Julian Bliss (clarinet), Bradley Moore (piano): Debussy, Françaix, Glinka, Milhaud, Prokofiev

The French works here were all originally written for the clarinet. The Russian works are arrangements – of a Viola Sonata by Glinka and the Flute Sonata by Prokofiev, which is best known in another arrangement, for violin and piano by David Oistrakh. English clarinettist Julian Bliss, who will be at the West Cork Chamber Music Festival in July, gives performances of Debussy's Première rapsodie, Françaix's Tema con Variazioni and Milhaud's Sonatine that are agile, sensual and witty. Glinka's youthful Viola Sonata is more pallid on clarinet than on viola. And while Prokofiev's often chirrupy sonata gives Bliss plenty of opportunities to show off, the music doesn't sound as well as on flute or violin. A mixed bag.