Michael Beek of BBC Music Magazine wrote, "That this second violin concerto feels somehow more youthful than the first is interesting, given the fact Williams was fast approaching 90 when he finished it.
Its vigour can be put down to experience of course, a sense of having less to prove perhaps, but it also responds to Mutter's own dexterity and skill with an instrument the composer frankly adores.
In that regard this is music that might not be as easy to love but is infectious by virtue of its creative energy, the sparks of interaction generated between player and composer and the gamesmanship it engenders.
Many of Williams's signature elements (sonic textures deceptively simple in their fullness, distinctive and evocative timbres) were present in abundance, so much so that I sometimes felt like I was listening to several of his scores at the same time.
[1]A recording of the concerto performed by Mutter and the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Williams was released through Deutsche Grammophon in June 2022.