Lawrence Rose is an English composer whose brilliantly striking cello sonata is powerful in its instant appeal and its lasting fascination, demonstrating an original voice of great technical knowledge. Despite studying violin from an early age, and developing a passion for composition, he initially followed a career in the law. He left the legal profession in 2001, and his subsequent concentration on composition has led to a proliferation of exceptional works. Katherine Jenkinson, the wonderful cellist on this recording, proposed pairing Rose’s cello sonata with that of Shostakovich due to the parallel styles of the two composers. The result is an incredible disc of a renowned twentieth-century masterpiece alongside an astonishing premiere recording. The disc is completed with Shostakovich’s excerpts from The Gadfly, for which Jenkinson is again accompanied by pianist Alison Farr, and joined by cellist Nicholas Holland.