This attractive disc collects three outstanding works for cello and piano from composers who were all contemporaries but who wrote in very different styles. All of the performances are very fine indeed, particularly the big Rachmaninov sonata in which pianist Francine Kay proves a commanding partner to Elizabeth Dolin's passionately committed cello playing. They offer an impressively cogent account of the finale in particular, a movement that easily can sound too long in less adroit hands. The two players bring the necessary lightness of touch to the Debussy (where the central Sérénade has special atmosphere) and the right raw energy to the Janácek Fairy Tale. It's a program that can be savored in bits or at a single sitting with equal pleasure.


Now for the one problem: cellist Elizabeth Dolin, like so many cellists, breathes very loudly and distractingly. Her gasping proves quite intrusive in spots, but like the squeaking of frets in a guitar recital, this distraction seemingly comes with the territory and each listener will have to decide how bothersome this will be. The recording, generally quite fine, favors the cello but doesn't prevent Kay from assuming center stage when she must, though it may be that a little more distance would have mitigated Dolin's respiratory counterpoints. If the couplings interest you, though, don't let this reservation hold you back. This is still a lovely disc in all other respects.
--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com