víkingur Ólafsson / Klavierabend by Bach, J. S., Ó (2024/2024), Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg, Germany

They are the pinnacle of the art of piano playing – walking around them, climbing them and absorbing them in all their facets can accompany a pianist’s life from beginning to end. At once massive and incredibly varied, Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variations stand out as the lone peak in the world of variation works. Icelandic keyboard wizard Víkingur Ólafsson has dedicated his 2023/24 season entirely to the famous aria with its 30 variations. The audience was able to experience the brilliant start to the tour in the Laeiszhalle back in October – he is now coming to the Elbphilharmonie for the grand finale of his journey around the world with the Goldberg Variations. Due to the great demand, Víkingur Ólafsson is also coming back to the Elbphilharmonie for a very special premiere as part of an additional concert: for the first time in the world, a concert will be broadcast live via Spiriocast using Steinway & Sons’ high-resolution sensor technology on the grand pianos equipped for this purpose. The special project close to Víkingur Ólafsson’s heart, the Goldberg Tour, will also be immortalised on the instrument itself.