Love and Death (2019)

Pianist Martin James Bartlett is one of England's notable rising stars, for he has combined competition success with a good deal of charisma, making him a prime concert attraction. In his image, and his playing, he has what might be called nerd-chic appeal; he was a natural addition to the roster of the somewhat image-oriented (and this is not a bad thing) Warner Classics label. The best news is with this, his debut album for the label, Bartlett delivers. He does not offer a conventional program, nor one that has the ... Read More

Pianist Martin James Bartlett is one of England's notable rising stars, for he has combined competition success with a good deal of charisma, making him a prime concert attraction. In his image, and his playing, he has what might be called nerd-chic appeal; he was a natural addition to the roster of the somewhat image-oriented (and this is not a bad thing) Warner Classics label. The best news is with this, his debut album for the label, Bartlett delivers. He does not offer a conventional program, nor one that has the eccentric quality you might expect. Instead, he takes the age-old themes of love and death, and approaches them in unusual ways. Love and death overlap considerably in Bartlett's conception, which includes not only an arrangement of the Liebestod from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, but also a pair of Bach arrangements that are, it's true, common enough on debut recitals. This all gives an idea of the interest of the program. These pieces introduce you to Bartlett's style, which is strikingly... Read Less