Loeffler: Two Rhapsodies

The London Conchord Ensemble are joined on this disc by the baritone William Dazeley,

presenting a seductive collection of fascinating chamber works and songs written by three major 20th Century French chamber music composers.

Sensual and intimate, these works epitomise the music of early 20th-century France, with their fluid lines and unusual textures, sensitively captured here by Conchord. Though born in Berlin, Charles Loeffler claimed to hail from Alsace, so strongly did he identify with the French aesthetic. His Five Songs set poetry by French poets Baudelaire and Verlaine, and his musical style recalls Franck, Chausson and Debussy. Add to this a Russian sense of instrumental colour, and the result is a fascinating concoction of expressive and evocative musical elements.

Pierné's Sonata Da Camera is reminiscent of Debussy's seminal Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp in its poignant colours and intricate textures, while Duruflé's Prélude Recitatif et Variations reveals a different style from that of his famous Requiem in writing that recalls Ravel.

Throughout this disc, Conchord plays with an effortless grace and flair, a finesse that perfectly communicates this exquisite selection of music.