The Honegger, Martinu and Rivier pieces are not currently listed in the Gramophone Classical Catalogue, but these fine performances do far more than merely fill...

The Honegger, Martinu and Rivier pieces are not currently listed in the Gramophone Classical Catalogue, but these fine performances do far more than merely fill gaps. Ravel's Sonata, dating from 1920-22, was an important piece in its composer's development, as he himself acknowledged, and the probable inspiration of the other works here. In turn, Ravel was acquainted with Kodaly's Duo, Op. 7 of 1914, which the Turovskys have already recorded (Chandos ABRD1102, 11/84). The Sonata must have come as a shock after the luxuriance of La valse (1919-20), but its scalingdown of resources led to no loss of musical intensity, and although the writing does not, at least now, sound outre, it is extremely inventive in instrumental terms and the Turovskys make an aptly zestful response.

Afterwards, Rivier's 1937 Sonatina sounds modest indeed, yet its three movements are melodious, graceful and effectively written, without conveying anything of the sense of pushing the boundaries outwards, musically and technically, which makes the Ravel so exhilarating. Honegger's and Martinu's pieces are weightier than Rivier's and the former, dating from 1932, has a quite sombre central Andante, plus an extremely diverse finale. More consistent, and just as capably written, is Martinu's two-movement Duo of 1927. And again, there are strong contrasts, the first movement being thoughtful, the last one effervescent.

The Turovsky's performances are thoughtful, too, and resonantly virtuosic when required, nowhere more so than in Martinu's cadenza. Their recital plays for 63 minutes, and while the recording is thoroughly lifelike on LP it seems to me that on CD the separation of the two instruments is more explicit and the music is projected rather more sharply. Ravel's Sonata exemplifies these points especially well.

-- Gramophone [7/1985]