Matt Haimovitz's earlier DG recordings -— Bruch, Lalo and Saint-Saens (6/89), CPE Bach, Haydn and Boccherini (4/90) -— were acclaimed for their interpretative spontaneity, though reservations were expressed about his bowing technique. This new disc confirms the spontaneity, and the works included make very different technical demands from those of earlier repertories. It all adds up to a powerful projection of a worthwhile programme, even though some doubts about Haimovitz's view of the music remain.
   He earns gratitude for providing the first recordings of the sonatas by Ligeti and Crumb. Both are early works, and atypical of their composers' more familiar later music, but they are full of character and admirably put together. There are hints of Bartok in each, but these serve positive ends, stimulating the composers' own ideas, which flow naturally and economically.