Beethoven: Complete Cello Sonatas 1-5

“Hope amid Tears: Beethoven Cellos Sonatas from cellists Yo-Yo Ma and Ailbhe McDonagh, two vibrant, complementary recordings of Beethoven Cello Sonatas. McDonagh and O'Conor take the opening of Op. 102/1 to whispered heights, and again later there is a most appealing sense of two-as-one. They find buoyant, almost dancing, rhythms.”

“McDonagh and O’Conor seem highly attuned (so to speak) both to the music and to each other: their balance is flawless, and their pacing has a natural quality that makes it sound as if these works could not possibly be played at any other tempo.”

“The coordination between McDonagh and O'Conor sets this recording apart, and each sonata is individually conceived. There is a lot to absorb here, and it's the kind of recording to which one will return repeatedly.”

“McDonagh and O'Conor are two fine musicians who work together with clarity and love for the music, recorded in clear and balanced sound.”

“Cellist Ailbhe McDonagh and pianist John O'Conor coalesce perfectly, as if propelled by the music's undertow, and echo each other's expressive mien with dynamic balance... this is music making that blends head and heart seamlessly.”

“McDonagh plays with flawless technique, faultless intonation, and a strong yet meltingly sweet tone.”

“McDonagh, who as a child studied piano with O’Conor, is a great partner and clearly on the same level here, the duo being as one with every nuance in dynamics and tempi in outstanding performances.”

“Beethoven Complete Cello Sonatas - "CD of the Week" May 2021”