There was a palpable feeling of anticipation as the audience awaited the appearance of Víkingur Ólafsson in the Opera House’s jam-packed Concert Hall, the stage set with the open Steinway grand and people chatting excitedly among themselves in various languages.

I can’t recall a similar fever of expectation since a 22-year-old Lang Lang made his Sydney debut 20 years ago. But tonight there would be no showboating, no tossing of sweat-stained handkerchiefs to adoring fans in the stalls, or high fives with the punters in the choir seats.

The tall Icelander, looking for all the world like young lawyer with his boyish face and spectacles, wasn’t dressed in a snug fitting charcoal business suit for nothing – there was work to be done and it involved guiding us through the “solar system” created by JS Bach with his Goldberg Variations.

Víkingur Ólafsson. Image courtesy of Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Photo © Craig Abercrombie

There can’t be a classical music lover anywhere who doesn’t know that Ólafsson is celebrating his 40th year by performing the 75-minute work in concert halls throughout the world. It was originally intended to be 88 shows – to coincide...