Honegger: Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano, H 42

“this is beautifully detailed playing throughout. And a fine balance of just that clarity and colour, elegance and lyricism, that I was talking about right at the beginning. That’s why, of these three excellent new recordings, this is the one I would personally buy.” BBC R3 CD Review

Undoubtedly one of the finest clarinettist ever. Here are his complete Danish recordings 1947-1952 plus never released Brahms and Schumann. Louis Cahuzac is accompanied by conductors Mogens Wöldike and John Frandsen and the great pianist Folmer Jensen. His Mozart and Nielsen recordings are legendary.

The cultural history of the clarinet is closely associated with 19th century musical tradition, Debussy being particularly influential. This CD includes works by him and also members of the Group of Six, Honegger, Milhaud and Poulenc who turned away from Impressionism and lead French music into the modern age. Here this exciting phase of music history is heard in all its glory.

This disc is an exploration of abstract clarinet-and-piano music from the 20th Century. The six items on this programme include three sonatas, one sonatine, a set of pieces which taken together closely resemble a sonata, and another set inspired by the latter. All six might be considered to be rather off the beaten recital-programme path and all six convey something of their national origins. Certainly all have retained particular currency in their composers’ respective countries.