This cellist, Parisian and in his mid-twenties, is a strong and sensitive performer and his programme is well chosen and not just a collection of lollipops – for a start, Saint-Saens’s “The swan” is not to be found. On the other hand, Liszt’s La lugubre gondola, originally for piano and unrelievedly sombre, is hardly easy listening in the way that Rachmaninov’s Vocalise and Dvorak’s G flat major Humoresque are, and at 12'50'' it’s the longest piece in the recital.
However, Henri Demarquette plays it beautifully. Otherwise, too, he offers plenty of contrast. Apart from pieces like the Vocalise which highlight the cello’s singing qualities, he gives us convincing brilliance in Tchaikovsky’s Pezzo capriccioso, Popper’s two pieces, and those by Weber and Chopin. Indeed, this is an attractive recital: the pianist (though backwardly placed) is supportively stylish and the recording admirably captures the cello sound. But the booklet-essay disappoints. It mentions around 20 composers, ranging from Bach to Shostakovich, who are unrepresented on this disc, yet offers no information about the pieces here, some of which are transcriptions.'