Vinyl, Deutsche Grammophon (label)

With the exception of the ‘Black Pearl’ variation, which lasts almost ten minutes, this is one of the fastest sets I have ever heard, yet it’s also one of the most enjoyable. Ólafsson draws on... — BBC Music Magazine, December 2023, 5 out of 5 stars (Performance) / 4 out of 5 stars (Recording) More…

He’s done it again…it is clear from the outset that this is no lazy selection of favourites…His playing never feels self-indulgent of inappropriate…There is never any doubt that this is Ólafsson’s... — BBC Music Magazine, June 2020, 5 out of 5 stars More…

I expected this to be good; but just how good it was was still a surprise…Ólafsson creates a ravishing musical sequence. Every track has its own allure, and many reflect a virtuosity which is... — BBC Music Magazine, Christmas 2018, 5 out of 5 stars More…

Best of all are the Masques, recorded in Copenhagen in 1994…Indeed, the middle-period Masques also leap out with more imagination than anything else here, the pianist’s command of colour magnificent... — BBC Music Magazine, January 2023, 4 out of 5 stars More…

Ólafsson’s interpretations inhabit a unique, distinct and extraordinary world all their own...[he] possesses that rare gift of illuminating a familiar work in unexpected ways, revealing hidden... — Gramophone Magazine, April 2017 More…

Throughout, the playing is thoughtful and full of poetry, recorded in intimate sound. There’s an elusive quality to this multifaceted programme, for sure, but on balance it repays attentive listening. — BBC Music Magazine, December 2022, 4 out of 5 stars (Performance) / 5 out of 5 stars (Recording) More…