Expertly Sculpted

James Brawn's
time traveller recital -
delights
ANDREW SCHARTMANN

'Each time a passage repeats ... Brawn shows us something new.'

James Brawn in Recital - Volume 2. The Time Traveller and his Muse. © 2015 MSR Classics

James Brawn's steady stream of recordings over the past several years has established him as a world-class pianist — a title reinforced by Steinway's recent decision to name him an official Steinway Artist. Like all accomplished pianists, Brawn backs his musical interpretations with a formidable technique, which is on display — as always — in his latest recording, subtitled 'The Time Traveller and His Muse'. But this volume represents far more than another Brawn success story, for it is also an artistic statement about the very nature and purpose of recordings. Rather than providing us with a rehearsed interpretation of time-tested works, Brawn gives us something much more fluid — a one-time snapshot of thirty-one short pieces by thirteen composers, ranging from Domenico Scarlatti to George Gershwin...