Though my colleague Laura Rónai has raved about this god of the flute, I have not had occasion to listen to his work until now. Often, though not always, the use of a modern instrument in older repertoire brings with it habits of expression, whether they be articulation (or the lack of it), the use of vibrato, a spinto tone, and so forth, so that what is inappropriate in the interpretation is not the use of anachronistic instruments, but the ‘software’ that goes with them. And this is where Pahud shines most particularly. He has taken the lessons of the one-keyed flute to heart, playing with a mellow tone, a cantabile and naturally inflected line, and his articulations are clear and unforced. (Perhaps the next step is to move to the one-keyed flute?) Pahud’s ornamentation is also completely stylish, so much so that one could imagine it came from the master’s pen (the page of the G major in the booklet allows the listener to compare what is written with what Pahud has created). The playing of the Barock Solisten is fine, if with a somewhat more modern tinge than Pahud.

The repertoire includes some familiar works (the Tafelmusik concerto, and the concerto for d’amore instruments), and also two premieres, the delicious G major concerto, and a double concerto (with the wonderful Jacques Zoon). A highly recommendable disc. TOM MOORE