Clarinettist Gábor Varga and pianist Nicolas Costantinou pair two contrasting clarinet sonatas by Brahms and Constantinos Y. Stylianou, whose Sonata for Clarinet and Piano is recorded here for the first time.

The album is called empneusis (from the Ancient Greek) to highlight the deep connection between music and breath, as epitomised by these works.

The album features Brahms's First Sonata for clarinet and piano, a contemplative late work imbued with melancholy that gradually gives way to a more uplifting finale. In stark contrast, the Sonata for Clarinet and Piano by Constantinos Y. Stylianou showcases the dramatic extremes and expressive qualities of both instruments, and is dedicated to Gábor Varga.

A strong advocate for contemporary music, Varga has premiered a number of chamber works and commissioned concertos from leading Hungarian composers such as Kovács, Durkó and Vajda. He continues to champion new music for Hungarian audiences, performing works such as Weinberg's Sonata and Thea Musgrave's Clarinet Concerto.

Steinway Artist Nicolas Costantinou, who records regularly with Odradek, has been praised as "an artist of deep emotions, capable of performing music with his whole being and soul" (Kaleva, 2003), while his interpretations have been described as "colossal" and "dramatic" (Dimitri Nicolau, 2002).