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They achieved fame in the United States and Europe in the 1930s and 1940s as the "foremost two-piano team". By the mid-1940s, they were appearing in over 100 concerts a year, and had toured the United States, Canada, South
America, and South Africa. In addition to their annual international concert
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Development is much easier if both pianists have been trained in the same school of technique … two pianists who have the same technical approach will have no trouble introducing variety into their playing. But if they have entirely different styles, they will have a struggle to achieve balance and
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In her autobiography Oil Paint and Grease Paint (1936) Laura Knight said of Ethel: 'the study of the simple lines of her beauty took me by storm. I believe that most of the work I did for a time – even when the subject was an entirely different one- had something of Ethel in it. A man once told me
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From their first notes they brought to the audience an impression of absolute synchronization and harmony of thought and concept. Their muscular coordination was as though under one kinesthetic control. … it is true also that each artist brought a completely different personality to the music. Our
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In a 1935 interview, Bartlett explained that when she and
Robertson began their duo-piano partnership, they were the first piano duo in England and consequently had to search extensively for appropriate music. "We have discovered things so old that they were brand-new to audiences", she said. The
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at the Royal
Academy of Music during the war years, as Barbirolli had been too young for the draft, and they possibly had an intimate relationship. She became his exclusive accompanist in the 1920s. She also performed with other vocalists and as a soloist. Robertson played both with vocalists and
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in London and married in 1921. Although they initially pursued solo careers, they teamed up as duo-pianists in the late 1920s and conducted annual international tours for over two decades. Several major composers of their era wrote duo-piano compositions especially for them, including
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on 29 November 1893. He was the eighth of nine children in a minister's family. He showed an aptitude for piano playing at a very young age and began playing the organ at his father's church on
Sundays at the age of five. He continued to study piano as a youth and as a student at the
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expressed it thus: "The playing of
Bartlett and Robertson is unique in that one thinks while hearing them, not of two people at two pianos, but of four hands at a double keyboard controlled by a single mind". A reviewer of their 1936 recital at the Orpheum Theatre in New York wrote:
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who were credited with popularising two-piano music in Europe and the United States in the 1930s and 1940s through their extensive touring, recordings, and radio performances. Of
English and Scottish background respectively, Bartlett and Robertson met during their studies at the
504:, at which Britten was a guest in 1941. They moved to the United States permanently in the 1950s. Robertson died in Los Angeles on 5 November 1956 at the age of 63. Bartlett taught piano in her later years. She died in Los Angeles on 17 April 1978, aged 81.
217:, where he completed his M.A. in Modern Languages. In September 1914 he began studying under Tobias Matthay at the Royal Academy of Music, but was drafted in January 1915 into the English army for World War I. He sustained an arm wound at the
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great two-piano concert performers have in the past usually been men. The very feminine qualities of interpretation which Miss
Bartlett possesses were fused with Mr. Robertson's conception of the music in a very fresh and charming manner.
278:
critic wrote, "They have not fully understood yet that the point of playing on two pianos is not to get more sound but to work out intricate detail more clearly". After their two-piano recital on 15 August 1924,
488:, who painted her numerous times over a period of 20 years from the time she was a teenager, and showed her portraits in their exhibitions. A good example is on display at the
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on an
Associated Board Scholarship; her younger sister Edith was enrolled as a vocalist at the Academy. Bartlett studied under Frederick Moore and
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that Ethel looked too much like the sort of girl you just couldn't help falling in love with.... I can imagine this to be true.'
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applauded their performance for its "great zest, as though they really enjoyed every note of the contrapuntal figuration".
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couple also commissioned pieces from the major composers of their day. They commissioned five compositions from Sir
511:, including press clippings, personal photographs, and letters, is housed at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
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Bartlett and
Robertson were often praised for their unity of thought and execution. At their first appearance in
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Regarded as "one of
England's most beautiful women", Bartlett was a favourite portrait subject for both
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Bartlett and Robertson initially pursued solo concert careers. Bartlett had made the acquaintance of
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in 1917. In 1918 he received his army discharge and returned to the Royal Academy.
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He met Bartlett upon his return to the Academy, and the two were married in
1124:"Ethel Bartlett and Rae Robertson play Bach Sonata in E flat major BWV 525"
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other pianists. The two also taught at Matthay's School of Music on
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492:. Bartlett also designed her own clothes for the duo's concerts.
366:, Op. 5, to them; they performed it in a 1934 recital for Mrs.
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The couple first performed as duo-pianists on 17 June 1924 at
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London's Burning: Life, Death and Art in the Second World War
859:"Harold Knight RA, Ethel Bartlett, oil on canvas, ca. 1937"
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342:(1929) which they premiered in London on 10 December 1929.
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at the Academy, graduating in 1919. She also studied under
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Historic headshot photo of Ethel Barlett and Rae Robertson
299:. In July 1940 they played before 35,000 listeners at the
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581:"Bartlett & Robertson: Selected recordings 1927–1947"
1130:"Ethel Bartlett & Rae Robertson play Arensky Waltz"
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Ethel Bartlett and Rae Robertson Music and Other Papers
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described Bartlett as his "then 'girlfriend'" in 1917.
421:, Op. 15. In 1939 they began recording exclusively for
382:(1949) for them; they premiered the duo-piano work in
370:. In 1944 they commissioned a two-piano concerto from
374:, but he did not live to compose it. Czech composer
1056:. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.
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707:
Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia
1029:Bohuslav Martinů: A Research and Information Guide
733:"Famous Piano Duo Secured for Gettysburg Concert"
389:Bartlett and Robertson initially signed with the
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839:"Two-Piano Recital Hailed as Rare Musical Treat"
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793:"1945, English, Sound, Recorded music edition"
295:, Washington National Symphony Orchestra, and
204:John Rae Robertson was born in the village of
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401:'s Concerto in C for two keyboards, BWV1061;
1011:. Oxford New York: Oxford University Press.
921:"Ethel Bartlett (1896–1978) by Laura Knight"
894:"Dame Laura Knight and the Nude Controversy"
751:"Artists on Piano Have a Double Partnership"
611:"Prominent Piano Duo to Play Here Wednesday"
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287:tours, they played several seasons with the
193:in Berlin. In addition to piano, she played
958:"Music Figure Falls Before the Grim Reaper"
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818:"English Duo Pianists Make Debut in City"
837:Albright, Caroline A. (8 January 1936).
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678:"Duo-Pianists Will Perform in January"
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1166:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music
966:. 24 November 1956. pp. 15, 18.
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633:. bach-cantatas.com. 5 November 2011
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578:
417:, Op. 31, No. 3; and the waltz from
348:Introduction and Rondo alla Burlesca
1050:; Abrahams, William Miller (1994).
978:"Bartlett and Robertson Collection"
863:Object of the Month – November 2013
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661:. London: Robson Books. p. 19.
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317:national broadcast on 6 July 1942.
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686:. 10 December 1943. pp. 1, 3.
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509:Bartlett and Robertson Collection
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221:in July 1916 and a hand wound at
177:Ethel Agnes Bartlett was born in
892:Hughes, Kathryn (11 July 2013).
709:. 1 January 2000. Archived from
490:Atkinson Art Gallery and Library
346:composed three pieces for them:
293:Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
128:(1893–1956), popularly known as
53:Ethel Bartlett and Rae Robertson
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739:. 28 September 1940. p. 1.
586:. pianousage.net. pp. 5–13
425:, producing recordings such as
826:. 10 January 1936. p. 15.
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447:(1945), arranged by Bartlett.
37:Bartlett and Robertson in 1938
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797:National Library of Australia
703:"Bartlett, Ethel (1896–1978)"
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297:Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
232:, London, in September 1921.
1115:How to use archival material
619:. 12 March 1944. p. 27.
459:in 1936, a reviewer for the
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423:Columbia Masterworks Records
391:National Gramophonic Society
338:, the most famous being his
111:Columbia Masterworks Records
103:National Gramophonic Society
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945:Stansky & Abrahams 1994
657:Barbirolli, Evelyn (2002).
500:The couple owned a home in
393:. In 1930 they signed with
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1156:English classical pianists
1137:, University of Louisville
1005:; Kildea, Paul F. (2003).
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757:. 2 March 1985. p. 5.
397:, for which they recorded
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768:Britten & Kildea 2003
651:Barbirolli's second wife
321:Repertoire and recordings
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980:. Royal Academy of Music
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358:, Op. 23, No. 2 (1941).
132:were a husband-and-wife
659:Life With Glorious John
631:"Rae Robertson (Piano)"
314:The Bell Telephone Hour
215:University of Edinburgh
162:Early life and marriage
130:Bartlett and Robertson,
1026:Simon, Robert (2014).
755:Lawrence Journal-World
579:Siek, Stephen (2013).
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431:Andante and variations
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183:Royal Academy of Music
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171:Royal Academy of Music
139:Royal Academy of Music
43:Background information
25:Bartlett and Robertson
867:Royal Academy of Arts
721:– via HighBeam.
502:Escondido, California
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354:, Op. 26 (1941), and
340:Sonata for two pianos
329:A 1937 concert advert
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248:Ethel Bartlett (1946)
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169:
1171:English musical duos
1151:Classical piano duos
683:The Florida Flambeau
616:St. Petersburg Times
364:Polka for two pianos
269:, to mixed reviews.
1092:Library of Congress
899:The Daily Telegraph
737:Gettysburg Compiler
484:and his wife, Dame
386:in September 1949.
219:Battle of the Somme
134:classical piano duo
16:Classical piano duo
713:on 15 October 2017
395:His Master's Voice
380:Three Czech Dances
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210:Scottish Highlands
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440:En blanc et noir
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376:Bohuslav Martinů
356:Mazurka Elegiaca
344:Benjamin Britten
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1048:Stansky, Peter
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260:Wimpole Street
243:coordination.
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236:Musical career
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191:Artur Schnabel
187:Tobias Matthay
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75:Years active
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372:Béla Bartók
195:harpsichord
1145:Categories
1063:0804723400
1018:0198167148
984:20 January
930:20 January
905:20 January
873:20 January
802:20 January
780:Simon 2014
717:19 January
637:19 January
590:19 January
515:References
496:Later life
336:Arnold Bax
230:Marylebone
963:Billboard
451:Technique
411:Beethoven
384:Edinburgh
307:No. 3 by
281:The Times
272:The Times
206:Ardersier
69:Classical
1088:Location
457:Montreal
427:Schumann
350:(1940),
173:, London
996:Sources
435:Debussy
208:in the
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61:England
1098:Source
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443:, and
378:wrote
276:'s
99:Labels
66:Genres
58:Origin
584:(PDF)
520:Notes
309:Liszt
223:Ypres
87:–1956
1058:ISBN
1034:ISBN
1013:ISBN
986:2016
932:2016
907:2016
875:2016
804:2016
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639:2016
592:2016
507:The
399:Bach
197:and
91:1956
83:1924
79:1924
925:BBC
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