February 08, 2022

“Time Traveler’s Suite” from Inon Barnatan receives a 4-star review by BBC Music Magazine

“Barnatan plays with delightful alertness of phrasing and his ornamentation is sublimely executed”

Inon Barnatan is one of the most admired pianists of his generation (New York Times). On his third PENTATONE album Time Traveler’s Suite, pianist Inon Barnatan redefines our notions of the suite by taking us on a journey through time and space, from Baroque pieces by Bach, Handel, Rameau, and Couperin to more recent works by Ravel, Barber, Adès and Ligeti.

“Time travelling is something the period performance movement has been trying to do for decades, albeit with the aid of electric lighting and modern heating. Inon Barnatan’s brand of time travel, spanning four centuries and several cities, involves a ‘suite’ of seemingly disparate pieces, but each in fact united by some element of the Baroque form. And, an obvious point perhaps, all performed on the same modern piano (a Steinway? Alas, he doesn’t say).”

“…I love the concept, and anything that can so effectively and seamlessly bring old and new together is very welcome”.

Oliver Condy

Read more on BBC Music Magazine

Photo by Marco Borggreve