This disc should be praised as much for thoughtful programming as for musicianship. Using Olivier Messiaen as its nucleus, violinist Elizabeth Sellars and pianist Kenji Fujimura focus on chamber works for violin and piano deriving their inspiration from the Paris Conservatoire under that composer’s period of tutelage.

Sellars and Fujimura also present works by Messiaen’s teacher Paul Dukas as well as a trio of his finest students (the gifted Englishman George Benjamin, Kurtág and the inimitable M. Boulez).

Whilst the music of Benjamin was highly praised by critics a decade or two ago, it’s great to see these eloquent musicians open this recital with his Violin Sonata – a work which was premiered by two giants of contemporary music, Arditti and Aimard – whilst the Hungarian Kurtág is represented by two works here (three pieces for violin and piano and selections from the evocative Signs, Games and Messages for violin solo). Similarly Boulez’s Anthèmes for piano are highly concentrated works whilst the solo entry by Messiaen’s own teacher, Dukas (Prélude Élegiaque) is as fine a piece of modal composition as anything by his contemporaries Ravel or Debussy (where has this piece been?) Messiaen himself has two early pieces here from the...