Pairing Ravel and Scriabin is an intriguing idea – two composers with their own unique harmonic language (the Scriabin works here are from his ‘second period’, when he had emerged from the shadow of Chopin), yet which have some elements in common, with their uncertain tonality, touches of dissonance and use of chords of the ninth, 11th and 13th. How easily the last of Ravel’s seven little Valses flows seamlessly into the opening of Scriabin’s Fourth Sonata. The skilful programming extends to opening with the Ravel Valses (1911) and ending with the solo version of La valse (1920), the former always striking me as preparatory exercises for the latter.

Sadly, though, from the performance aspect I don’t think the results are altogether successful. There is no denying HJ Lim’s audacious technical command, and she takes the considerable demands of La valse and especially Scriabin’s Op 53 in her stride. Her silvery tone suits the Valses well but of sentimentales there is little evidence. The two Scriabin sonatas require a clear sense of line if they are not to sound episodic. Turn to Marc-André Hamelin for a transparent narrative where, unlike Lim, background gestures are kept in their place. They also require the full range of the piano’s sonority. Hamelin gives you this in spades with con luminosità, estatico, imperioso and Scriabin’s other directions executed with spine-tingling finesse.

Best of all on this disc are the two remaining Ravel items, a neatly turned Sonatine and La valse delivered with enviable aplomb, though I wouldn’t trade it for the jaw-dropping account by the unsung Jorge Luis Prats.