Vasi’s dynamics and Gulikers’ lyricism and vibrato are enough reasons to listen to Red Diamonds ★★★☆☆

After twelve years of performing together, violinist Maxime Gulikers and pianist Andrea Vasi present their debut album with 20th-century sonatas, composed in times of war and oppression. That’s the last thing on your mind when you think of the delicious Sonatina, opus 80 by Jean Sibelius. It’s bouncy and carefree, a nostalgic counterbalance to the dark undercurrent in the other three works.

Whether the mood is unconcerned, or downright threatening, as in Sergei Prokofievs Sonata No. 1, the duo drags you along with its convincing playing. Leos Janácek’s nervous sentences, full of abrupt rests and uncertain figures, sound like an animated, intimate conversation. Nice how the brittleness of Debussy’s Sonata in G minor is preserved, even in the restless quick strokes and chords.

Gulikers could have played a little more uninhibited, especially in Janácek, but his controlled lyricism and intelligent use of vibrato, along with Vasi’s smooth dynamics, are three reasons to recommend this recording.