Lise Daoust, Carmen Picard, Elizabeth Dolin - Hummel: Flute Sonatas, Flute Trio, Grand Rondeau Brillant (1996)

Hummel’s lasting importance – according to Grove, “he clearly linked the styles of Clementi and Mozart, in a line that bypassed Beethoven, with those of Schubert, Mendelssohn, Chopin, early Liszt and Schumann” – is triumphantly confirmed by this recital. Moreover, these enthusiastic and committed performances show Hummel’s music to be not only significant but also interesting and enjoyable. Lisa Daoust and Carmen Picard winningly convey the exuberance and simple melodic charm of the G major Flute Sonata; and revel in the D major Sonata’s delightful technical display. Occasional breathiness – most notably in the lower register – sometimes blurs the flute’s focus; but generally sensitive balance engagingly demonstrates the equal dialogue between the two instruments. The A major Flute Sonata is especially appealing. Here, Daoust and Picard aptly shape the first movement’s overt brilliance to convey its beguilingly proto-romantic expression. They sensitively match the second movement’s charming opposition of fragmentary flute melody and smooth piano accompaniment and capture all the wit of the rondo finale’s opera buffa character.

The Grand Rondeau Brillant continues in theatrical mood with a dramatic introduction that blossoms into music of passionate tenderness and elegant virtuosity, after which both players launch exultantly into the rondo’s buoyant melodiousness. To conclude, Elizabeth Dolin joins Daoust and Picard in a fine account of the A major Trio, whose shimmering tremolos in its final variation and closing rondo vividly evoke Schubert’s spirit. This fascinating issue will have a wide appeal, particularly at super-bargain price.