Auvidis Valois and the artists have scraped the bottom of the Beethoven barrel here, and it is not easy to locate these three works in the catalogue of his compositions in Grove. For a start, the Sonata in B flat only occurs among ''works of doubtful authenticity'' although a manuscript copy was found among the composer's papers at the time of his death (if authentic, it dates from c. 1792). As for the Sonata in F, this is the Horn Sonata that he subsequently arranged for flute—or alternatively violin, viola or cello. The witty Serenade first appeared as his Op. 25 and was scored for flute, violin and viola; according to Grove, this later arrangement for flute and piano was ''approved and corrected by Beethoven but largely the work of someone else''.
Furthermore, one doesn't have to agree with the booklet essay's view that the first work is ''unmistakable'' Beethoven. This is conventional music, rising above the salon level only in the Largo and variation finale, but it remains appealing in an unpretentious way and the artists play it with eloquence and delicacy. As for the Horn Sonata, the essay makes a point of its great success at its premiere in 1800, but that was surely partly due to the instrument, the player J. W. Stich, and the composer being at the piano. On the flute it inevitably changes character, though remaining enjoyable. Indeed, one can enjoy the whole recital, given by two accomplished players who have been well recorded and present this music with charm and intelligence.'