Britten/ Schmieder/ Yamashita - Temporal Variations

This collection of duos for oboe (specifically English horn) and piano are related not only by the period in which they arose, but as haunting documents of artistic expression in a time of gathering gloom. Through the lens of warn we can see Hindemith's sonatas tending toward internalization and protective technical dispassion surrounding his emigration, Haas' subtle protests of annexation, Britten's deep unease with political conditions under a veneer of virtuosity. Darkly and gorgeously rendered by pianist Akiko Yamashita and oboist Birgit Schmieder.