Rachmaninoff & Prokofiev: Cello & Piano Sonatas

The first recording by Michael Kevin Jones I heard was his very fine 2012 performance of the Bach solo cello suites for EMEC (on a Stradivarius at the Metropolitan Museum of Art).

Since then, Jones has accumulated a rich and varied recorded repertoire. He is just at home in this recording as in the Bach. Both Jones are Doe are technically very accomplished performers and there is a great sense of dialogue in these two fine works.

Jones and Doe dig deep into the essence of the music in playing that is, by turns, tender, passionate and spirited. I particularly enjoyed the Andante and final movement in the Rachmaninov sonata, but their interpretation of the Prokofiev is also very satisfying.

I warmly recommend this performance. The recording quality, acoustics and the instruments played are also of a high order.

John Pike, violinist, Bristol, UK

I love Cello & Piano repertoire, especially Russian composers. From my collection of Rachmaninoff recordings, the Jones & Wong Doe goes to the top!!! The sound is outstanding as is the performance. I highly recommend it!!!

I have been a fan of these artists for years and both of them have separately recorded my music (Michael Jones recorded "Songs from America" as part of the legendary Jones and Maruri Cello-Guitar Duo, and Henry Wong-Doe brilliantly recorded the solo piano piece "Four Places in New York" - both are available on most streaming services). When I heard they were getting together for performances and recordings, it seemed a natural fit. I was lucky enough to catch one of the concerts on the most recent tour, which included the Rachmaninoff and brought down the house!

By the time they made this recording, this repertoire was flowing through their veins and it shows. They are truly a dynamic duo and being able to hear them in this extremely hi-fidelity recording with none of the MP3 compression is marvelous.

I hope these two will tour and record many more times. Enjoy!

Drew Hemenger
Composer

There are not many high audio resolution recordings of the Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev Cello & Piano Sonatas. The interpretation by Jones and Doe is superb. The sound is simply amazing.

I first made the acquaintance of Mike Jones when playing with him in the Kammerakademie Neuss when he was principal cellist there. It was an extremely happy coincidence that I chanced upon a preview of his and Henry Wong Doe’s latest recording online.

I was immediately taken by their ensemble playing, which is elastic and breathes beautifully together.
The finished HR Recordings release of the Rachmaninov and Prokofiev Sonatas is an extremely successful addition to the existing canon.

Michael Jones plays with great natural warmth and intensity, with a vibrato often reminiscent of his teacher, Johannes Goritzki. The lines have sweep and expanse and he has full technical command of his very lovely sounding Martin Schleske instrument.

Henry Wong Doe is an attentive partner, very much in synch with Jones, but never deferent. His sound is present and well modulated and the organic interweaving of the two voices is alluring.

The many Romeo and Juliet moments in the Prokofiev have the requisite feeling of suspension and the more acerbic sections are witty and cleanly focused. The Prokofiev is one of my favorite works and Jones’ and Wong Doe’s interpretation has given me a great deal of pleasure.

Congratulations to both performers!

Simon Fordham
Principal Second Violin
Munich Philharmonic Orchestra

A Resonant Collaboration
Cellist Michael Kevin Jones and pianist Henry Wong Doe deliver a captivating performance on their latest HR Recordings release. Jones’s warm, expressive tone and Wong Doe’s nuanced, articulate playing form a deeply responsive partnership. Together, they evoke Rachmaninoff’s sweeping lyricism with passion and sensitivity. In Prokofiev’s Sonata, they illuminate the composer’s sharper modern edges with wit and clarity. Listening to their recording, I was struck by the depth of their collaboration- spontaneous, intimate, and united in conveying each movements’ character.