In 1793 he completed a flute method, and two years later he was appointed the first flute professor of the new Paris Conservatory. At the same time, he was keenly aware of a young member of the woodwind family whose technological advancements were bringing about greater technical ease and new possibilities in expression.

At his death in 1803 in a sanatorium, Devienne left behind hundreds of works, including 67 instrumental sonatas. Four of these sonatas are for the clarinet, and while he adapted them from his flute sonatas (Opp. 58 & 68), they fit the clarinet nicely. The original editions consisted simply of a solo line and a bass line, but in the spirit of Haydn and Mozart later editions fleshed out not a baroque realization, but a full keyboard part.

Korean clarinetist Wonkak Kim, the clarinet professor at Tennessee Tech University, and Korean pianist Eun-Hye Grace Choi, a doctoral student at the University of Minnesota, offer these four sonatas in modern-day renditions.

The recital gives a good idea of what these sonatas are like, but Kim and Choi don’t have all the tools to realize each score’s potential. Kim has reliable fingers and articulation, but his hollow sound is disappointing; it’s likely owing to the combination of a closed throat and a free-blowing set-up. Moreover, his inability to voice certain notes restricts his color palette and leads to intonation problems, especially in the throat register. Choi has a nice touch and excellent technique, but her phrasing is dry and her imagination limited. © 2012 American Record Guide

..the melodic lines played by the piano…[are] relatively simple and undemanding compared to those of Mozart’s sonatas for solo instrument and piano, not to mention Beethoven’s. This music is really all about the solo wind instrumen…this is Mr. Kim’s show, and he’s a fine advocate for Devienne’s elegant high-Classical music…Mr. Kim is to be commended for executing Devienne’s quick runs, trills, and leaps with flute-like efficiency. He produces a clean, attractive sound from top to bottom of his range, injecting Devienne’s tender slow movements with a deeper sentiment—that’s especially true of the minor-key second movement of Sonata No. 1, which could almost be a Mozart Adagio.

Naxos’s recording from the University of Florida in Tallahassee is bright and clean and Kim’s playing makes this an attractive and valuable album…This is not just music for the clarinetist or the clarinet enthusiast but for all lovers of music from the age of Mozart. © 2012 Audiophile Audition Read complete review