The most important work here is the Harpsichord Concerto, which together with Poulenc's Concert champetre and the Falla, is one of the greatest examples of the genre written this century. It was composed in 1951–52 and is a work of strong presence and personality with a totally distinctive atmosphere. The first movement is built on a sequence of six notes which was suggested by the steady movement of the waves on the North Sea, by whose shores Martin was on holiday. The orchestral forces are small, the textures have a delicate transparency and the atmosphere is strong. I have long cherished the original LP and can report that the sound is even better on this digitally remastered transfer. Having heard a brilliant broadcast account by Melvyn Tan of this piece some years ago, I hope that EMI will get him to record it one day. Not that there is anything the matter with Christiane Jacottet's performance, which has the authority of the composer's direction.
Martin wrote five Ballades for various instruments between 1938 and 1949 (the others are for flute, saxophone and cello, the latter revised in 1972 for viola). The Ballade for trombone was a competition piece written in 1940 immediately after the haunting Ballade (virtually a concerto in one movement) for piano. The latter is available in an alternative version by Antonioli on Claves/Pinnacle, which is particularly recommendable as it includes the First Piano Concerto, a great rarity—though what work of Martin, save perhaps for the Petite Symphonie Concertante, isn't! At 47 minutes the present issue is a bit short on playing time, even if it is long on musical value. I wish Jecklin had added Martin's own recording of the Eight Preludes, written for Lipatti which LS welcomed on the same label three years ago (2/86 LP only). Still, perhaps they and the Violin Concerto which the composer recorded with Schneiderhan for Vox (nla) will soon follow.'