The Hans Gál revival gathers momentum, and close on the heels of Avie’s recent symphony and concerto releases comes another pair of premiere recordings, this time from Toccata Classics. If you’ve already been tempted into the lyrical, warm-hearted sound world of this exiled Viennese late-Romantic, you won’t need much encouragement. Equally, these three neglected chamber works would make a thoroughly beguiling entry point.

The big story here is the Clarinet Quintet. Gál wears his influences with pride, with Brahms front and centre. There are long curving melodies, richly woven string textures and a bittersweet slow movement with a lilting, gypsy ish central interlude; overall, it’s hard to avoid the word ‘autumnal’. But does the fact that the Quintet was written by the 87-year-old composer in (astonishingly) 1977 really matter at this point? The sincerity and craftsmanship of this music is self-evident, likewise its undertow of melancholy.

This is a major rediscovery, and clarinettist Shelley Levy makes a sympathetic champion – plangent in her bottom register and accompanied by a quartet whose wide-grained tone quality suits this music well. Ensemble Burletta have a natural feeling for the ebb and flow of Gál’s style in the earlier Clarinet Trio and Serenade (the latter also a premiere recording – a suite of miniatures with a brisk sense of humour), moving easily between song and playful wit, and savouring the piquancy of Gál’s Strauss-like surprise modulations. The sound is well balanced and natural – you wouldn’t guess that this disc was recorded at three separate locations. Warmly recommended.