The music of Eugène Ysaÿe has never been really popular (with the exception of some of the solo violin sonatas). It inhabits a post-Wagnerian / early modern sound world and is thoroughly violinistic in nature. Ysaÿe wrote a lot of music, but not much survives in recordings bar the sonatas and a very few favourite pieces. One of its problems is often length; on a CD kindly sent to me by my friend Ronald, the “Au Rouet” (opus 13) clocks in at thirteen minutes, and the “Fantaisie” opus 32 at fourteen and a half. However, for me it is music where one sits back and lets it wash over, admiring the violin playing on the way.

On the current CD-R (from a Supraphon LP circa 1963) the Ysaÿe pieces are coupled with Szymanowski's three Mythes, of which the Fontaine d'Aréthuse is often played, but the other two (Narcisse, and Dryades et Pan) much less often except by completists who want to feature all three. Again, length is a problem: Aréthuse is just over five minutes, but Dryades weighs in at a fraction under nine. Szymanowski inhabits a surprisingly similar sound world to that of Ysaÿe.

Violinist on this current CD is Karel Sroubek about whom I know nothing at all except he plays very well for three quarters of an hour. A reminder that the Czechs have produced more fine violinists than the Swiss have cuckoo clocks. Fine Czech violinists – apart from Josef Suk – never received the kind of mega marketing and promotion of violinists such as Zukerman, Perlman or Stern. But I'd rather hear Sroubek in this music than any of those mega limelight fiddlers!