Max Reger has remained a controversial composer, in a way perhaps comparable to Wagner, Hindemith and Shostakovich. Even today, the presence of his oeuvre is by no means a matter of course in concert life or on recordings; there are still numerous musicians, including serious ones, who reject his work, at times with good reason. And indeed, even a trained, experienced listener may find it difficult to grasp, let alone comprehend a large composition by Reger at first hearing. Nor is everyone aware that Reger composed four sonatas for violoncello and piano. The present recording does a great deal to compensate for this gap in knowledge.