Scarcely had I reviewed the Nash Ensemble's disc (Virgin Classics) containing, among other works, Debussy's three late sonatas (written at the end of his life) than along comes this one, with fine performances from a group of distinguished players, all well known to us except Bernold (who is first flute in the Lyons Opera Orchestra) and Guye (first cello in the Suisse Romande), who immediately show themselves artists of the first rank. Guye produces ravishing tone and most sensitive nuances in the Cello Sonata, which with Roge's sympathetic partnership captures a quality of spontaneity (with the requisite spirit of caprice in the Serenade). In the trio sonata the gentle, refined flute sonority, the subtly graded scale of dynamics and the flexibility of the performances as a whole are delightful: the second movement intriguingly combines Gallic coolness and Gallic passion, with splendid elan in its central section. The Violin Sonata is given an unusually free and spacious reading. So far, so very good. But, perhaps due to the treacherous acoustics of the Eglise du Liban, the disc is not free from problems.
The balance of violin and piano varies somewhat, the violin often seeming to recede from the microphone; the Cello Sonata is recorded at a higher level than the other works; and the level of the Trio's first movement does not match that of the remainder of the sonata. These flaws could be lived with; but when in addition one takes into account the short measure of music on the disc (the Trio's first movement is even wrongly timed, making it look a minute longer than it is) and the careless presentation of the accompanying printed material, full of misprints, there cannot but be concern that Adda may be spoiling the ship for a ha'porth of tar.'