The five composers on this disc share the clarity and refinement, brio and wit, and subtle sensuality that permeate French music written between the Franco-Prussian and Second World Wars.

Each found in literature, the visual arts and the music of Debussy and Ravel touchstones for their own compositions, while expressing their individual personalities.

Refinement and pellucid textures characterise Tournier’s Suite; vigour, elegance and passion Schmitt’s.

Françaix’s Quintet, much-loved for its charm and delicacy, matches Roussel’s neo-classical Serenade and complements Pierné’s virtuosic and translucently scored Variations.