There is much to delight
the listener here. Andersen and Blumenthal
are a real chamber-music duo, reacting
to each other with quicksilver reflexes.
Their task of introducing the public
to these works is clearly one they have
taken seriously. These performances
reflect not only careful preparation
but also enthusiasm.
What we have here are
first recordings; so the jewel case
tells us. Too often known for his etudes
- his output was huge - Czerny deserves
at least some sort of reappraisal. If
none of the works on this disc are life-changing,
all three reveal a composer of imagination
and wit. No great emotional depths are
explored, but there are some remarkably
affecting unexpected harmonic movements.
Each sonata has its
own character, reflected in the works’
subtitles. First up is the bracing ‘Sonata
Militaire et Brillante’ with its crisply
played dotted rhythms. Andersen is an
excellent ‘Primo’ player who can make
the treble glisten most appealingly.
The slow movement (an Andantino) is
an absolute delight. No demands on one’s
listening abilities here; this is the
fruit of the pen of a composer who knows
how to write with disarming simplicity.
The music-box elements of the finale
just add to the charm.
The first movement
of the ‘Sonata Sentimentale’ is marked,
‘Allegro moderato e espressivo’ and
the Andersen/Blumenthal duo hits the
nail on the head with its mildly expressive
amble through the score. The term ‘Adagio’
- used for the slow movement - normally
implies a statement of some depth, but
not here. There is a Schubertian disturbance
at one point, though.
The delicate Adagio
of the ‘Sonata Pastorale’ does
actually explore some significant emotions,
and there are some storms to the generally
laid-back first movement. The nice,
open intervals of the finale (‘à
la chasse’) are very appealing – interestingly,
the very close is almost cacophonous
here!
Grand fun, then. Whether
all three sonatas in a row is a good
idea depends on how much light-hearted
happiness you can take in one sitting,
but this disc is certainly worth dipping
into.
The booklet notes are
badly translated though and, while we
get to know the names of Producer and
Engineer, we are left in the dark as
to actually when and where these recordings
took place.
Colin Clarke
Diane Andersen, Daniel Blumenthal (piano,
four hands). 
