Complete Music for Piano & Violoncello;

Here's a version of the Beethoven Cello Sonatas as good as any in the catalogue, despite those by starry performers who have recorded them over the years. Perényi and Schiff play with rhythmic accuracy and drive, wide dynamic range, virtuoso flair, and, best of all, an improvisatory quality that brings out the strengths of these works. The first two early sonatas can seem slight, but here are full of humor and forward impetus. The Op. 69, a work of unsettling mood shifts and gorgeous melodies, is done with the passion it requires, and the duo plumbs the depths of final Op. 105 pair. The cello transcription of the Op. 17 Horn Sonata, a slighter work, is increased in stature thanks to the artists' conviction. And the sets of variations on themes by Handel and Mozart come off as more than simply salon music. Schiff's keyboard mastery, with clean runs and crisp rhythms, is a big plus, and Perényi matches him all the way, his lean tone easily conveying the coloristic subtleties that make the scores come alive. --Dan Davis