Icelandic Pianist Olafsson Releases 'Debussy-Ravel' Album

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] Universal Music announced the release of a new album titled 'Debussy-Rameau' by Icelandic pianist and composer Vikingur Olafsson.

Olafsson, who was named Gramophone's 'Artist of the Year' in 2019, presents his third album released under Deutsche Grammophon. He previously showcased his distinctive style through 'Philip Glass (2017)' and 'Bach (2018)'.

Olafsson said, "Rameau and Debussy seem like timeless brothers," closely connecting the two composers separated by a long gap of 180 years in this album. He is regarded as a hyper-modern composer who realizes images through sound and does not shy away from experimentation, defining his own music as "music for the five senses."

In this album, Olafsson begins with Debussy's hidden masterpiece 'La fille aux cheveux de lin (The Girl with the Flaxen Hair)' and presents Rameau's 'Nouvelles Suites de Clavecin (New Harpsichord Suites)'. It continues with Debussy's children's piece 'The Snow is Dancing' and Rameau's 'The Chirping of Birds', among others. This album, which gives the impression of a dialogue between the two composers, concludes with Debussy's 'Homage to Rameau'.

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