McLachlan has long had a fine reputation as a performer of Russian music, as well as championing brilliant but little-known composers such as Williamson and Chisholm (see the composer index). on this CD, he presents the Piano Sonatas 1 and 2 by Shostakovich with works by composers in his circle; though not Russian, the piece by Roland Stevenson is included both because it is based on Shostakovich's name, but also because Stevenson, politically, can genuinely be called a 'comrade' of those devoted to Socialism but fighting the Stalinist regime.