Martin James Bartlett’s mere presence immediately lights up the stage. He puts a smile on your face even before placing his fingers on the keyboard. He knows where he belongs, and he is totally comfortable with it. Then he starts to play – from then on, he takes complete charge. He embraces the audience with music which is dear to him. His crafting interpretations, fearless technique, bold approach and ability to create endless tone colours all contribute to his music, which speaks directly speaks to the heart.

The succession of three short works by Bach were a bliss. Well, technically it was not entirely Bach alone; in Bach-Busoni’s Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, we heard the chorale lines exquisitely voiced; the tones expanded unlimitedly in a processional calmness, which sustained the majestic beauty. In Siciliano from the E flat Flute Sonata, arranged by Kemp, Martin offered an angelic melody hovering freely with a most transparent texture. Toccata’s bold opening, unfolding with a complete shift in tones, was freshly welcomed. Martin’s fantastic articulation kept the harmonic tension high, while the closely woven lines created joyful intensity.

Martin’s crafting interpretations shone in Mozart’s A major Sonata; the Turkish March like we’ve never heard before. Played with the clearest and most transparent tones, Martin’s rendition of the famous third movement was full of playful, cheeky even, improvisations. One could not help thinking that we were undoubtedly hearing Mozart’s work, but it was also totally Martin’s creation. The first movement’s variations were pleasantly unique as well – no repeats were played the same. We looked forward to what we were going to encounter next.

The second half of the programme by Liszt, Granados and Scriabin saw a significant change in character from the first half. Swapping simplicity and cuteness with considerable virtuosity and artistic challenges – a contrast the audience welcomed. All gorgeously performed, but the piece that stood out for me was Scriabin’s Sonata No. 4. It was radiant, the mood and sounds forever soaring high, creating images of ascent towards the bright light the composer was searching for. Just as Scriabin described in his poem, "It is towards thee, adored star, My flights guides me".

Thunderous applause from the audience meant that we did not want Martin to leave the stage. He didn’t disappoint – in fact, he surpassed our expectations and proceeded to play Concert Paraphrase Soirée de Vienne, a thrilling piece by Strauss/Grünfeld to lift our spirited mood even higher, followed by an immensely touching rendition of Schumann’s Of Foreign Lands and Peoples from Kinderszenen. Martin certainly knows how to own a stage.