Nicholas Maw composed his sumptuous Violin Concerto in 1993 for Joshua Bell. Melody is spun almost continuously through the four distinct movements of the work, its sheer profusion of ideas, unerring sense of instrumental balance, and the continuous thread of song sustaining the listener’s interest over its vast 40-minute span. A glorious affirmation of Romantic ideals in contemporary form.
'A concerto of extraordinary beauty, a union of vitality and reflection … Wonderful to listen to, inspired in language and in its palette of instrumental colourings.'
Daily Telegraph (Geoffrey Norris), 23 October 1993
