The order in which Manuela Wiesler plays these pieces is as listed above, but I would reverse it if I were you. That way you can treat Amirov's Borodin-and-water oriental snippets (the sort of thing with which Khan Konchak might have entertained Prince Igor had he been particularly worried about the Polovtsian inflation rate) as warm-ups, though you may well wonder why she needs to play all six of them: the two threadbare dances and the two repetitive lullabies in particular are almost indistinguishable from each other. At all events they will make Taktakishvili's so-called Sonata seem blessedly substantial by contrast. Not that it is: it is a triptych of agreeably crafted salon trifles, a pretty serenade, a plaintive elegy and a perky little display piece respectively; they would make pleasant, undemanding encores if the Sonata were dismembered.

Whatever you do, don't play the Denisov pieces in reverse order: the last of them is in that 'here a squeak and there a squeak and how about a plonk to put between them?' manner that gave modernism a bad name (perhaps it is intended as a joke at modernism's expense?). But the bare lyricism and thoughtful fantasy of the other three are attract- ive, and the much earlier Sonata (in a single movement, and most ingeniously constructed) has already a poised and individual voice. Even so the Prokofiev stands out as unquestionably the major work in this recital, and although I personally prefer it in its later version for violin (there now: I shall never be asked to review flute records again) its cool, deft lines do suit Wiesler's pale silver tone rather well. Pontinen is a resourceful partner, though not ideally balanced by the recording (was Wiesler really sitting in the piano?). Primarily for flute specialists interested in exploring the fringes of their instrument's repertory, I suspect.

Michael Oliver
(From: Gramophone, June 1990)