Various recordings exist of the two numbered violin sonatas by , but most pair one sonata or the other with a work by a different composer. There is a lot to be said for performing them together, as violinist (whose chamber music recordings, in general, are underrated and choice) and pianist do here. They are quite distinct from each other, and heard together, they give insight into the depth of ' compositional thinking. Oddly enough, chamber music had little presence in late 19th century France, and ' , from 1885, is one of the first French examples of the genre ( 's followed a year later). In parts, it resembles the , of , who was not a common model for , and it may have been the inspiration for the fictional "Vinteuil Sonata" in 's novel A la recherche du temps perdu. The , is quieter but more intricate; its thematic material is Brahmsian in the way it contains multiple possibilities. claimed that one had to hear it eight times in order to get it; that may be excessive, but it is certainly learned chamber music with a mood uncharacteristic of the composer. and pianist reveal the full distinctiveness of the two works; is especially compelling in the sinuous thematic material of the first movement of the . The cherry on top is a pair of works for violin and harp, one of them a transcription, at the end. This may well become a standard recording of the two violin sonatas. ~ James Manheim