A gem of a book, unlike any other work. The stunningly gifted violinist Alda Dizdari fell in love with Elgar's violin concerto, and decided - against many odds - to introduce it to Albania and Romania. The result is a fascinating book which does three things at once. It tells us about the concerto, from a soloist's point of view; it describes the experiences of a travelling musician, encountering unknown orchestras and unpredictable conductors; and it explores Alda's own feelings and memories as she revisited Albania, the country of her early childhood, and Romania, where she spent some of her formative years. Interspersed with the text are extracts from recordings of the concerts; while they illuminate the book, the experiences she describes give them a richer meaning too.
Sir Noel Malcolm, Senior Research Fellow, All Souls College, Oxford; author of George Enescu: His Life and Music
