This disc is presented as if Prokofiev’s Second String Quartet were its main attraction, but it does in fact contain the fully realised portion of Prokofiev’s music for cello and piano, very decently played by Michal Ka?ka with Jaromír Klepá?. The Pra?ák cellist includes the early and seldom-heard Ballade. The declamatory piano chords of its opening betray the influence of Tchaikovsky, and, as with much of Myaskovsky’s music, you may be reminded of César Franck, too. Ka?ka gives a passionate performance, with a strong legato line and a real sense of drama at the appearance of the scurrying pizzicato figurations from 2'05". Here the cello and piano are in complete unison, although the recorded balance could have ‘assisted’ the cello more. The uncertain major/minor tonality at the very end is well realised, though quickly dissipated by the unintended ‘resolution’ that comes with the C major opening of the Adagio transcribed from Cinderella. The cellist adopts a more luscious tone here, with plenty of vibrato and the odd expressive sniff.

The Cello Sonata, once again in C, receives a relatively introspective performance, not quite the polar opposite of Rostropovich and Richter but offering a more classical take on the piece. In the second movement, I missed some of the skittish element so definitely rendered by the Russian pair – and now I was willing the piano to sound more involved and forceful. The finale seems a touch slow. Those wanting the Sonata coupled with the Adagio and the Ballade should try the new Ivashkin release on Chandos, reviewed on page 47.

And so to the work placed first on the CD. The Quartet’s opening Allegro sostenuto certainly takes a while to get off the ground and the second theme is strangely dour and tough, as if the playfulness of Prokofiev’s engagement with Balkar and Kabardinian folk materials has been placed on hold. This is a plausible option, given the ideologically tainted context of the composition, but it makes for quite a contrast with, say, the Russian Quartet who aim for a lighter, more naturally flowing effect. They can also boast a more convenient programme, with makeweights including the First Quartet, the Quintet Op 39 and the Overture on Hebrew Themes, not to mention a substantial price advantage. (The benchmark Hollywood Quartet give themselves more space than these recent interpreters without ever sounding merely laborious as the Pra?ák can.) The Czech players withstand the scrutiny of close, vivid, full-bodied recording, but, despite enjoying much of their bold, full-toned playing, I can’t really recommend this unless the coupling suits.