This account of Debussy's Violin Sonata begins almost apologetically, considering the first movement is marked Allegro vivo. Yet Lorraine McAslan and John Blakely have a point, in that the composer himself had his doubts about this, his last work, calling it merely ''interesting... as an example of what may be produced by a sick man in wartime''. As the movement goes on, it is clear that the artists have the measure of its strange, sweet sadness and occasional weariness, and the violinist's flexibility of tone matches this approach. The soft-toned and well balanced recording suits such playing, although ideally it could have a touch more brilliance elsewhere and the players could bring more flashing energy to the rest of the work; but the interpretation is all of a piece and enjoyable. Just near the end of the finale, at 3'27'', there is a tiny extra high D from the violinist (maybe placing her finger on the string before playing the note). Perhaps this could have been edited out or the passage re-taken.
The artists are equally at home in the different world of the Ravel, where the harder surface fails to conceal a hurt heart: the pain of this work shines through movingly, and the Blues and moto perpetuo finale (steady rather than breathless) have the right bitter edge. The Saint-Saens Sonata No. 1 is the longest work on this disc, its four movements very well written for the two instruments (the composer himself played it several times with the Belgian violinist Martin Pierre Marsick, for whom it was composed). Again, the playing is idiomatic and the recording suits the music, although one hears occasional breathing—for example, after the two-minute mark in the first movement and also in the Adagio.
An attractive release therefore. But competition is strong and the Kang/Devoyon CD of these three sonatas also includes Poulenc's, and with its 70 minutes comes at bargain-price from Naxos/Harmonia Mundi. The playing and recording are fine too. I don't suggest it is more desirable than this Collins Classics disc, but if you're on a budget it must be worth thinking about; only in the first movement of the Ravel do I feel that McAslan and Blakely have a clear superiority by treating the music more thoughtfully, and they handle the end of the work better too. Collectors interested mainly in the Debussy may still safely arrive at a first choice in the DG issue with Mintz and Bronfman, which has outstanding playing and recording. Nevertheless, Kantorow and Rouvier (Denon/Conifer) are arguably still more Gallic in spirit and this well recorded performance also works admirably in its own terms. I've left Mullova and Canino (Philips) in the Ravel till last: here is splendid playing and interpretation, plus a superb recording, and it remains my first choice for this work, good though the newcomer is.
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