Bart Schneemann’s first disc of oboe concertos by Ludwig August Lebrun (1752-90) was an unexpected delight (7/01), and now comes a follow-up offering the remaining three from that particular set, no less enjoyable and likewise showing a man utterly comfortable with his instrument (Lebrun was oboist of the famous Mannheim orchestra and a widely travelled solo performer) and with the genre best conceived to advertise his mastery of it. For oboists seeking beyond the Mozart concerto they look like a godsend: this is solid and amiably Classical in style, valuing virtuosity and sensitivity in equal measure, and perfectly content at that.

Also operating in a realm of relaxed ease is Schneemann, an oboist whose agile virtuosity can make the most daunting passagework sparkle, yet who can also roll out the longest of lines with tender grace. This comes with an exquisite command of phrasing and articulation, and an ability to draw from the instrument not only its finest qualities but also a few of the best of the flute, clarinet and soprano saxophone as well, all of them delicious to the ear; the result is some of the loveliest oboe playing you are likely to hear. The orchestral accompaniment is a touch heavier than on the earlier disc, but once one has programmed out the realised fragment of Beethoven’s lost early concerto (whose rambling awkwardness does little to raise one’s curiosity about the rest of it), this disc offers nothing but pleasure.