The virtues of these performances are evident from the very start of the F major Sonata. There's an absolute unanimity of phrasing and articulation between Anne Gastinel and François-Frédéric Guy in those searching arpeggios. The give and take between the instruments in the ensuing dialogue seems perfectly mapped out, bringing a delightful Mozartian grace to both the Allegro and the Rondo.

The phrases are finely drawn, with tone that is never inappropriately heavy or too powerfully sustained. The rhythms are poised, the articulation clear and crisp, and in the variation sets as well as in the early sonata there’s an element of wit and playfulness that’s an essential part of the young Beethoven.