Shostakovich: Sons For Vn Pno & Orchestra [CD], Magdalena Rezler, CD

This recording offers a rare and compelling opportunity to hear Shostakovich's Violin Sonata alongside it's orchestral reimagining for violin and orchestra, both performed by the same soloist. In his arrangement, Krzysztof Meyer achieves an admirable equilibrium between individual creative insight and a profound stylistic affinity with his distinguished predecessor. Magdalena Rezler's interpretation is equally persuasive: her refined, unsentimental playing responds with striking sensitivity to the work's cool austerity and inward intensity. Devoid of overt pathos or programmatic gesture, the music nevertheless proves deeply affecting, captivating the listener through it's wealth of motifs and it's distinctive, unconventional design.