Rhapsody Martin James Bartlett

• Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 - 1943): Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43:
• 1 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Introduction (Allegro vivace) - Variation 1 [Precedente] 00:26
• 2 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Tema - L'istesso tempo 00:17
• 3 Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 2 (L'istesso tempo) 00:18
• 4 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 3 (L'istesso tempo) 00:26
• 5 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 4 (Più vivo) 00:28
• 6 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 5 (Tempo precedente) 00:30
• 7 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 6 (L'istesso tempo) 01:08
• 8 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 7 (Meno mosso, a tempo moderato) 01:03
• 9 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 8 (Tempo I) 00:35
• 10 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 9 (L'istesso tempo) 00:33
• 11 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 10 (L'istesso tempo) 00:54
• 12 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 11 (Moderato) 01:30
• 13 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 12 (Tempo di minuetto) 01:23
• 14 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 13 (Allegro) 00:29
• 15 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 14 (L'istesso tempo) 00:44
• 16 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 15 (Più vivo scherzando) 01:11
• 17 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 16 (Allegretto) 01:48
• 18 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 17 (Allegretto) 02:10
• 19 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 18 (Andante cantabile) 02:56
• 20 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 19 (A tempo vivace) 00:32
• 21 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 20 (Un poco più vivo) 00:36
• 22 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 21 (Un poco più vivo) 00:27
• 23 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 22 (Un poco più vivo) [alla breve] 01:41
• 24 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 23 (L'istesso tempo) 00:57
• 25 Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 24 (A tempo un poco meno mosso) 01:20
• 14 Romances, Op. 34:
• 26 Rachmaninov / Arr. Earl Wild: 14 Romances, Op. 34: No. 14, Vocalise 07:01
• Where Beauty Dwells, Op. 21 No. 7:
• 27 Rachmaninov / Arr. Earl Wild: Where Beauty Dwells, Op. 21 No. 7 04:19
• Polka de W. R.:
• 28 Rachmaninov: Polka de W. R. 04:15
• George Gershwin (1898 - 1937): Gershwin Songbook:
• 29 Gershwin: Gershwin Songbook: No. 8, The Man I Love 02:49
• Earl Wild (1915 - 2010): 7 Virtuoso Etudes After Gershwin:
• 30 Wild: 7 Virtuoso Etudes After Gershwin: No. 7, Fascinating Rhythm 01:49
• 31 Wild: 7 Virtuoso Etudes After Gershwin: No. 4, Embraceable You 03:54
• George Gershwin: Gershwin's Songbook:
• 32 Gershwin: Gershwin's Songbook: No. 5, I Got Rhythm 01:32
• Rhapsody in Blue:
• 33 Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, Pt. 1 (1942 Version, Orch. Grofé) 11:37
• 34 Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, Pt. 2 (1942 Version, Orch. Grofé) 03:03
• 35 Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, Pt. 3 (1942 Version, Orch. Grofé) 02:52
• Total Runtime 01:07:33

Info for Rhapsody

„Der Geist und die Färbung von Martin James Bartletts Spiel waren elektrisierend“, schrieb die Times über das Spiel des Pianisten von George Gershwins Rhapsody in blue. Für seine Interpretation des Werks war Martin James Bartlett bereits 2014 als 17-Jähriger zum BBC Young Artist of the Year gekürt worden, ein Jahr später gab der junge Brite mit Gershwins Rhapsodie sein Debüt bei den BBC Proms. Jetzt spielt er das Stück erneut – diesmal für das bei Warner Classics erscheinende Album Rhapsody. Für die Aufnahme wählte Martin James Bartlett eine weitere Rhapsodie aus, Sergei Rachmaninoffs Rhapsodie über ein Thema von Paganini. Der russische Komponist hatte 1924 der Uraufführung von Gershwins Rhapsody in blue gelauscht, fasziniert von der Verschmelzung von Jazz und Klassik. Im eigenen Werk auf den Teufelsgeiger spielt Rachmaninoff einfallsreich mit einer Sequenz. „Rhapsodie“ bedeutet schließlich, dass das Werk weder an eine bestimmte Form noch an einen Stil gebunden ist. Martin James Bartlett versteht darin den Reiz der beiden Kompositionen: „Es macht sie zu einer sehr instinktiven Hörerfahrung. Die kontrastierenden Elemente geben der Musik einen vielfältigen Charakter, obwohl ein zentrales Thema fortgeführt wird. Es trägt zur Struktur bei, während das Spiel improvisiert und spontan erscheint.“ Weitere Kompositionen Gershwins und Rachmaninoffs vervollständigen das Album. Martin James Bartlett spielt sie in Arrangements des legendären US-Pianisten Earl Wild. Das London Philharmonic Orchestra unter Jungdirigent Joshua Weilerstein begleiten den aufstrebenden Stern am Klavierhimmel.

Martin James Bartlett, piano
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Joshua Weilerstein, conductor

Martin James Bartlett
possesses a fearless technique and plays with a wisdom and elegance far beyond his years. He won BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2014 since when he has performed with orchestras including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. In 2017 Bartlett was one of the thirty competitors in the final rounds of the Van Cliburn Competition, held in Fort Worth, Texas.

In the 2018/19 season Martin James Bartlett will participate in the Verbier Festival’s short winter residency at Schloss Elmau, Germany and has been invited by Sir Andras Schiff to participate in a public masterclass at the Salzburg Mozartwoche. He makes his debut with the BBC Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Philharmonia, and will also perform in recital in the UK, at St John Smith Square and the new Birmingham Conservatoire and in many other venues across the country. At the beginning of the season Bartlett competed in the Bad Kissingen Klavier Olympiad competition, winning both second prize and the audience prize.

Last season, Bartlett made his Japanese debut performing with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra and in a sold out recital at the Musashino Cultural Foundation. He was Sir Bernard Haitink’s soloist with the Royal College of Music Symphony Orchestra playing Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24 K.491 in concerts which were recorded and are currently streamed on Medici TV and performed with the London Mozart Players, the Manchester Camerata and in July 2018, he returned to the BBC Proms as part of the BBC Young Musician of the Year 40th anniversary celebrations. He was invited to the Verbier Festival Academy, performing in public masterclasses with Sir Andras Schiff, Richard Goode and Sergei Babayan. He played recitals across the UK and also gave recitals in Madrid for the Fundación Juan March and at the Duszniki International Chopin Festival: “This was without doubt one of the most extraordinary recitals ever to have taken place in the Dworek. The musical range of this ambitious programme was remarkable - from Bach to Scriabin. Here we have a complete musician and surely, a pianist that is almost faultless…” Michael Moran.

As part of the Chinese State visit in 2015, Bartlett performed a private concert for the First Lady of China, Peng Liyuan, and other dignitaries. In June 2016 he performed at Her Majesty The Queen's 90th Birthday thanksgiving service, which was broadcast live on BBC One from St. Paul's Cathedral.

At the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition, Bartlett’s performance of Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, with conductor Kirill Karabits and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, received overwhelming acclaim from Edinburgh’s Usher Hall audience and from those tuning into the live recording broadcast on BBC4 and BBC Radio 3. He made his BBC Proms debut in 2015 performing Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He also performed Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with the Ulster Orchestra at the BBC Proms “Last Night” celebrations which was broadcast live from Belfast on BBC Four and BBC Radio Ulster.

Following Bartlett's success in the BBC Young Musician Competition, he received support from the Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT). In the same year, he began his undergraduate studies with Professor Vanessa Latarche at the Royal College of Music, where he is a Foundation Scholar.

Booklet for Rhapsody