Flute and harp, yes, familiar enough; oboe and harp, not so familiar, but (given the right players) suggest at the very least equal enchantment. In the event Schellenberger and Suss, both of the Berlin Philharmonic, turn out not only to be very much the right players, but also to explore a rewarding repertory.
Some of the recital, understandably, is made up of arrangements: the Bach and the Mozart are both from flute and harpsichord pieces; and they come off very well. There are, too, solo contributions: Gordon Jacob with a suite of Seven Bagatelles, crafty and effective miniatures which explore oboe style fruitfully; Charles Koechlin declaring in his Monodie that the cor anglais, when well written for, is by no means limited to permanent lament; and Prokofiev with the Prelude from the Op. 12 set of piano pieces: these he is said to have envisaged also in harp performance.
The more specialist harpist or oboist composers are also represented: Bochsa with possibly the only seven-movement Nocturne in the whole of music. Until, that is, he was outdone (inflation setting in) by Brod with all of an eight-movement Nocturne, also included. But in this more specialized field Pasculli's Omaggio a Bellini, for cor anglais and harp, does have the advantage of the better-known composer's marvellous tunes.
Throughout the disc the playing is immaculate, as is the recording. Aficionados of the three instruments concerned need look no further for a great range of enjoyment.'