1919: Boulanger, Janáček, Elgar & Debussy

The First World War changed Europe forever—even on an artistic level, its music would never be the same again. It felt like the end of times, and the start of something new. A world in flux. Similarly, the works on this intimately recorded album move in wildly differing circles. Elgar’s wistful Romanticism contrasts with the exotic soundworlds of Debussy’s Sonata and Boulanger’s sprightly miniature. Janáček looks to the future with bold colours and spiky rhythms coupled with a sense of unease. Violinist Benjamin Baker and pianist Daniel Lebhardt perform each work with consummate skill and an unalloyed passion.