Britten and Shostakovich were close friends and died within a year of one another. These violin concertos – Britten wrote only one, Shostakovich two, the first of which is on this disc – date from the 1940s. Both use a "passacaglia" or "ground bass", and share an intensity and sobriety of mood. These inspired performances are subtle and persuasive as well as fiery. James Ehnes plays with a powerful lyricism which makes the complexities melt away. The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra excels under Karabits. If you're really keen on the Britten – one of his best orchestral works – Tasmin Little has also just recorded it, beautifully, on Chandos (paired with Howard Shelley playing the piano concerto). If you can, buy both.