Pristine Audio's latest release brings us the familiar recordings of Jacques Thibaud and Alfred Cortot in sonatas by Franck, Debussy and Fauré, with a couple of fill-ups from Fauré and Debussy. Like meeting old friends again. Difficult to know whether to admire more Cortot or Thibaud. Or the original recording and balance engineers from the late 1920s, or the miraculous transfers from 78s by Mark Obert-Thorn. Thibaud's portamenti may date the style a little, but these are solid gold recordings that have given enormous pleasure to the world for over 80 years now – and will probably still be loved in 80 years time. Not that I'll be around to see it. I have many transfers of these recordings, but Obert-Thorn's are the best yet – and probably give the best sound since 1927-9 when the recordings first saw the light of day.