Isserlis is acclaimed in music as a soloist, chamber musician and author (including books for children: Why Beethoven Threw the Stew and Why Handel Waggled his Wig translated into many languages).
Here he dazzles with three Sonatas by Bach and one each by Scarlatti and Handel - all three composers born in the same year: 1685.
Using the gentle harpsichord raises balance questions, the cello dominant instead of struggling with rich sounds of a modern piano.
The ancestral viola da gamba was smaller than the cello but had a more robust sound. Isserlis can play this tranquil music quite softly and the engineers capture the blend beautifully.
These are wonderful performances with an ''encore'' brevity: a Bach Chorale Prelude, originally for organ.
Verdict: Sublime cello and harpsichord.