Spanning nearly six decades of material, this collection of chamber works by Jean Françaix (1912-97) proves a certain continuity in his vision and style. Take as one example the two quintets for flute, string trio, and harp, the first of which was composed in 1934, the second in 1989. While the 1934 work most definitely bears the stamp of Ravel (not surprising for the work of an impressionable 23-year-old compatriot), it also contains flashes of the playfulness that became a hallmark of Françaix’s work in later years. In an interesting inversion of what one might expect, it is the early quintet that is profoundly meditative and inward-looking, while the quintet written when the composer was 77 is full of good spirits–a lighthearted, almost cartoony splash of notes. The “little duets” for flute and harp and the quintet for clarinet and string quartet are equally insouciant in the faster movements. Regardless of vintage, though, all of these works are finely crafted, which upholds the observation of Françaix’s composition teacher, the legendary Nadia Boulanger, who told her 10-year-old pupil’s mother that her son Jean was born knowing harmony.
Mobius, an ensemble founded in 1995, is a very fine group of players, perfectly poised to bring out all the cheeriness of Françaix’s music in its first recording for ASV. Clarinetist Robert Plane deserves special mention for the elegant solos in the clarinet quintet’s closing Rondo. While the audio quality overall is quite acceptable, the sound of the harp gets lost in the Piccoli Duetti.
