ÓLAFUR ARNALDS | LIVE REVIEW
St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Tue 19 Mar
Ten years since his last visit, Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds returned to Cardiff for the final leg of his current tour promoting his latest album Re:member. The familiar surrounds of St David’s Hall were subtly embellished with tasteful stage lighting, but walking into the already smoky atmosphere, it was easy to underestimate the light show, which turned out to be as strikingly beautiful to look at as the music was to listen to.
Lulled into the performance by an intriguing display of synchronised piano and illuminating flourishes, the room dimmed and the audience were immersed, often in darkness which proved equally effective. Intermittent spotlights introduced a string quartet and a drummer with additional electronic percussion; a modest lineup for such an all-encompassing sound.
Arnalds’ sparse, poignant melodies, mesmerising rhythms and otherworldly, ethereal tone and imagery fixed the attention of every set of ears and eyes in the place over the course of the following two hours. You get the sense that the intricate lighting might in some way mimic Aurora Borealis, as visible in the composer’s home land; stereotypical national touchstones aside, it was similarly majestic.
The likeable, quietly comical Arnalds occasionally engaged in cheerful dialogue with the audience, going as far as to record crowd vocals and incorporate them live into a piece of music. One process he explained in passing was the use of the phantom pianos either side of the stage, which appeared to be playing themselves. They are in fact pre-programmed to respond live with unexpected, harmonious replies to chords and notes he plays on his principal piano. This setup is called Stratus and was created by Arnalds and his friend Halldór Eldjár – it effectively saved him from a writer’s block experienced in the years before releasing Re:member.
Arnalds professed that he didn’t always lean toward classical music and has his grandmother to thank for his flirtation with the genre. Closing the evening with a moving tribute to her, you could hear a pin drop.
words CHARLIE PIERCEY photos SIMON AYRE
