‘They generally lack emotional substance’ is Ewan West’s verdict (New Grove, 2nd Edition) on the piano compositions of Joseph Wölfl (1773-1812). Many stretches of the Op 33 sonatas tend to corroborate the opinion largely because the expansion and evolution of thematic material are slender. Jon Nakamatsu seems unable to minimise this weakness though he is an accomplished and clean-limbed pianist with an excellent sense of rhythm.

He is also able to shape phrases artistically but he rarely varies his touch. When he does, as in the Adagio of Op 25 (four of its five movements are the most resourcefully conceived of all the works on the disc), he produces inflections that evoke moods and give meaning to the shaping. Otherwise there is a lack of depth to Nakamatsu’s tone, exacerbated by hard-edged attack at high dynamic levels. It results in monotony of timbre that in turn limits the potential for drawing out fully any expressive content that might be inherent in the music. Wölfl’s own playing was criticised for having ‘neither light nor shade’. This often applies to Nakamatsu too.

The recording is probably blameless in this respect. The acoustic may be a little dry but the instrument (a Steinway Model D) is very well balanced and there are no unwanted noises. Overall, the enterprise behind this undertaking is to be admired but the end result is equivocal.