Lalo: Chamber Music

Lalo is mainly remembered for his Symphonie Espagnole, but he wrote a lot of other music that has the same energised appeal and melodic strength. This CD gives you three major, unknown chamber works, including a fabulous Piano Trio that has all the clatter and brilliance of Mendelssohn, a Violin Sonata that is enjoyably communicative between the instruments, built around some lyrical, Beethoven-like variations in the slow movement, and, perhaps best of all, a Grand Quintette. This rare work is cast in two movements and is perhaps the one that sounds the most original. The piano writing is very appealing and tends to use those big chords that punctuate his orchestral scores, superbly pitched across the keyboard. They have a kind of athleticism that makes you think that barbell-work would be a useful preparation for playing them, however there is also a certain leanness in the way he achieves such dazzling pianistic colour, a bit like Saint-Saens. A few violin and piano genre pieces fill out the disc with much charm - Guitare is a masterpiece for all its brevity, and again has a marvellous sense of colour as well as a great tune. The musicians seem to really be enjoying themselves, and Dorian Lamotte and Francois Dumont project the duo works with great brio, as well as leading the ensemble with a sense of elation.