Presenting itself as a duo disc, this title is decidedly misleading. Over 40 minutes of this disc contain solo trumpet music, the majority composed by the trumpeter Ludwig Güttler, whose Two Improvisations comprise little more than extended, meandering technical exercises. Bernd Franke – who is at least a composer – doodles with rather more purpose (the odd microtonal effect thrown in) but 20 minutes of unaccompanied trumpet is hard work even for the aficionado.

Ludwig Güttler is, of course, a distinguished figure, one especially renowned for his thrilling piccolo trumpet playing – bright, thrusting and leading the line in many a Bach oratorio performance and little-known Saxon concerto. The large modern trumpet repertoire does not do him justice. Rough production and an unyielding quality of tone across all registers makes for an uneven performance; the Honegger is a tough ‘Intrada’ by any standards and it takes a big symphony-style player to bring its epic exterior sections to life. Güttler ’s approach is small-scale and resorts to an especially vulgar ‘pantalooning’ vibrato when he can’t sustain the line. There is some relief in the Martin<= Sonatine which he plays with articulate vitality but the Enescu Legend, from 1906, arguably the best work for trumpet and piano up to that point in history, is sluggish and technically unconvincing.

I thought the Hindemith would circumnavigate the mit kraft indication of the first movement but Güttler brings, at the very least, determination to the inexorable first movement and clarity of purpose to the ‘Trauermusik’ before the draining chorale, ‘Alle Menschen müssen sterben’. It may not be a performance of great authority but the impact of this outstanding sonata is still tellingly realised.