Shostakovich - Violin Concerto No 2; Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto

The Guardian 80

Linus Roth (violin), London Symphony Orchestra/Sanderling
(Challenge Classics)

Kirill Gerstein’s supreme musicianship helped reveal Tchaikovsky’s original intentions in his Piano Concerto No 1 this year, both on disc and at the Proms. Now the violin concerto comes under the microscope, with Linus Roth turning to an urtext edition to get closer to the composer’s initial score, though the changes are harder to spot here: some minor cuts restored, some markings removed. The most significant is the use of the mute throughout the slow movement, though even that is not unique to this recording. Whatever, the playing is superb. Thomas Sanderling conducts the brooding Shostakovich second concerto with the authority of one who knew the composer personally.