In an entertaining and revealing note which prefaces this recording, the clarinettist Murray Khouri laments the passing of what he describes as the ''lyric'' school of British clarinet playing, the origins of which, he suggests, may be traced to the vocal traditions of our great cathedrals. Certainly Murray Khouri's playing on this CD is a real delight, with its splendid bloom and vox humana quality.
The Fantasy-Sonata by John Ireland was written for Frederick Thurston, who gave the premiere in 1944. The work hovers in the Brahmsian shadows of the Clarinet Sonata by Ireland's mentor Stanford, and is noteworthy for its extensive variations of mood and tonality within a complex single-movement structure. This work, and the highly concentrated sonata by Bax, are expertly performed by Khouri. The dramatic impetus of the second of its two movements demands control, as well as great dexterity from the players, and the performance abounds with flair and virtuosity, with some exceptionally fine work here from Peter Pettinger.
Of the remaining items, the charming and fastidious Bagatelles by Gerald Finzi sound refreshingly inventive in this new version, but for entertainment of a more unbridled nature, one need only sample the Horovitz or Arnold Sonatinas to appreciate the good-humoured ribaldry of this skilled playing. To sum up, here is an hour of cultivated and thorough musicianship, very well recorded, which will give a great deal of pleasure.'