Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson is most of the way through an international tour that sees him playing Bach’s Goldberg Variations almost a hundred times, including his first ever performances in Australia. He joins Andy in the studio, in front of the piano, to talk about finding infinite variety in those Variations.

We remember the late pianist Maurizio Pollini who died this week. “With Pollini things were never simple,” says Víkingur Ólafsson, “Chopin became the musical architect, Stockhausen the poet, Beethoven the philosopher. Many of us became better listeners and players.”

Plus new music from Aussie singer-songwriter Emily Barker.

Music heard in the show:

Title: Goldberg Variations BWV988: Var. 1Artist: Víkingur ÓlafssonComposer: J.S. BachAlbum: Bach: Goldberg VariationsLabel: Deutsche Grammophon 4864553

Title: … sofferte onde serene…Artist: Maurizio PolliniComposer: Luigi NonoAlbum: Maurizio Pollini: 20th CenturyLabel: Deutsche Grammophon 4779918

Title: Boulez: Piano Sonata No. 2Artist: Maurizio PolliniComposer: Pierre BoulezAlbum: Maurizio Pollini plays Prokofiev, Boulez, Webern and StravinskyLabel: Deutsche Grammophon 4192022

Title: Preludes Op. 28; No. 24, Prelude in D Minor, Allegro AppassionatoArtist: Maurizio PolliniComposer: Frédéric ChopinAlbum: Maurizio Pollini: ChopinLabel: Deutsche Grammophon 4779908

Title: Goldberg Variations BWV988: Aria; extracts from other movementsArtist: Víkingur ÓlafssonComposer: J.S. BachPerformed live in studio

Title: The Quiet WaysArtist: Emily BarkerAlbum: Fragile As Humans (out 3 May)Label: Independent release

Technical production by Virginia Read and John Jacobs

The Music Show is made on Gadigal and Gundungurra Country