Sharon Bezaly Essentials

Blessed with a rich, golden tone, an unassailable technical facility and a musicianship that allows her convincingly perform repertoire from every musical period, Sharon Bezaly is one of the great exponents of the flute. We begin in the modern flute’s heyday, in late 19th- and early-20th-century Paris. Recently modernised with a metal bore and an intricate key mechanism, the instrument was the darling of recital halls, salons and conservatoires, and composers such as Fauré, Chaminade, Taffanel and Poulenc seized the chance to showcase its new-found range and tone. It’s hard to imagine these works performed with more grace, style and Gallic abandon. Bezaly brings her trademark fluidity to 18th-century repertoire, too, particularly Mozart’s evergreen Flute and Harp Concerto, and the composer’s effervescent solo concertos that here radiate humour and beauty. Finally, Bezaly’s scintillating performance of Nicolas Bacri’s brooding Flute Concerto is a showcase for her remarkable breath control and magical consistency of tone.