Grammophon (DG)

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Pianist Víkingur Ólafsson continues his celebrated exploration of J.S. Bach with CONTINUUM II, the second installment in his ongoing Bach project. Bringing together original keyboard works, transcriptions, and Ólafsson’s own new arrangements, the album illuminates an intimate and reflective facet of the composer’s oeuvre. Notably, it marks the first release recorded entirely at Ólafsson’s new Icelandic home studio, The Nutshell. Building on the acclaim of his previous Bach recordings, CONTINUUM II deepens the pianist’s lifelong musical dialogue with Bach by seamlessly pairing beloved masterpieces with lesser-known gems and fresh, deeply personal interpretations.

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.

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