Víkingur Ólafsson programme change -> 3rd Goldberg at Wigmore Hall in 6 days

[Retune]

I'd booked three concerts at the Wigmore Hall this week - the excellent Beethoven and Schubert lunchtime concert today from Viktoria Mullova and Alasdair Beatson (worth catching on BBC Sounds if you didn't hear in on R3), the Goldberg Variations from Yunchan Lim tomorrow (his second performance at the Hall - he gave the same programme this evening), and the last three Beethoven sonatas from Víkingur Ólafsson on Saturday. Or so I thought. Ólafsson's programme was switched first to a mixed Beethoven and Bach programme, and has now been switched again to ... the Goldberg Variations.

Three Goldbergs scheduled for the same week seems a bit excessive, especially as I'm now apparently going to two of them. Should I look at this as a golden opportunity to compare the contrasting styles of two excellent pianists in the same great work, or feel somewhat frustrated by the switch? Probably a bit of both. This isn't the first time I've booked a programme that has been completely changed, usually at the expense of Beethoven - Yuja Wang was supposed to play the Hammerklavier at the RFH back in 2017, but ended up doing the Chopin Preludes. Emanuel Ax, Leonidas Kavakos and Yo-Yo Ma were scheduled to play a couple of Beethoven trios and a symphony transcription at the Proms last year, but in the event played his Archduke Trio and one by Brahms (in, to be fair, an excellent concert).

I understand that musicians aren't machines and sometimes a programme must, for various reasons, be substantially changed. Perhaps András Schiff, who keeps his Wigmore programmes a surprise, has the right idea - nobody can complain whatever he plays. But I can't be the only member of the audience who will now be listening to more Goldbergs than they bargained for this week...

[LHC]

Vikingur Olafsson appears to have been making a habit of substituting the Goldberg Variations for his advertised programmes in recent months. Perhaps he's having problems learning the planned programme of Beethoven and is reverting to his tried and tested interpretation of the Goldbergs.

He's done the same switch for his forthcoming concerts in Bristol and Cambridge, and when Yuja Wang had to pull out of their recent joint concert in Toronto, he went ahead on his own but substituted the Goldbergs again.

[JC]

It's actually four performances because Ólafsson is performing the same programme on Saturday and Sunday evenings!

[Pulcinella]

It's actually four performances because Ólafsson is performing the same programme on Saturday and Sunday evenings!

Maybe there are a lot of insomniacs around just now who need help.

[JC]

Maybe there are a lot of insomniacs around just now who need help.

In fact I've just returned my ticket for Sunday evening - I doubt they will have difficulty in reselling it. I am not sure I am up to hearing another performance of such a dense and lengthy work so soon and especially after rehearsing and singing Evensong on Sunday afternoon.

[smittims]

I'll stay with my DG Archiv Lp of Ralph Kirkpatrick playing it on , probably his old Challis harpsichord. For me this comes close to the feeling of private music making which the work suggests.

I imagine JSB would be surprised to know it would be played to a hall full of paying listeners.

[oliver sudden]

It's a bit cheeky isn't it? Changing your programme to something someone else has just done at the same venue? Or it is just me?

[Pulcinella]

It's a bit cheeky isn't it? Changing your programme to something someone else has just done at the same venue? Or it is just me?

Even if he didn't know it was already scheduled, the management must have, and maybe should have suggested a different programme.
But hey, maybe this is now what we might be in for, with (the) Wigmore Hall having broken free from the shackles of Arts Council England.

[CallMePaul]

It's actually four performances because Ólafsson is performing the same programme on Saturday and Sunday evenings!

Could I please point out that "Ólafsson" is not a surname but a patronymic and his name means "Vikingur son of Ólaf". No-one, even strangers, would address him as anything other that Vikingur, and certainly not as "Mr Ólafsson". I don't know if he has any children, but if he does they would be (first name) Vikingurson or Vikingurdottir for a son or daughter respectively.

[bluestateprommer]

In fact I've just returned my ticket for Sunday evening - I doubt they will have difficulty in reselling it. I am not sure I am up to hearing another performance of such a dense and lengthy work so soon and especially after rehearsing and singing Evensong on Sunday afternoon.

For Retune, if you would rather not experience the work twice in such quick succession, after having heard YL last night, then JC's route sounds the best, either to get a refund from Wigmore Hall (presumably less the £4 booking fee) for the VO concert of the same work, or to donate the cost of the ticket as a charitable contribution for your taxes (I assume it works similarly like charitable donations in the US). VO's recital showed up as "Sold Out" yesterday off Wigmore Hall's site, but it's now showing as one seat available as I look at their site. Like what JC said, Wigmore Hall will very likely have no problems with reselling the seat, and I'm sure that any concertgoers who want a ticket and hadn't yet gotten one will be grateful to scarf what they can get. [I went through a comparable experience at WH about 2 months ago with a sold-out concert, in getting a late turnback, but that's another story ;) .]

[pastoralguy]

I could quite happily listen to the Goldberg’s played every nite by a different pianist for at least a week!

[Pulcinella]

I could quite happily listen to the Goldberg’s played every nite by a different pianist for at least a week!

Me too; but I didn't particularly warm to VO's interpretation.

[Ein Heldenleben]

It's a bit cheeky isn't it? Changing your programme to something someone else has just done at the same venue? Or it is just me?

No you’re right. If he hasn’t got the last three Beethoven sonatas as advertised under his fingers ( unlikely but a possibility) he should cancel. I wouldn’t sit through a Goldberg if you paid me.

[Pulcinella]

Rebecca Franks liked it in Bristol.

https://www.thetimes.com/article/7e9b940e-3700-4c61-ba57-a1bd56addc8f?shareToken=d8f78403430dfe2c95d1c6a69b 551aa7

And here's Daniel Lewis on Yunchan Lim:

https://www.thetimes.com/article/3764861c-e03d-4b86-8e82-792650c71f79?shareToken=302d7b62bf42e72a99096660b364f170

[Ein Heldenleben]

Rebecca Franks liked it in Bristol.

https://www.thetimes.com/article/7e9b940e-3700-4c61-ba57-a1bd56addc8f?shareToken=d8f78403430dfe2c95d1c6a69b 551aa7

And here's Daniel Lewis on Yunchan Lim:

https://www.thetimes.com/article/3764861c-e03d-4b86-8e82-792650c71f79?shareToken=302d7b62bf42e72a99096660b3 64f170

Thanks for posting . That strikes me as an entirely reasonable excuse for substitution even for cancelling the recital - good for him for not disappointing the public. I’m also with him with not scheduling the final 3 Beethoven’s together for the same reason I don’t like single Goldberg recitals. - l think a recital should offer a variety of musical styles not just one composer - even Chopin.
The “completist “ attitude to recitals these days puts me off buying a ticket. The Goldbergs are entirely in G major (apart from a bit in G minor - good variation that ) , follow a similar repetitive harmonic scheme and are very long. I’ve never been able to sit through a recording of them without my mind wandering. Though they are a masterpiece I guess.