Sonatas for Cello and Piano

"Saint-Saëns certainly knew how to tap the technical resources of his soloists and Poltéra and Stott are as one in playing some fleet, taxing passagework with fluency and power, Poltéra's mellow tone adding a dimension of poignancy and shapely phrasing that traces and defines the music's surging contours."
Editor's Choice Gramophone Magazine January 2010

"Why do these sonatas so rarely appear in recitals? Saint-Saëns's sensuous poeticism and ingenious craftsmanship are wonderfully combined in them. Despite Poltéra's elegance, it is the more extrovert Kathryn Stott who brings these performances truly alive. She has a true grasp of the idiom, and the sheer energy and range of sound to illuminate these big works. The disc is completed with a gloriously limpid Swan, and two further salon delicacies." BBC Music Magazine, December 2009

Saint-Saëns wrote a considerable amount of chamber pieces during his life, and his works for cello are seen as some of the most supreme for the cello repertoire.

Christian Poltéra and Kathryn Stott, best known for her performances of French repertoire perform Saint-Saëns melodic cello Sonatas, coupled with the legendary 'Swan' from The Carnival of the Animals. Romances Op.36 and Op.51 and Prière, Op.158 complete this programme.

Saint-Saens remains one of the most important composers for the cello, and his contributions are considerable.

Poltéra and Stott collaborate regularly in chamber music performances across the world and have recently recorded Faure Cello Sonatas for Chandos: '[Christian Poltéra]… is a fine choice of cellist for the two Sonatas. He phrases sensitively and makes the most of the composer's dynamic markings… Kathryn Stott's an ideal partner, managing her pedalling levels to produce a variety of textures.' BBC Music Magazine