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Icelandic pianist V\u00edkingur \u00d3lafsson<\/a> is one of the most interesting classical artists active today. Since making his debut on the Deutsche Grammophon<\/a> label in 2017 with a disc of Philip Glass\u2019s piano etudes, \u00d3lafsson has released a series of probing and conscientious albums that approach familiar works from new directions, highlighting unexpected connections along the way. <\/p>\n His newest album focuses on one of Ludwig van Beethoven\u2019s late piano sonatas and places it in dialogue with other piano pieces that seem to be in its orbit.\u00a0<\/p>\n The album is titled \u201cOpus 109,\u201d so of course Beethoven\u2019s Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major is the focus. This was Beethoven\u2019s follow-up to his monumental \u201cHammerklavier Sonata,\u201d Op. 106, and shows the composer retreating from the extroverted excess of that piece and into a more intimate and introspective sound world. This comes across immediately in the first movement:<\/p>\n WPR\u2019s \u201cWisconsin Today\u201d newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\nUnderstanding Wisconsin, Together.<\/h2>\n