James Ehnes and long term musical partner Andrew Armstrong have performed both the Franck and Strauss violin sonatas many times and bring special insight to these works that only many years of performing them together can convey.

The Franck is one of the very greatest of all violin sonatas, and finds the composer at the height of his powers. The Strauss sonata is the work of a young man on the cusp of finding his unique musical voice, with echoes of Brahms mingling with flashes of the Strauss of Don Juan. The Allegretto in E dates from the very end of Strauss’s long career, and is a tender and beautifully poised miniature that displays no flagging of his creativity and inspiration. The disc ends with three of the composer’s most popular songs.