Steven Osborne’s new Hyperion recording of Debussy is a veritable feast, consisting of the most delicate and delectable dishes served up to perfection. The repertory is weighted more towards the early than the late, spanning from his first known piano piece, the Danse bohémienne of 1880, through works from 1909. The final three works on the disc – The Dressing of the Wounded, Elegy and On Evenings Lit with the Glow of Coals – all date from the Great War, near the end of Debussy’s life.

As engaging as the early dances are, the Two Arabesques are particularly striking in their limpid textures and inevitable harmonic movement. The Ballade is a gently unfolding story, all but palpable in its descriptiveness. The Tarantelle is light of foot, ebullient and carefree. Meanwhile, Rêverie conjures the ephemeral dream state with exquisitely tasteful understatement.

One of the things that makes Osborne’s interpretations so appealing is the spontaneous ease with which they meet the ear. I can’t think of another reading of the Suite bergamasque that sounds so fresh, as though it were improvised on the spot. And what a happy solution to revivifying these well-trodden pages of the repertory, recapturing their inspiration: tempos tend towards the brisk, indulging the playful, yet always remain perfectly characterised and articulate. When, following the insouciant glissando that ends the ‘Menuet’ and arriving in the silvery light of ‘Claire de lune’, we discover a clean, masculine account, full of sentiment but far from sentimental, reminding us why this is one of the most beloved expressions ever confided to a piano.

Once again we have the opportunity of hearing both a superb pianist in top form and a deep and perceptive musician at work. Don’t miss this one.