Visionary Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson celebrates Philip Glass's 80th birthday with his personal selection of pieces from the minimalist master's two books of solo piano Études - works in which Ólafsson says, "Glass seems to be exploring the very essence of his ideas" - together with brand-new reworkings for piano and string quartet of two of the Études plus the hypnotic "Opening" from Glass's classic 1982 album Glassworks. "He played the blizzard of scales in No. 13 with amazing virtuosity, and gave the still quietness of No. 5 a monumental, rapt intensity" (The Telegraph on Ólafsson's 2015 performance of the Études at the Barbican). ℗ 2017 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Stralauer Allee 1, 10245 Berlin A Universal Music Company Made in the EU 180g Heavyweight Vinyl Pressing Includes voucher with unique code to download the digital audio files of the full album for free In collaboration with Harpa Concert House and the Icelandic Broadcasting Company (RÚV) Recording: Reykjavík, Harpa Concert House, 24 & 25 October 2016 The Philip Glass quotation preceding the booklet text is taken from his book Words Without Music: A Memoir. New York, Liverlight Publishing Corporation, a division of W.W. Norton & Company / London, Faber & Faber Ltd, 2015. German translation of the booklet note: Eva Zöllner Printed in the EU www.vikingurolafsson.com www.deutschegrammophon.com www.twitter.com/dgclassics www.youtube.com/deutschegrammophon