EIF Review: Víkingur Ólafsson plays Bach & Beethoven

‘Víkingur Ólafsson plays Bach and Beethoven’ (part of the Edinburgh International Festival at the Usher Hall) was everything that it promised to be and so much more. Ólafsson was billed as ‘one of the most celebrated artists of our time; a unique visionary who brings his profound originality to some of the greatest works in music history.’ He plays piano solo and with leading orchestras too.

Tonight the Steinway grand sat in splendid isolation in the centre of the stage and my American neighbour – not my guest or companion, I hasten to add, just a tourist who’d decided this might be a nice thing to do on a Saturday evening – commented that for the price he’d paid for his ticket he felt we deserved at least a small orchestra too. He then proceeded to say he hoped there might be some Gershwin on the programme. Oh dear.

I don’t know how tall Ólafsson is, but he makes an imposing figure, and he played the whole ninety-minute programme without breaks – so absolutely no applause throughout, which confused my neighbour greatly – only added to his stature for me. I chose to sit keyboard-side of course – no point in going to a piano recital in my book unless you can see the pianist’s fingers on the keyboard – and, as ever, was delighted to have been able to do so. Tall man, long hands and fingers and a long back which was often almost draped over the keyboard, hair flopping against the keys. I’ve described Lang Lang as ‘inhabiting’ the piano. Ólafsson is different, but definitely takes over the piano with complete command and yet with a clarity and lightness of touch which is mesmerising.

The programme was Bach, Beethoven, Bach, Schubert and more Beethoven. Each of the pieces is complex with many an embellishment, and I don’t think the smile left my face for a moment. I loved the programme and adored Ólafsson’s playing – he fully deserves his reputation as one of the best. He won a Grammy in 2025 for ‘Best Classical Instrumental Solo’ for Bach’s ‘Goldberg Variations’. They weren’t on the programme tonight, though Ólafsson did refer to the work when he came back on the stage after the programme had finished.

Masterful Interpretation and Audience Connection

He’s such an accomplished musician and seemed so completely wrapped up in his playing that I was a little surprised by the warm, easy man he showed himself to be when he talked to the audience, explaining that he had only played the first two movements of the Schubert as he doesn’t feel that one written when Schubert was merely a boy and the other written well after the other two, are worthy to be included. He believes that Schubert never intended the Sonata (Piano Sonata in E Minor, D.566) to be played in public at all, actually. So pleased Ólafsson included it, as it was my favourite piece.

“I’ve described Lang Lang as ‘inhabiting’ the piano. Ólafsson is different, but definitely takes over the piano with complete command and yet with a clarity and lightness of touch which is mesmerising.“

Having explained all this in a very accessible way, he went on to play two encores; the second one – Bach’s ‘Air on a G String’ – he acknowledged had become almost unplayable, so ubiquitous has it become. And yet he played his own interpretation of it anyway, and it was as clear and beautiful as the rest of the programme had been.

Playing the full programme without interruption and with surtitles to guide the audience was unexpected, and I thought it was genius. For those unschooled in the etiquette of when to clap during classical concerts, this was a gift (though my neighbour kept getting his hands in position ready …). The programme helpfully explained what is usually de rigueur on that front, so maybe that actually proved to be more confusing than helpful, in this case.

Poor neighbour. He was so confused by the end that he thought there had been no Beethoven at all and didn’t believe me when I said Oh yes, there had been, including the last piece on the programme. I heard him asking someone else as he was leaving the building. Maybe stick to Gershwin next time, eh?

As for the young person and me to my left, who I suspect is a piano scholar, Ólafsson left us thrilled and uplifted and, in my case at least, desperate to get our hands on a piano keyboard or, better still, to get our headphones on and listen to him playing some more.