Jean Cras (1879‑1932), contemporary with both Debussy and Ravel, was a remarkable composer. Not only did he write a sequence of distinguished chamber works but he also had a major career in the French Navy. The four works on the present disc, all dating from the 1920s, stem from his third period, during which he was in command of some of the most important warships in the French fleet.

The String Trio (1926) is in four neatly structured movements. The first and longest is the one closest to Debussy and Ravel, while the second-movement Lent is a hushed and dedicated lament, with each of the three instruments given a chance to shine. The attractive third movement is a vigorous scherzo with lively pizzicato writing, and the finale, even faster, is a furious moto perpetuo with scurrying strings which in the middle underlie a haunting violin melody.

The Two Impromptus for harp (1925) are strongly contrasted: the first like a recitative, the second a dance based on the folk tunes of the composer’s native Brittany with plenty of spectacular glissandos. The Suite for flute and harp (1927) is in four compact movements. The first is open and sunny, leading to a sparkling scherzo, a jaunty march with pentatonic ideas à la Debussy and a light-hearted and carefree finale.

The final item, the Quintet of 1928, brings all the instruments together in a work specifically designed for the distinguished Quintette Instrumentale de Paris. There is much virtuoso writing in all four movements, starting with a spirited Allegro with a flamboyant close, followed by a brilliant scherzo with high dynamic contrasts and a nicely contrasted central Trio. The slow third movement is a monothematic passacaglia full of harp arpeggios with a big central climax. The finale is a fun movement, ever more brilliant with chugging rhythms until its sudden close.

The big attraction of Jean Cras’s music from this showing is that though he offers little in the way of musical profundity, his gift of writing in a carefree, sunny way makes his music a delight to hear. Many will be surprised that a composer of such endlessly attractive music can have remained so relatively obscure. The performances and recording could hardly be bettered. Highly recommended.