Belgian clarinettist Ronald van Spaendonck has here collected a most attractive group of sonatinas for clarinet and piano, a genre that prompts composers to write light music exploiting the full range of the instrument. The two British works illustrate that perfectly, the Arnold opening the recital and the Horovitz closing it very effectively.

The three-movement Arnold Sonatina, written in 1951, early in his career, is full of fun in the outer movements with an attractively lyrical slow movement. The Horovitz, written in 1981, exploits the composer's gift for composing light music which is yet strongly conceived and constructed, opening with a travelling theme for the clarinet and ending with a sparkling piece full of jazzy cross-rhythms. Not surprisingly it won a Cobbett Prize and it receives a dazzling performance from Spaendonck and Reyes, who came to London to record it under the composer's supervision.

Of the other works the Martinu is perhaps the best known, written in 1956 with brilliant outer movements framing a surprisingly dark middle movement. Belgian composer Marcel Poot similarly writes with wit in his finale, while Frenchmen Raymond Chevreuille and Pierre Sancan write with wit and sparkle too in their very brief sonatinas, with Sancan relatively conventional but Chevreuille adventurously using split notes for the clarinet.

The Sonatina written by Nicolas Bacri in 2008 is described in the soloist's note as a "new gem" and plainly he enjoys playing it, for the writing is most skilled. Sadly, the result lacks any of the vigour displayed in the other works. A pity. Nevertheless, this is a valuable collection of delightful pieces, superbly played and brilliantly recorded.