“This recording has my first attempt at arranging or transcribing something that's not for solo piano. What are some of the personal secrets that are hidden within this recording? I'm beyond grateful for that dedication.” It's just an amazing piece of music that Kurtág recently dedicated his transcription of it to me. 1 that's already been released as a single. I love the overtones, the richness of the bass and the bigger vibrations from the Steinway.”Ĭan you talk about the pieces you and your wife, Halla, are featured on? There are many jewels there, but that is my queen.
4 is the crown jewel of Brahms' late works, in my opinion. “For the grand piano, I would actually prefer Brahms. He has tone clusters and these incredibly soft glissandos that are supposed to be like a musical yawn. In that piece, he conveys the idea of going from consciousness to falling asleep. “There's this one little piece, Sleepily, by Kurtág, which is an absolutely amazing piece of music. I decided to release both versions simultaneously, which I think has never been done before.”Ĭan you talk about performing on both pianos? “I decided you should never choose between your children. “I couldn't really choose between my two children, the grand piano recording or the upright piano recording for the whole album,” Ólafsson said explaining the mix of pianos. I was done recording the album on the grand piano on day two or three, and then I started to record it again on the upright piano, which was inspired by my quartet. “But also include music that was from my own musical past. I juxtaposed them with music that I thought connected very strongly to his esthetic,” he said. “All the musical ideas and eight pieces by Kurtág are spread throughout the album. And the second thing was to start work on this album because I realized I wanted to send a letter in the form of an album. “I silenced the notifications on my phone because I wanted to feel the kind of freedom of timelessness that is Kurtág. “When I got home from that life-changing experience, I did two things,” he said. That musical letter is his latest double album, From Afar.
After, Ólafsson decided to send Kurtág a letter in the form of an album. Their 10-minute meeting turned into several hours of musical discovery. He was starstruck last year when out of the blue, he was invited to Budapest to meet the 96-year-old Hungarian composer. I had this feeling of awe,” Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson said. But meeting György Kurtág felt different to me. I have met many fantastic people in my life. New Classical Tracks - Víkingur Ólafsson by
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