A reliable repertoire graces the new self-titled release from Charmian Gadd and Phillip Shovk. Recorded two years ago at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, the album features three sonatas for violin and piano. All in major keys, the works offer a chance to carve out an hour-or-so and indulge in some fine 19th-century music. Gadd’s timbre on violin is luscious with high frequencies in the opening Brahms Violin Sonata No 1 in G. Shovk burbles away with a neat brush of the keys, which satisfies the need for a fuller and warmer foundation of sound. In his notes, Shovk informs us this work is in the style of Beethoven – perhaps a reason he chose the master’s Sonata No 10 in G to complete the album. But sandwiched between these two legendary composers is Fauré: his Violin Sonata No 1 in A. A pivotal work in the chamber repertoire, Fauré’s music is composed and performed with affection (except during the rumbling momentum of the Allegro vivo). The Beethoven eventually arrives with a frisky little trill, instruments echoing each other before joining in rhythmic unison. In this Allegro moderato, Gadd and Shovk bare their abilities to respond acutely to each other’s musical approaches….

The Music in Exile series is a fantastic initiative by Canadian group ARC Ensemble (Artists of the Royal Conservatory). A spotlight on composers of suppressed music during the rise of Nazism, the most recent in the series looks at the chamber works of Paris-based Polish composer, Szymon Laks. Musically, Laks was something of a more cosmopolitan Bartók, with notes of Hindemith, Poulenc and even Prokofiev peppering his language. His works are infused with tuneful confidence, and many, particularly the Piano Quintet, draw on Polish folk tradition. The performances on this disc are all crystal clear, capturing the fine lines of Laks’ calculated counterpoint. Much of the music is light, and upbeat in character, with the works including winds having particular bounce. This is music in stark contrast to the darkness of the war, during which Laks was imprisoned at Auschwitz. In the midst of the terror of the Nazi regime, music might have been a light of hope, especially for those at Auschwitz. The camp had a few ensembles, and at one point Laks was appointed conductor of the men’s orchestra. Laks’ testimony, however, was that music provided little in the way of comfort: “In no case,” he said, “did…

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