On one level‚ this is just a lollipop disc – undemanding‚ entertaining music‚ with emphasis on the personality and brilliance of the performer. Gorokhov can easily sustain such spot­lit scrutiny; the verve of his manner can be heard straight away in the Martin² Variations‚ and as the recital continues he shows plenty of technical wizardry‚ with a particularly fluent bowing arm and a rich yet pure sound‚ varied beautifully‚ from velvety softness in the Locatelli Adagio to the most forceful‚ gutsy tone in the ballet of the Schnittke. But there’s a bit more to this selection than a miscellaneous collection of showpieces. Apart from the fascinating roster of great cellists who have made the arrangements‚ the programme is almost like a demonstration of the different things a transcriber can do. At one end of the scale is Fournier’s adaptation of the (very beautiful) Ginastera song – straightforward and tasteful. The same goes for Shafran’s version of Schnittke (originally for violin and piano). Somewhere in the middle comes Piatti’s updated Locatelli‚ a wonderful period piece with its extravagant ornamentation‚ virtuoso bowings and written­out cadenzas. And‚ stretching the meaning of transcription to breaking point‚ is the Frescobaldi/Cassadó‚ a string of heavily arranged Baroque clichés that fails to remind me of any Frescobaldi I’ve ever heard. By contrast‚ Schnittke’s aping of Baroque style has an extraordinary feeling of purity and innocence that is also disturbing and thought­provoking. The disc is finely recorded‚ and Bobby Chen’s accompaniments are sensitive and pianistically impressive. I’d love to hear him and Gorokhov playing some more substantial items from the cello and piano repertory.