Event info

Friday series: Mozart and Arvo Pärt – Iceland Symphony
1. Dec » 18:00 Norðurljós | Harpa

SOLOIST AND CONDUCTOR
Víkingur Heiðar Ólafsson

SOLOISTS
Nicola Lolli violin
Sigurgeir Agnarsson cello

Arvo Pärt Für Alina
Arvo Pärt Mozart-Adagio
Arvo Pärt Spiegel im Spiegel
W.A. Mozart Piano Concerto no. 24 in C Minor

Although Mozart and Arvo Pärt belong to two different periods, they have much in common artistically. Their music is pure and uplifting, often with a simple surface overlaying inner complexity. Für Alina for piano was a watershed in Pärt's career, in which he found his own voice after a hiatus of many years. Spiegel im Spiegel is one of Pärt's best-known works and the Mozart-Adagio is his piano trio arrangement of a gorgeous movement from one of Mozart's piano sonatas.

Mozart's piano works in c minor, written in 1785-1786, are unusually dark and tempestuous – even a sort of harbinger of the type of expression frequently associated with Beethoven. In the c minor concerto, Mozart explores the depths of the soul in a different way than he had previously done. Víkingur Heiðar Ólafsson does double-duty as soloist and conductor, leading the orchestra from the piano, as was done in Mozart's day.