London’s Tasmin Little has built quite a reputation for herself (especially among the British press) when it comes to homegrown repertoire. Given that, you would hope that this recording of sonatas by two English masters would be a disc to look out for; instead, it’s a disappointment. Little has an unyieldingly wide, mechanical vibrato that does not wear well and the elongated lines of both pieces suffer for it. The subtle feeling of the Elgar is totally lost: in her hands, it’s all attack, attack, attack, and her dynamics generally range between loud, louder, and loudest. Her heavy stomp through the Elgar sonata makes her sound like an exceptionally gifted and overzealous teenager who hasn’t yet understood the power of a more subtle touch or how to make a phrase breathe. She should take lessons from her excellent partner, Martin Roscoe; there’s never any doubt with him about how a phrase should arc. Especially considering two relatively recent and outstanding issues of the Elgar (Maxim Vengerov on Teldec and Daniel Hope on the late and lamented Nimbus), Little’s traversal is entirely beside the point.
The Bax does fare better–good news, since there’s less recorded competition (if you’re interested in an alternate reading, Robert Gibbs made a recording of all three sonatas for ASV). Here, Little is sweeter and more relaxed than in the Elgar, but it’s not enough to save the disc. The sound is another strike against this production: it’s as dull and dry as Little’s interpretations.
