When William Kapell was killed in a plane crash at the age of 31 on 29th October 1953 the world was robbed of a great talent. Kapell played a wide repertoire, though he became best known for his performances of Khachaturian, Prokofiev, and Rachmaninov, with whose music he felt a special affinity. Kapell’s performance of Rachmaninov’s Sonata for Cello and Piano, one of his few chamber music recordings, combines ardour with intimacy. His recording of Beethoven’s Second Piano Concerto affords a rare opportunity to hear the spontaneous charm and crisp precision he brought to a composer whose music he rarely programmed in concert.