Gidon Kremer in Prague [Schubert, Franck, Ravel, Bartók, Schnittke] Gidon Kremer, Oleg Maisenberg, Elena Kremer

• Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828): Rondo brillant in B Minor, D. 895:
• 1 Schubert: Rondo brillant in B Minor, D. 895: I. Andante 03:20
• 2 Schubert: Rondo brillant in B Minor, D. 895: II. Allegro 10:39
• César Franck (1822 – 1890): Violin Sonata in A Major:
• 3 Franck: Violin Sonata in A Major: I. Allegretto ben moderato 06:50
• 4 Franck: Violin Sonata in A Major: II. Allegro 08:20
• 5 Franck: Violin Sonata in A Major: III. Recitativo-Fantasia. Ben moderato - Molto lento 07:45
• 6 Franck: Violin Sonata in A Major: IV. Allegretto poco mosso 06:34
• Maurice Ravel (1875 – 1937): Violin Sonata No. 2 in G Major:
• 7 Ravel: Violin Sonata No. 2 in G Major: II. Blues. Moderato 06:15
• Béla Bartók (1881 - 1945): Violin Sonata No. 2, Sz. 76:
• 8 Bartók: Violin Sonata No. 2, Sz. 76: I. Allegro moderato 08:52
• 9 Bartók: Violin Sonata No. 2, Sz. 76: II. Allegro 12:00
• Alfred Schnittke (1934 - 1998): MOZ-Art, for Two Violins:
• 10 Schnittke: MOZ-Art, for Two Violins 08:10
• Total Runtime 01:18:45

Info for Gidon Kremer in Prague [Schubert, Franck, Ravel, Bartók, Schnittke]

Gidon Kremer in Prague (1974-1978): A Latvian as ‘Soviet’ cultural ambassador

These pieces are remembrances of some Gidon Kremer’s passings in Prague, during Soviet time . . . Kremer was then at the dawn of his career, one among the most brilliant for a violinist in our time! As an ‘ambassador’ of the Soviet Ministry for Culture in the ‘brother countries’, he owed to his mentor, David Oistrakh, a sort of freedom, demonstrated here in this recording. His absolutely perfect touch and his freedom of expression were the delight of his patrons in the welcoming communist countries . . . The short piece by Alfred Schnittke, then still hand written only, was an example of his wish to play scores out of the ‘classics’ from Bach to Stravinsky and to help other musicians through chamber music sessions. This record allows to hear the faked G.B. Guadagnini inherited from his grandfather.

Gidon Kremer, violin
Elena Kremer, violin
Oleg Maisenberg, piano

Digitally remastered

Gidon Kremer
Driven by his strikingly uncompromising artistic philosophy, Gidon Kremer has established a worldwide reputation as one of his generation’s most original and compelling artists.

His repertoire encompasses both standard classical scores and music by leading 20th and 21st-century composers. He has championed the works of Russian and Eastern European composers and performed many important new compositions, several of which have been dedicated to him. His name is closely associated with composers such as Alfred Schnittke, Arvo Pärt, Giya Kancheli, Sofia Gubaidulina, Valentin Silvestrov, Luigi Nono, Edison Denisov, Aribert Reimann, Pēteris Vasks, John Adams, Victor Kissine, Michael Nyman, Philip Glass, Leonid Desyatnikov and Astor Piazzolla, whose works he performs in ways that respect tradition while being fully alive to their freshness and originality.

Gidon Kremer has recorded over 120 albums, many of which have received prestigious international awards. His long list of honours and awards includes the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize, the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Triumph Prize in Moscow, the Unesco Prize and the Una vita nella musica – Artur Rubinstein Prize. In 2016 Gidon Kremer received the Praemium Imperiale, widely considered to be the Nobel Prize of arts.

In 1997 Gidon Kremer founded the chamber orchestra Kremerata Baltica to foster outstanding young musicians from the Baltic States. The ensemble tours extensively and has recorded almost 30 albums for the Nonesuch, Deutsche Grammophon and ECM labels. During the 2016/17 season Kremerata Baltica embarked on landmark tours to the Middle East, North America, Europe and Asia, marking the ensemble’s 20th anniversary.

Gidon Kremer’s commitment to the work of Mieczysław Weinberg in recent years has been particularly notable. In 2019, Deutsche Grammophon and Accentus Music released albums recorded with Gidon Kremer featuring Weinberg’s orchestral and chamber music.

Booklet for Gidon Kremer in Prague [Schubert, Franck, Ravel, Bartók, Schnittke]