Paul Hindemith is among the most significant German composers of the 20th century. The Sonata for Trombone and Piano – one of a multitude of sonatas he composed for various instruments – is a lively tour de force, performed here with an additional Ruhig movement from a sonata left unfinished before he was forced to emigrate. Hindemith’s songs lean towards the refined simplicity of the French mélodie and are performed alongside Poulenc’s lyrical Oboe Sonata, Koechlin’s brooding Trois Pièces, and selections by Ravel and Debussy, all specially arranged to display trombonist Guilhem Kusnierek’s expert musicianship.

The two key drivers behind this recording are trombonist Guilhem Kusnierek’s superb performances on trombone of works from the French repertoire that aren’t normally associated with that instrument, and secondly, his friend and chamber music partner Christopher Park’s desire to champion Paul Hindemith’s all too often neglected Sonata for Trombone and Piano.

Released on our Naxos Deutschland label, this recital not only raises the profile of the trombone as a solo/chamber music instrument, but also presents rarely heard works such as Koechlin’s sparse but also deliciously expressive Trois Pièces, and songs that show a lyrical side of Hindemith’s output that few people will have encountered.