The Bassoonist's Songbook

Camille Saint-Saëns Sonata for Bassoon and Piano; Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Five Fairy Ballads; Clara Schumann Ich stand in dunkeln Trȃumen; Er is gekommen; Liebst du um Schönheit; Robert Schumann Three Romances, Op. 94; Johann Sebastian Bach Sonata in D major, BWV 1028; Henri Dutilleux Sarabande et Cortège; Jerome Kern All the Things You Are.

Amy Harman & Tom Poster Chandos CHAN 20360 chandos.net

If you harbour doubts that a disc devoted entirely to the bassoon might prove monotonous, Amy Harman's debut recital will comprehensively dispel them. You would be wise, too, to heed Frank Zappa's words in the liner notes: "Some people crave baseball – I find this unfathomable. But I can easily understand why a person could get excited about playing a bassoon."

As a passionate advocate for her instrument, Harman – appointed solo bassoon of the Philharmonia Orchestra at just twenty-three and currently principal bassoon of the Aurora Orchestra – showcases her skills not merely as a soloist and chamber musician, but as an eloquent communicator. Her thoughtfully curated programme demonstrates the bassoon's capacity to transcend its sometimes comedic image and become, in her words, "a voice".

Writing in the notes, Harman explains her attraction to transcriptions of songs and repertoire that allow the bassoon to sing. Working with pianist Tom Poster, with whom she has performed these pieces over many years, she has assembled what she calls The Bassoonist's Songbook – a showcase of the instrument's most lyrical qualities.

The chemistry between Harman and Poster proves ideal, the pianist's accompaniments beautifully expressed, sometimes delicate to the point of ethereal. Saint-Saëns's Sonata opens delightfully, the mood perfectly captured in a gorgeously expressive first movement. The challenging second movement highlights Harman's virtuosic skill and command of the bassoon's full dynamic range before yielding to a gentler third movement that concludes with a brief but joyful flourish. Saint-Saëns clearly understood the bassoon exceptionally well, and this sonata proves it.

The range and depth of Harman's performances are consistently warm and engaging. Each piece is superbly crafted, the phrasing delightful and the contrasting moods expertly conveyed. Jerome Kern's All the Things You Are proves divine and makes a fitting close to the programme.

For their arrangements of Clara Schumann's songs, Harman reveals that both she and Poster have the text written in their scores and truly try to embody it when they play. The results are tangible – the lyrical lines speak, the colour and feeling palpable. In Coleridge-Taylor's Five Fairy Ballads, Sweet Baby Butterfly conveys precisely the image of a butterfly dancing between summer garden flowers, the lightness displayed by both performers quite heavenly.

This is a disc that flows beautifully, every note and cadence meticulously crafted to reveal the instrument's inherent beauty. Harman's articulation and timbre captivate throughout, her legato lines stunning. There is something in Zappa's sentiment about the excitement of playing bassoon that Harman portrays exquisitely – and by the disc's end, you may well find yourself sharing it.