Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)
Saturday, October 3, 2026
Berliner Philharmonie, Herbert-von-Karajan-Straße, Berlin
Víkingur Ólafsson replaced Daniil Trifonov for this excellent Brahms Piano Concerto No.1 (my joint-first Desert Island Piano Concerto, the other being Beethoven No.4), opened dramatically by the Berliners and Kirill Petrenko, introducing the tempestuousness and contemplation that will be contrasting elements of the first movement, Ólafsson entering with integration to the tutti and fully conversant to the music’s expressive range, with the chorale that is the pianist’s preserve slower and more-confiding than usual without losing the design or destination of the first movement, Ólafsson as swashbuckling or as sensitive as required, orchestral detail observed lucidly. The Heaven-sent Adagio was searched profoundly without cloying, Ólafsson giving the impression that the piano part had just been received by Brahms, telepathically, and the Finale was exhilarating, its bounding and romancing all of a piece, Ólafsson’s cadenza commanding in terms of being cumulative, and how good, on the ultimate page, to hear the timpani so clearly. As a refined, rarefied encore, Ólafsson offered, I believe, a transcription from Orfeo, Gluck/Sgambati (‘Melody’, ‘Blessed Spirits’), an entrance to the Elysian Fields.
Following the interval, Richard Strauss’s Nietzsche-inspired Zarathustra, a philosopher’s adventures, seen whole by Petrenko and without contrivances and exaggerations, opening with an expectant organ rumble, seamless trumpets, and perfectly clear timpani strikes that avoided being crude. Much beautiful string-playing informed the slower music, with more-animated passages arriving and departing organically, suave waltz rhythms (graced by Daishin Kashimoto’s violin) offering charm before the Midnight Bell cued an eruption that settles to the highs and lows of no-man’s land, here closing an unusually thought-through if understated reading.
***
“Due to an injury, Daniil Trifonov is unfortunately unable to perform in the concerts scheduled for October in Berlin and on the Berliner Philharmoniker’s subsequent tour to New York, Bogotá, São Paulo and Buenos Aires.
“The Berliner Philharmoniker and Kirill Petrenko wish Daniil Trifonov a speedy recovery and are very grateful to Víkingur Ólafsson for standing in. The programme will remain unaltered.
“Víkingur Ólafsson will perform Johannes Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15, with the Berliner Philharmoniker under the baton of Kirill Petrenko in Berlin (1–3 October), New York (9 and 11 October), Bogotá (15 October), São Paulo (18 October) and Buenos Aires (21 and 23 October).” [BP]