Although Nielsen’s Flute Concerto is well established in the repertoire, the other concertos on this recording are less frequently heard and it’s good to be reminded of their quality. Ibert’s Flute Concerto was completed in 1933 and was premiered in Paris by the flautist Marcel Moyse the following year. The two outer movements are impetuously characterful but the highlight is the hauntingly exquisite flute melody of the central Andante, performed here with considerable depth of feeling by Clara Andrada. I would be hard-pressed to choose between this and the excellent recording by Emmanuel Pahud for Warner.

Perhaps due to its brevity, Arnold’s Flute Concerto No 1, completed in 1954 and scored for flute and strings, is often described as a lightweight work. However, its 12 minute span includes episodes of mystery, poetry and tension, and Arnold’s scoring is masterly. The recording by the dedicatee, Richard Adeney, is an automatic recommendation but Andrada’s performance makes an equally strong case for this underrated work.

Competition abounds in Nielsen’s Flute Concerto of 1926 but Andrada is totally inside the unsettled, quixotic nature of the music and communicates lyrical passages with ardent conviction. Jaime Martín, himself a distinguished flautist, provides lithe and vibrant accompaniment in both the Nielsen and Ibert concertos, while Andrada herself directs the strings with impressive authority in the Arnold concerto. The quality of the recording in all three works is as bright and vivid as the performances.