Anne Gastinel gives a charming apologia for this programme of transcriptions, in the form of a letter to Schubert, but the best justification lies in the appropriateness of the material and the standard of performance. The Arpeggione Sonata, indeed, sounds better on the cello than on any other conventional instrument, and the fact that some passages lie uncomfortably high is no problem for someone with Gastinel's technique. The song transcriptions are well chosen and faithful... and Gastinel compensates for the absence of words with inspired changes of tone colour. Claire Désert reveals herself as a most accomplished, lively accompanist.