READERS’ CHOICE

Alastair Whelan Salisbury

After reading your

July Recording of the Month review of Alina Ibragimova playing Shostakovich’s violin concertos, I have ordered my copy and look forward it arriving in the post. This will be by no means my only recording of the First Concerto, a work I first heard performed live by Gidon Kremer at the BBC Proms in 2004. Kremer’s performance then was gritty and unfettered. Others take a more nuanced approach. I imagine Ibragimova will provide yet another view of this remarkable work.