Beautiful job on the Goldberg variations. As someone who’s just beginning to study Bach do you have any practice tips. I recently purchased a book with his chorales and I’m starting from there but it is proving a challenge.
I respect the tradition of the "Classical Concert" experience, but I also truly wish there was more classical music played with this atmosphere. Casual, unpretentious, and insightful... draws more attention to the music rather than the "maestro" (although, it goes without saying that Olafsson truly deserves that title)
Well in the time of Chopin for example, you could listen to classical music either at a big venue, or in the more intimate setting of a salon. Chopin, unlike Liszt for example, did not enjoy playing in front of big audiences. But since we now have recordings available, these less impressive concerts are no longer a thing. It's quite sad, as I'd rather listen to a decent pianist in real life than listen to a recording of the greatest musicians to ever live.
It’s never been way. Just harder to find. But musicians really love this intimacy as well.If you ask they will happily play in your living room/small venue. And there’s tons of excellent chamber music and songs. Source: musician
Wait! What? Vikingur on Tiny Desk??? I'm there in a heartbeat. Only a magical artist could make a small tiny desk piano sound like a concert grand! And I think J.S. would feel fine in the middle of the tiny desk paraphernalia!
So beautiful. Listening to this on a Saturday morning, eating a late breakfast, enjoying the March sunshine, gazing out to sea (Devon, England)... thank you for the music, all you musicians - and NPR folk behind the scenes... much appreciated
Actually if you think about it long is the and the short of life is within itself a long. Basically art is more or less a short and life, technique-based, long and music
Art is long and in short glimpses we can understand it, and so our lives becomes longer, in understanding the beauty of art. We can always return to this specially moments. And so our lives becomes longer and better. So I hope.
I am a huge fan of Mr. Olafsson. His music is my go to when I want to be quiet and have his music embrace me. Love Mr. Olafsson's Bach interpretations, his personality and passion. Thank you for having him here.
I love the contrast between the strength of his name, that can be roughly translated as "Viking, son of Olaf" and the pure and gentle touch he has on the keys. Very beautiful
"The Arts and the Hours" is stunningly beautiful!!! This young (at least I can call him young) artist plays with such simple passion and delicacy. Thank you Víkingur Ólafsson- thank you Tiny Desk.
Beautifully combines clarity and artistic expression in performing the music of some of my favourite composers, and talks about it so knowledgeably but with simplicity and grace - one of the finest musicians of our time and so pleased to hear him at Tiny Desk
What a pleasant surprise to see my favorite contemporary pianist doing a tiny desk! Ólafsson's albums and his selection of pieces for his repertoire has exposed me to so many pieces I never would have thought to seek out myself.
Víkingur Ólafsson, thank you for sharing your love & gifts with us. Very beautiful…wish you could tour South. Love also the versatility of Tiny Desk…Amazing 🙏💗🌟💎
And after listening about 5-7 times to Rameau, Bartók and Kaldalóns I have come to love this music too. Thank you also Vikingur Olafsson for your nice introduction of this music!
The Arts and The Hours is what I've been playing on repeat since the day my dog was diagnosed with terminal cancer. It's through your beautiful interpretation of this piece that gives me the calm I need to get through this difficult time. You are absolutely right when you said, "the art is long and life is short" Thank you NPR for bringing this insane talent to the Tiny Desk concerts.
The upright piano SINGS incredibly well! It has a very muffled sound, very very suited to the context and music you chose to play. All pieces are beautiful, but the Ave Maria was breathtaking! Thank You Maestro Vikingur!
Such a brilliant idea to present classical music at npr tiny desk! Thank you and please do more! This could open so many new doors and minds in favour of classical music!♥️
He IS (does not just "seem like") a completely decent and lovely human being. Would be so good to have more people like him on NPR's Tiny Desk concerts.
Víkingur Ólafsson is the most creative and unrivaledly talented pianist of our time. He is not just good at playing the piano, but he organically weaves the epic by putting the music together. In a way, he gives off a nuance that goes beyond a performer and is more like a composer. I'm really looking forward to his future moves.
No, Kim is correct. He is indeed the most. He won. The battle is over. There aren't any more good pianists. Many pianists are good, but they can't all be best. The rules were simple. We pick an arbitrary pianist at random. Víkingur Ólafsson just happened to be picked. So now we don't have to compete any more.
@@elliotthayes1176I'm not commenting to convince you. I just wrote how I felt, like all the other replies, but I don't know why it's so controversial. I just said he's the best because I feel he's the best. To me, the best writer is Hermann Hesse, the best philosopher is Nietzsche, the best composer is Bach. And the best pianist is Olafsson. This is irreconcilable to me. They are irreplaceable to me. What's wrong with this? I'm saying it's the best because I feel it's the best. Let's say you consider something to be the best. Then I suddenly appear and say, "No. It's just one of the best." Will you change your mind???
That was beautiful. Thank you so much for this performance Víkingur, and especially your wordly introductions , opening the gates to the music, I really enjoyed it!
I saw Vikingur live at his first visit to Carnegie Hall, touring on his Mozart album. It was a sublime performance and his albums are a very frequent listen for me. Thank you, Tiny Desk!
I like the way he uses the pedal in The Arts and the Hour! The sound is rich and full of resonances, but it still retains clarity and the harmonies are equally clean. Beautiful!
my humble opinion is Bach would applaud the way you are digging in and bringing out so many levels and knitting them together like a lace - with steel deliberation 👏❤
Hé NPR Music, what a glorious surprise your broadcasts are. Thank Mr. Olafsson and all of you for the great joy you bring us here. 🌷🌷🌷 (Holland) I shall put this and Daniil Trifonov on Face-Book because this is so unique !🙏
This time, you amazed me, and at the same time, you gals/guys did it wrong. I'm sorry, but the artist's breathtaking moments are also captured. Never the less, please keep this channel alive - I'm a big BIG fan!
You sometimes squeeze some huge bands (physically and pop-culturally) behind this desk, and yet one man with a piano can have just as much of an impact without even giving it full noise. It's an incredible instrument with a master like him at its helm.
What wonderful choices - French baroque is not so much played, being somewhat overshadowed by Bach and the Bartok was so lyrical and the Icelandic Ave Maria was beautiful (with a beautiful story behind it!) - an excellent Tiny Desk Concert!
Thank you @NPR for setting this up. Many thanks to @vikingurolafsson for doing this for us. It’s lovely to discover Mr Olafsson’s music from a different angle. I became an instant fan thanks to his Philip Glass album. Hopefully I will someday be able to attend one of his concerts.
one step ahead NPR! Music teaches us that there's no place for discrimination in the world. Many thanks Mr. Olafsson. I wish you the best for all your projects.
Hola, eres maravilloso... cada nota que interpretan tus dedos me llegan al corazón...tuve la oportunidad de verte tocar hace tres años en Madrid y desde entonces te sigo...gracias por compartir tu talento al piano.
Thank you for having me 🙏
Thank you for being haved.
Amazing soft touch!! Love your style man
Good job!
Thank you for a lifetime of dedication leading to such virtuosity and exquisite sensibility. What a gift to our ears!
Beautiful job on the Goldberg variations. As someone who’s just beginning to study Bach do you have any practice tips. I recently purchased a book with his chorales and I’m starting from there but it is proving a challenge.
I'm positively surprised. Well done NPR. More classical musicians, please.
Yes to that.
Some opera would be cool
Sol Gabetta!
best you can get is Jonny Greenwood
So beautiful! Thank you Víkingur and thank you NPR Music for this magical concert 🥰
Thank you DG for discovering him. 😊
❤love classic music❤️
The piano is really clancky....and trebble is off... Sounds awful.
I respect the tradition of the "Classical Concert" experience, but I also truly wish there was more classical music played with this atmosphere. Casual, unpretentious, and insightful... draws more attention to the music rather than the "maestro" (although, it goes without saying that Olafsson truly deserves that title)
Honestly, as a classical musician, i hope the tradition of the "Classical Concert" ends for once and for all.
Well in the time of Chopin for example, you could listen to classical music either at a big venue, or in the more intimate setting of a salon. Chopin, unlike Liszt for example, did not enjoy playing in front of big audiences.
But since we now have recordings available, these less impressive concerts are no longer a thing. It's quite sad, as I'd rather listen to a decent pianist in real life than listen to a recording of the greatest musicians to ever live.
It’s never been way. Just harder to find. But musicians really love this intimacy as well.If you ask they will happily play in your living room/small venue. And there’s tons of excellent chamber music and songs. Source: musician
Wait! What? Vikingur on Tiny Desk??? I'm there in a heartbeat. Only a magical artist could make a small tiny desk piano sound like a concert grand! And I think J.S. would feel fine in the middle of the tiny desk paraphernalia!
So beautiful. Listening to this on a Saturday morning, eating a late breakfast, enjoying the March sunshine, gazing out to sea (Devon, England)... thank you for the music, all you musicians - and NPR folk behind the scenes... much appreciated
Lovely description. Similar scene in Northern Ireland.
Today was a beautiful day.
Same in Budapest:) A lovely program and Bartok was a nice surprise
‘Art is long and life is short’
No, longcat is long.
Actually if you think about it long is the and the short of life is within itself a long. Basically art is more or less a short and life, technique-based, long and music
Art is long and in short glimpses we can understand it, and so our lives becomes longer, in understanding the beauty of art. We can always return to this specially moments. And so our lives becomes longer and better. So I hope.
Good quote from Ólafsson. 👍
I am a huge fan of Mr. Olafsson. His music is my go to when I want to be quiet and have his music embrace me. Love Mr. Olafsson's Bach interpretations, his personality and passion. Thank you for having him here.
I love the contrast between the strength of his name, that can be roughly translated as "Viking, son of Olaf" and the pure and gentle touch he has on the keys. Very beautiful
He savagely desiccated that piano. 😂
L😊Like Like 😊listen 😊😊😊from k 91.5😊 I😊I'll km😊 lookk😊😊k😊 okkkl😊9oikk😅😅i8😅 4:48 ok9>😅😅😊😊I I😅 I've I've kl I l😊I😅😊😊
That performance was transcendent -- more classical music, please!
Very wonderful performance, thank you!
Love this!! I wish more classical performances were also filled with story telling like this. Very engaging.
Man, his articulation on the Bach - stunning.
"The Arts and the Hours" is stunningly beautiful!!! This young (at least I can call him young) artist plays with such simple passion and delicacy. Thank you Víkingur Ólafsson- thank you Tiny Desk.
"..simple passion and delicacy.." One phrase some sometimes tell it all.
Beautifully combines clarity and artistic expression in performing the music of some of my favourite composers, and talks about it so knowledgeably but with simplicity and grace - one of the finest musicians of our time and so pleased to hear him at Tiny Desk
I'm truly in Awe. What's not to LOVE about this Breathtakingly Beautiful, so peaceful, & relaxing performance? 😍💜💜
EXACTLY!! Thinking and feeling the same way... AMAZING!!
@@elliotselmon7581, We have great taste in music. 😊
What a pleasant surprise to see my favorite contemporary pianist doing a tiny desk! Ólafsson's albums and his selection of pieces for his repertoire has exposed me to so many pieces I never would have thought to seek out myself.
I will always be so grateful for NPR featuring artists I love and some I haven’t heard of! Another artist to add to my playlist ❤
Víkingur Ólafsson, thank you for sharing your love & gifts with us. Very beautiful…wish you could tour South. Love also the versatility of Tiny Desk…Amazing 🙏💗🌟💎
And after listening about 5-7 times to Rameau, Bartók and Kaldalóns I have come to love this music too. Thank you also Vikingur Olafsson for your nice introduction of this music!
I believe mr Bach should be very satisfied hearing Vikingur playing this way. Wonderful!
A truly spiritual experience! Thank you Mr. Ólafsson for bringing us on this journey with you!
The Arts and The Hours is what I've been playing on repeat since the day my dog was diagnosed with terminal cancer. It's through your beautiful interpretation of this piece that gives me the calm I need to get through this difficult time. You are absolutely right when you said, "the art is long and life is short" Thank you NPR for bringing this insane talent to the Tiny Desk concerts.
Sorry to hear about this, I hope you're well!
Your stunning artistry has inspired me to listen to classical music… an invaluable gift. Deepest gratitude ❤
This music touches my soul and brought me to tears OMG. Genius… pure joy and beauty THANK YOU NPR
The upright piano SINGS incredibly well! It has a very muffled sound, very very suited to the context and music you chose to play. All pieces are beautiful, but the Ave Maria was breathtaking! Thank You Maestro Vikingur!
Absolutely beautiful! I started my day with listening to this concert
the second piece is so gorgeous. It's nostalgic and brings love and loss and bittersweet.
Such a brilliant idea to present classical music at npr tiny desk! Thank you and please do more! This could open so many new doors and minds in favour of classical music!♥️
There used to be far more classical music on NPR. Then NPR became "woke", and then it tumbled.
Oh everybody has played at Tiny Desk: Marc André Hamelin, Taylor Swift, people like that.
My favorite Goldberg interpreter since Gould!
He's actually better and far less affected than Gould. And I always loved Gould's Goldberg(s)
What a wonderful tiny desk concert. He also seems like a completely decent and lovely human being. How refreshing.
He IS (does not just "seem like") a completely decent and lovely human being. Would be so good to have more people like him on NPR's Tiny Desk concerts.
This is by far one of the best concerts in this channel and TH-cam. Thanks for sharing, and thanks to Víkingur for his art. Timeless.
Beautiful! Listening to this on a sunny Easter Sunday. Thank you NPR.
The way Vikingur plays the piano is unlike anybody I've ever heard. I put on his playing and I'm transported to another dimension.
Thank you, I love this man and his music. 🎵
Thank you.
Víkingur Ólafsson is the most creative and unrivaledly talented pianist of our time. He is not just good at playing the piano, but he organically weaves the epic by putting the music together. In a way, he gives off a nuance that goes beyond a performer and is more like a composer. I'm really looking forward to his future moves.
THE most? Try ONE of the most….
No, Kim is correct. He is indeed the most. He won. The battle is over. There aren't any more good pianists. Many pianists are good, but they can't all be best. The rules were simple. We pick an arbitrary pianist at random. Víkingur Ólafsson just happened to be picked. So now we don't have to compete any more.
@@elliotthayes1176I'm not commenting to convince you. I just wrote how I felt, like all the other replies, but I don't know why it's so controversial.
I just said he's the best because I feel he's the best. To me, the best writer is Hermann Hesse, the best philosopher is Nietzsche, the best composer is Bach. And the best pianist is Olafsson. This is irreconcilable to me. They are irreplaceable to me. What's wrong with this? I'm saying it's the best because I feel it's the best.
Let's say you consider something to be the best. Then I suddenly appear and say, "No. It's just one of the best." Will you change your mind???
That was beautiful. Thank you so much for this performance Víkingur, and especially your wordly introductions , opening the gates to the music, I really enjoyed it!
I saw Vikingur live at his first visit to Carnegie Hall, touring on his Mozart album. It was a sublime performance and his albums are a very frequent listen for me. Thank you, Tiny Desk!
I like the way he uses the pedal in The Arts and the Hour! The sound is rich and full of resonances, but it still retains clarity and the harmonies are equally clean. Beautiful!
Thank you for bringing Rameau to the present….such beautiful music an so beautifully performed ❤
His quiet hand is every piano teacher’s dream.
The upright piano is in impeccable condition. what a wonderful sound!
That's what I thought. Very rarely have I heard such a great sounding upright piano. Also it is absolutely perfectly tuned.
I admire his mastery of tone colors and dynamic shaping, as well as his natural and fluid performance. It's impressive.
Vikingur’s since of timing and his freedom in these pieces is absolutely beautiful! Thank you for having him on!
my humble opinion is Bach would applaud the way you are digging in and bringing out so many levels and knitting them together like a lace - with steel deliberation 👏❤
Every single video I'm amazed at how fantastic these sound. Your Sound Engineer is a BEAST!!!
Just saw him in Toronto. Mend bending, soul stirring, life changing.
His homemade lockdown videos from Berlin were also on an upright. He is truly a master.
I so needed this today! Thank you Vikingur and NPR tiny desk concerts!
Beautiful. Felt every note inside my chest ❤️🙏🏻 💜
I’ve been listening to his music all weekend and came across this - thanks algorithms i guess in this case! Thank you!!🦋♥️🌹
I'm also a piano player and can describe Vikingur's performance as exquisite. Thank your, npr and tiny desk, for inviting such musicians
Hé NPR Music, what a glorious surprise your broadcasts are. Thank Mr. Olafsson and all of you for the great joy you bring us here. 🌷🌷🌷 (Holland) I shall put this and Daniil Trifonov on Face-Book because this is so unique !🙏
Så fantastiskt vackert. Tack Vkingur.
Jag håller fullständigt med!
This time, you amazed me, and at the same time, you gals/guys did it wrong. I'm sorry, but the artist's breathtaking moments are also captured.
Never the less, please keep this channel alive - I'm a big BIG fan!
You sometimes squeeze some huge bands (physically and pop-culturally) behind this desk, and yet one man with a piano can have just as much of an impact without even giving it full noise. It's an incredible instrument with a master like him at its helm.
What wonderful choices - French baroque is not so much played, being somewhat overshadowed by Bach and the Bartok was so lyrical and the Icelandic Ave Maria was beautiful (with a beautiful story behind it!) - an excellent Tiny Desk Concert!
Absolutely beautiful. What a welcome gift from all the noise of the world.
What a beautiful concert! Thank you so much! Also nicely done with the ending where Bach's bobble head was finally approving Víkingur Ólafsson!
Superb in every way. Mr. Olafsson is a very generous artist.
Thank you @NPR for setting this up. Many thanks to @vikingurolafsson for doing this for us. It’s lovely to discover Mr Olafsson’s music from a different angle. I became an instant fan thanks to his Philip Glass album. Hopefully I will someday be able to attend one of his concerts.
Heard him play live last year. The notes from the concert wouldn't part. Couldn't bear to hear any other music for two days. Purity.
This is the first time I've seen a Tiny Desk solo and deservingly so.
Thank you for bringing the Rameau to my screen. It was simply gorgeous.
I love the heavy rubato, when it's done well it's sumptuous. And the contrasting tempo control in the Goldberg is brilliant. Great performance
What is heavy rubato?
Thank you NPR! Hjartans þakkir Víkingur!
Stunning! So gentle yet so powerful. Loved every minute of this performance.
I saw him play with SF Symphony, and as an encore, he played that Bartok, which I’d never heard before. Just beautiful.
Mannssálin líkist firði. Ef það er breitt, sigla skip þangað, og þar sem það er mjótt, sigla þau hjá. Thank you.🎶🎹🕯
Happy Birthday Bach♥
And thank you for the rendition, Vikingur.
Oh...the Rameau is so wonderful!!
Vikingur on Tiny Desk, so wonderful. Shakti not so long ago too. Congrats on having such incredible musicians on your channel.
Melody and adventure and historic exploration meet in this performance. Thank you for this grace, Mr. Olafsson. And hello from Louisiana.
Love it¡ more classical music NPR❤❤❤
Amazing! I’ve always listened to rap, rock, stuff like that. But seriously, this hits!
Tiny Desk really scratches all of my musical itches-I can listen to BLK ODYSSEY, Berhana, Omar Apollo, and Olafsson all on one channel?? Amazing
What a lovely concert! I’m so happy to be introduced to this incredibly talented musician. Thank you.
This was resplendent 🥲
What a moving and inspiring find of the day! Thank you
Wonderful. Thank you for showcasing another brilliant talent. ❤❤❤never-electrified (aka classical) music❤❤❤
Big fan of Mr. Ólafsson, tysm for having him on!
one step ahead NPR! Music teaches us that there's no place for discrimination in the world. Many thanks Mr. Olafsson. I wish you the best for all your projects.
I don't know who needs to hear this, but everything is going to be fine. Release all negative thoughts and relax
Hola, eres maravilloso... cada nota que interpretan tus dedos me llegan al corazón...tuve la oportunidad de verte tocar hace tres años en Madrid y desde entonces te sigo...gracias por compartir tu talento al piano.
ohh his music makes me feel so peaceful in this easter day, thank you so much for your talent. Regards from Argentina
I like how they sometimes have straight up chamber music performances on here.
No em canso de sentir-te com interpretes Bach...
Thanks thanks thanks!!!
Boy them ivories be gigglin! They’ve never had such a tickle!😅❤
I like these words
@@alistairdunnington that word salads got some zing right?! 🤣👌🏻
Our privilege to be able to hear you play. The Rameau piece is so beautiful.
I'm not sure if it's the piano or the sound engineer, but I rarely hear an upright sound this clean and pure. So pretty!
Maybe it’s the pianist :)
Mainly the piano technician and the pianist...
and some clever use of half damper register for the lower octaves, it appears. And yes the pedal control and registration are out of this world.
올라프 송~!
이 아침 달달한 아름다움을 선물해 줘서 너무 고마워요😊
Wonderful performance and stories behind the music. Thank you!
Loved every note! Loved your arrangement of Ava Maria! Brava!👏🏻👏🏻
Feel like seeing and hearing his playing in my room. Happy.
Beautiful. Thank you for making my morning rich with emotion.
つぶやく様な・囁くような、何て内省的なゴールドベルグバリエーションでしょう❣。CD買いに行けるかなー❓。有難う。
A beautiful way to start my morning❤❤❤❤
Wonderful tinydesk performance - what a great musician and interpreter. inspiring. loving the style too!
For those wondering he once did a whole album on an upright piano alongside the grand.
Lovely performance - and what a charming man he is!