The perky dialogue between oboe and bassoon in André Jolivet’s Sonatine of 1963, while falling outside the general wind-quintet orbit of this two-disc set, also yields up one of its most entertaining curiosities. There is clearly some sort of narrative at work here. Starting off in unison, the two instruments then pose questions, make terse comments, discuss things animatedly, enjoy a languid doze in the récitatif of the second movement and then wake up full of the joys of spring in the finale. It’s a fun little piece, only eight minutes long but beautifully crafted and full of zestful character. It is also played with a keen spirit by François Leleux and Gilbert Audin, two of the performers who have come together to mine that rich seam of French wind ensemble-writing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and, on the second disc, to explore the repertoire more widely.

The most substantial work on the first disc is the Wind Quintet of 1876 by Paul Taffanel, a flautist/composer whose inside knowledge of the instruments lends the music a refined blend of timbres within an idiom of suave Gallic charm, no more, no less. Turning immediately to the second disc, Ligeti’s Six Bagatelles of 1956 offer a complete contrast in the vibrancy, transparency and wit of the music, with not a note wasted in these compact miniatures of scintillating invention, colour and rhythmic pungency. Zemlinsky’s Mahler-imbued Humoreske and Barber’s sun-drenched Summer Music offer a pool of repose before the lively astringency of Veress’s 1933 Sonatina for oboe, clarinet and bassoon and, finally, Hindemith’s Kleine Kammermusik, Op 24 No 2, of 1922. Variety of style is a winning suit of this set, played throughout with terrific aplomb.