The opening bars of the Fauré A major Sonata do not make a good start to this disc. At least, not as Emmanuel Strosser plays them, with oceans of pedal drowning the melody line. Things improve at times – the sprightly third movement goes at a good pace and the ensemble is tidy – but I regularly had to remind myself by looking at the score that, yes, this passage should be piano.

Pasquier’s tone is sweet below forte, but becomes a touch harsh under pressure, which is the case too frequently. The resonant acoustic doesn’t help matters. The Second Sonata of 40 years later is, as they say, a quite different pair of sleeves, but if anything still less accommodating to this rather aggressive approach. It’s a tough work in many ways, not least as a technical challenge, but the toughness is one of muscle and sinew, not of sheer bulk.

The opening bars, again marked piano, lack the requisite sense of promise when played forte, as here. In this Sonata Fauré extends his development of material beyond the central section usually given up to this, and part and parcel of this technique is to have a quiet opening that then reappears loudly at the reprise.

Imitation is rife between violin and piano above strong bass lines, to which the internal piano figuration is very much secondary; Strosser in general makes too much of this figuration so that the bones of the piece are at times barely discernible beneath the flesh. As a result the work comes over as dull and featureless – which Hyperion’s altogether superior recording assures us is far from being the case.

The Debussy Sonata, lighter in texture, fares better, though Pasquier is a bit stingy with his portamenti and there’s some roughish bowing in the finale. But I see no case for preferring this version either to that of Little and Lane or, if you’re prepared to forgive a few piano splodges and some imperfect ensemble, the Thibaud/Cortot recording of 1929 where the aroma of Thibaud’s tone and phrasing remains as heady as ever.