THE SONG OF NAMES

Martin Simmonds was awkward and lonely until his parents took in a gifted, young Polish-Jewish violin prodigy, saving him from the Holocaust. Martin was 9, Dovidl was younger, and they were closer than brothers until Dovidl disappeared on the day he was to make his official debut. The superb Simon Prebble tells Martin’s story, beginning 40 years after the disappearance. Hearing an evocative rubato in the playing of a young violinist at the Turbow Music Festival, Martin sets out to find Dovidl. Prebble’s straightforward delivery embodies all the dreams, love, and loss Martin has allowed to overshadow his life. The story moves from present to past and present again, exposing the love, envy, and exploitation that entangle geniuses and their acolytes. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2012]