Nikolay Myaskovsky was one of the most prolific and influential composers in 20th-century Russian musical life. These two works come from the beginning and end of his distinguished career: the warmly expressive First Cello Sonata recalling the style of Rachmaninov, and the equally romantic Second Cello Sonata revealing the subtle influence of folk music typical of Myaskovsky’s later years. Dmitry Kabalevsky was a pupil of Myaskovsky at the Moscow Conservatoire. His Cello Sonata was premièred by Rostropovich and stands amongst his greatest post-war successes. The Joost Ben-Sasson/Sternfield duo’s recording of Fauré’s Cello Sonatas (8.570545) has been described as ‘masterful… very expressive, but direct and unaffected, without fuss or exaggeration’. (Strings Magazine)