Ethel Bartlett (Piano)

Born: June 6, 1896 – London¹ or Epping Forest² (between north-east Greater London and Essex), England
Died: April 17, 1978 - Los Angeles¹ or Santata Barbara², California, USA

The English pianist, Ethel Bartlett, married her fellow student, the Scottish pianist, Rae Robertson (b. Inverness, Scotland, November 29, 1893; d. Los Angeles, November 4, 1956). Bartlett and Rae Robertson began to make one pianistic career out of two somewhere about 1926 or so, and established a new interest in and a new standard of two-piano playing. This couple toured extensively in Europe and North and South America as a two-piano duo from 1928 to his death. They also taught at the Matthay School of Music (England) and arranged and published two-piano music. They Settled in USA and in later years Ethel was a teacher. A number of composers wrote two piano music for them. Ethel was pianist with John Barbirolli (violoncello) in his recitals in 1920’s.

Photo of Ethel Bartlett, Pianist, by Harold Knight [01]

Ethel Bartlett & Rae Robertson with tenor Peter Pears on the left. (The picture was taken by Benjamin Britten, while he and Pears were staying at the couple's California home during the summer of 1941) [02]

Rae Robertson / Ethel Bartlett Autographed 1930s’ [03]

Sources:
1. Women at the Piano Website
2. Answers.com Website
3. Bits & pieces from other sources
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (June 2011)

Ethel Bartlett: Short Biography | Recordings of Instrumental Works

Links to other Sites

Women at the Piano: Women as Duopianists

Ethel Bartlett (Answers.com)