\n<\/p>\n
Vikingur Olafsson calls it \u201ca workaholic\u2019s sabbatical\u201d: The Icelandic pianist, 39, is dedicating almost all his performances this season to Bach\u2019s \u201cGoldberg\u201d Variations.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an experiment,\u201d Olafsson<\/a> said in an interview. \u201cHow much can I extract myself, from the interpreter\u2019s perspective? How much variety will I be able to discover throughout this year?\u201d<\/p>\n Quite a lot, one imagines. Along with the tour comes a recording of the \u201cGoldbergs,\u201d<\/a> released on Deutsche Grammophon this month. Flush with the joy of interpretation, it is a remarkable recording even for an artist who already has a number of remarkable recordings to his name<\/a>. Listen to it, and you will find ample evidence that Olafsson is a pianist who wants to think about music, not just play it.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we\u2019re in a golden age of pianists,\u201d said Clive Gillinson, the executive and artistic director of Carnegie Hall, where Olafsson will appear in February<\/a>. \u201cI mean, there are so many really extraordinary artists and players at the moment. So the fact that he is truly special within that context, I think is a very big statement. And he is. Very special.\u201d<\/p>\n