The flautist Sharon Bezaly has released many discs on BIS, recordings which have contributed to the international recognition that she enjoys. On this disc, however, she turns to core repertoire, although not necessarily that of her own instrument. The two sonatas by César Franck and Gabriel Fauré were composed with the violin in mind, and even though Prokofiev's sonata was originally intended for the flute it is often heard in the composer's own version for violin and piano. But joined by the legendary pianist and conductor Vladimir Askenazy, Sharon Bezaly now claims the three works for her own instrument, in eloquent performances that make the best possible case for the flute.

The glowing richness of Sharon Bezaly's tone is immediately striking. The Prokofiev Sonata, here reclaimed for the flute, is light and fast on its feet. The Dutilleux Sonatina… is a tightly knit three-movement structure… it's easy to hear why it remains so popular among flautists, especially in this intensely felt performance, Bezaly darting from bar to bar in the animé finale, as if eluding capture.

When this disc was released in 2005, the response was electrifying. Sharon Bezaly was described as "God’s gift to the flute" in The Times (UK), the other reviewers were agreed, and the disc received top marks in Le Monde de la Musique, Crescendo, Musica and other magazines as well as on radio stations and web sites such as Classics Today. As result this is staggeringly successful title with 150 000 copies sold worldwide.

On Synergy, flautist Sharon Bezaly and her musician friends demonstrate that one plus one can be much greater than two. Featuring works that celebrate the coming together of like-minded musicians, this project is a reminder, after more than two years of a pandemic that has affected all of us, that true musical synergy can only be achieved 'face-to-face’, rather than ‘remotely’.

Separated by the Pyrenees, the musical milieus of Spain and France have sometimes been like oil and water – or maybe like oil and wine. It took Bizet's opera Carmen to open the ears of the French to the Spanish rhythms and inflections which were to become so important to so many composers after him, from Debussy to Ibert. Soloist Sharon Bezaly will hardly need a closer presentation after her highly praised recordings of the past couple of years. The present recording was made with the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra and conductor John Neschling, whose performances of the music of Brazilian composers Guarnieri, Mignone, Braga and Santoro have been praised for their vitality, rhythmic vigour and wide range of colours – all qualities that should be just the thing for building a bridge across the Pyrenees.

Sharon Bezaly and Ronald Brautigam are two of the brightest stars in the musical firmament, so BIS Records are indeed fortunate to have them on their roster of artists. From Carl Reinecke's Undine Sonata, composed in 1882, to Poulenc's 1957 Flute Sonata this disc brings together five central works in the repertoire for flute and piano, covering a wide range of styles and approaches.