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Live from Reykjavik

Sarah Walker continues Radio 3’s European Road Trip, live from Harpa Hall, Reykjavik with music from superstar pianist Víkingur Ólafsson and friends.

Sarah Walker concludes our European Road Trip looking out across the Atlantic ocean from one of Reykjavik’s most iconic buildings – the award winning Harpa concert hall. For a country with a population of less than 400,000 Iceland punches far above its weight musically and culturally, from medieval sagas to global superstar composers and performers.

Sarah invites one of the most in-demand pianists in Europe, Víkingur Ólafsson, to perform live for us and explores the many contemporary composers writing new music here in Iceland including Ólafur Arnalds, Hildur Guðnadóttir and Anna Thorvaldsdóttir. In addition, there will be music from some of Iceland’s most famous musical exports including Björk, Sigur Rós and Laufey.

Sarah will also be joined by a handful of special guests to try and find out just what makes Iceland such a hotbed of creativity…

A Tandem Production for ѿý Radio 3

3 hours

Last on

Sun 5 Jan 2025 09:00

Music Played

  • Sigfús Einarsson

    Island

    Composer: Hannes Hafstein. Choir: Karlakórinn Fóstbræður.
    • Alda Music.
  • Páll Ísólfsson

    The Party at Sólhaug: No 1, Prelude (Veislan á Sólhaugum: No 1, Forleikur)

    Conductor: Rumon Gamba. Orchestra: Iceland Symphony Orchestra.
    • Icelandic Works for the Stage.
    • Chandos.
    • 102.
  • Ólafur Arnalds

    For Now I am Winter

    Choir: VOCES8.
    • Decca.
    • 4830968.
    • 1.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Concerto for Two Violins in D minor BWV1043 (2nd mvt, Largo ma non tanto)

    Performer: Elfa Rún Kristinsdóttir. Performer: Lisa Immer. Ensemble: Kaleidoscope Soloists Ensemble.
    • Ars Produktion.
    • ARS38079.
    • 8.
  • Hildur Guðnadóttir

    Speak Up

    Lyricist: Hildur Guðnadóttir. Performer: Hildur Guðnadóttir.
    • Women Talking (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).
    • Decca (UMO).
    • 2.
  • Philharmonia Orchestra

    Symphony No 5 in E flat, Op 82 (1st mvt)

    Conductor: Vladimir Ashkenazy.
    • Decca.
    • 4100162.
    • 1.
  • Víkingur Ólafsson

    Sleep for Mama

  • Trad.

    Barnagaelur (Children's Toys)

    Performer: Asa Ketilsdottir.
    • ALDA.
  • Jóhann Jóhannsson

    Orphic Hymn

    Choir: Theatre of Voices. Conductor: Paul Hillier.
    • DG.
  • Haflidi Hallgrimsson

    Intarsia (1st mvt, Allegro vivace)

    Ensemble: Chinook Winds.
    • Centaur Records, Inc..
  • Bára Grímsdóttir

    Eg vil lofa Eina Pa (I want to Promise One Day)

    Choir: Philharmonic Choir of Iceland. Conductor: Magnús Ragnarsson.
    • Songsveitin Filharmonia.
  • Philip Glass

    Glassworks (Opening)

    Performer: Víkingur Ólafsson.
  • Charles Gounod

    Symphony No 1 in D Major (1st mvt, Allegro molto)

    Orchestra: Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Yan Pascal Tortelier.
    • Gounod: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2.
    • Chandos.
    • 101.
  • Jón Leifs

    Requiem Op 33b

    Choir: Schola Cantorum Reykjavicensis. Conductor: Hörður Áskelsson.
    • BIS.
  • Jón Leifs

    Symphony No 1, Op 26, 'Saga Symphony' (3rd mvt, 'Bjorn behind Kari')

    Orchestra: Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Osmo Vänskä.
    • Leifs: Symphony No. 1.
    • BIS.
    • 3.
  • Eirikur Karl Eiriksson

    Astartofrar (Love Charm)

    Composer: Valdimar Audunsson. Performer: Björk. Ensemble: Tríó Guðmundar Ingólfssonar.
    • Alda Music.
  • Umbra Ensemble

    Veröld Fláa Sýnir Sig (The Deceitful World Shows Itself)

  • Vincent d’Indy

    Symphony No 1 in A Major, 'Symphonie Italienne' (2nd mvt, 'Florence')

    Orchestra: Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Rumon Gamba.
    • D'Indy: Poème des Rivages & Symphony No. 1.
    • Chandos.
    • 106.
  • Umbra Ensemble

    Draumkvaeði (The Dream)

  • Skúli Sverrisson

    Slow Sun

    Performer: Skúli Sverrisson.
    • Mengi.
  • Jean‐Philippe Rameau

    Le Rappel des Oiseux (The Conference of Birds)

    Performer: Víkingur Ólafsson.
  • Steindór Andersen

    Rímur af Göngu-Hrólfi (Rhymes by Gängu-Hrólfi)

    • KRUNK.
  • Anonymous

    Gammelkjerringvalsen

    Performer: Trio Mediæval.
    • ECM.
  • Christoph Willibald Gluck

    Orfeo ed Euridice ('Dance of the Blessed Spirits')

    Performer: Hallfríður Ólafsdóttir. Orchestra: Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Bernharður Wilkinson.
    • Smekkleysa.
  • Una Sveinbjarnardóttir

    Opacity (2nd mvt)

    Ensemble: Siggi String Quartet.
    • South of the Circle.
    • Sono Luminus.
    • 202.
  • Anna Thorvaldsdottir

    Heyr þú oss himnum á (Do You Hear Us in Heaven?)

    Lyricist: Ólafur Jónsson á Söndum. Choir: Choir of Clare College, Cambridge. Conductor: Graham Ross.
    • Ice Land: The Eternal Music.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 5.
  • Jean‐Philippe Rameau

    The Arts and the Hours

    Performer: Víkingur Ólafsson.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    'Ich folge dir gleichfalls' (St John Passion, BWV 245, Part One: No 9)

    Singer: Benedikt Kristjánsson. Performer: Elina Albach. Performer: Philipp Lamprecht.
    • recordJet.
  • Laufey

    Valentine

    Composer: Spencer Stewart. Performer: Laufey. Orchestra: Iceland Symphony Orchestra.
    • A Night At The Symphony.
    • Laufey.
    • 2.
  • Jón Leifs

    Icelandic Folk Dances, Op 11 (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Osmo Vänskä.
    • BIS.
  • Sigur Rós

    Intro

    Performer: Sigur Rós.
    • Krunk.
    • 190296941856.
    • 1.
  • Thorkell Sigurbjörnsson

    Heyr, himnasmiður (‘Hear, Smith of the Heavens’)

    Choir: The Hamrahlid Choir.
    • Alda.
    • 8.
  • Sigvaldi Kaldalóns

    Ave María

    Music Arranger: Víkingur Ólafsson. Performer: Víkingur Ólafsson.

Broadcast

  • Sun 5 Jan 2025 09:00