The violin concerto continues to exercise a fascination for today's composers: the lone fiddler pitted against, or playing with, the orchestra is a compelling dynamic to explore. Invariably these works were written with specific players in mind (Adès for Anthony Marwood, Muhly for Thomas Gould or the Previn for Anne-Sophie Mutter), and this adds a special dimension: creators' recordings always have a special magic. There's a huge variety of musical languages in these ten concertos, from the rich tonality of André Previn to the tougher textures of the Elliott Carter via a whole range of approaches, each the vibrant possessor of a strong voice, and a vital imagination. 

Adès – Anthony Marwood; COE / Thomas Adès (EMI) CD from Amazon / Download from Amazon

Adams – Chloe Hanslip; RPO / Leonard Slatkin (Naxos) CD from Amazon / Download from Amazon

Carter – Rolf Schulte; Odense SO / Justin Brown (Bridge) CD from Amazon

Dalbavie – Eiichi Chijiiwa; Orchestre de Paris / Christoph Eschenbach (Naïve) CD from Presto Classical

Glass (No 1) – Robert McDuffie; Houston SO / Christoph Eschenbach (Telarc) CD from Amazon / Download from Amazon

Gubaidulina (Offertorium) – Gidon Kremer; Boston SO / Charles Dutoit (DG) CD from Amazon / Download from Amazon

Knussen – Leila Josefowicz; BBC SO / Oliver Knussen (DG Concerts) CD from Amazon

Muhly (Seeing is believing) – Thomas Gould; Aurora / Nicholas Collon (Decca) CD from Amazon / Download from Amazon

Previn – Anne-Sophie Mutter; Boston SO / André Previn (DG) CD from Amazon / Download from Amazon

Unsuk Chin – Vivianne Hagner; Montreal SO / Kent Nagano (Analekta) CD from Amazon / Download from Amazon

What recordings would appear in your Top 10? Why not add to our list by posting a comment below. (You need to be registered –  which is free – and logged in).