Although not well known to CD buyers, Yves Prin (b. 1933) is a much respected name in the field of French contemporary music, both as composer and conductor, and his works find their way onto CD for what appears to be the first time on this Naxos release. Prin's musical language is strongly influenced by the exoticism of Olivier Messiaen and the modernity of Boulez, yet the impact of Debussy is only mildly concealed as well in the more lyrical passages of Prin's flute concerto, written for Pierre-Yves Artaud (who also performs it here). With the title Le Souffle d'Iris, the work has three through-composed sections that present a wide range of extraordinary technical demands for the soloist. These include flutter-tonguing, whistle-tone, use of the key mechanism to create percussive effects, and production of a sound that might be the result of the player blowing into the tube of the flute longitudinally from its base rather than transversely via the mouthpiece. In any case, Artaud gives a stunning account, and you'll find the range of sounds he produces quite remarkable.

Ephémères, a capriccio for violin and chamber orchestra, was written in 1973 and revised in 1992. Here, Prin "sought to develop a succession of different aural climates" in a piece that may be strongly affected at will by spontaneous decisions taken by the soloist. Not surprisingly, it has a highly improvisatory nature, and Philippe Graffin's spectacularly imaginative performance endorses Prin's description of the piece as something of an homage to Ravel, particularly his Tzigane. This engrossing issue also includes Prin's Dioscures (1977, rev. 1984) for flute, violin, clarinet, and chamber orchestra. Again, the musical ideas often are highly arresting and severely demanding--and these performers prove fully able to meet the work's requirements. Try this if you're curious, appreciate the adventure of discovering new(er) music, or are simply looking for a positive introduction to Prin's work.

--Michael Jameson