Gidon Kremer - Gidon Kremer Edition: Historical Russian Archives (2008) [Box Set 10CDs]

For collectors of recordings by Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer, this 10-disc set called Historical Russian Archives will be just the thing to fill the stray gaps in his discography. Recorded between 1967 and 1992, the sound here ranges from the acceptable to the outstanding, and featuring works from Bach's Chaconne to Salmanov's Second Violin Sonata, the repertoire ranges from the extremely well known to the almost unknown. But if one collects Kremer, neither the sound nor the repertoire will matter as much as the playing, and in that department these performances never disappoint. Kremer is, of course, a supreme virtuoso and nothing in any of these works is technically above him: not the insanely difficult acrobatics of Ernst's Caprice on Schubert's Erlkönig, not the preposterously demanding extended techniques of Stockhausen's excerpts from Tierkreis, not even the nearly demented expressive content of Schoenberg's Fantasy for violin and piano. Beyond technique, however, Kremer is a supreme interpreter and nothing in works as disparate as Biber's searing Mystery Sonata and Lourié's etiolated Concerto da Camera escapes him. But the best thing about Kremer's playing is his absolute refusal to compromise. Whatever the repertoire, Kremer gives all he has to the music. He is ineffably sweet in Schubert's Trockne Blumen Variations, deeply affecting in Chausson's Poeme, and wildly exciting in Paganini's Caprice No. 17, and just as convincing in Schubert as he is in Stockhausen. While not for everyone, this disc will be mandatory listening for anyone who loves Kremer.

by James Leonard, allmusic


Tracks:


Disc: 1
1. Partita for Violin solo no 2 in D minor, BWV 1004: 5th movement, Chaconne - Johann Sebastian Bach
2. Partita for Violin solo no 3 in E major, BWV 1006: 1st movement, Prelude - Johann Sebastian Bach
3. Partita for Violin solo no 3 in E major, BWV 1006: 2nd movement, Loure - Johann Sebastian Bach
4. Partita for Violin solo no 3 in E major, BWV 1006: 3rd movement, Gavotte en rondeau - Johann Sebastian Bach
5. Partita for Violin solo no 3 in E major, BWV 1006: 4th movement, Minuet I - Johann Sebastian Bach
6. Partita for Violin solo no 3 in E major, BWV 1006: 5th movement, Minuet II - Johann Sebastian Bach
7. Partita for Violin solo no 3 in E major, BWV 1006: 6th movement, Bourée - Johann Sebastian Bach
8. Partita for Violin solo no 3 in E major, BWV 1006: 7th movement, Gigue - Johann Sebastian Bach
9. Sonata for Violin solo no 2 in A minor, BWV 1003: 1st movement, Grave - Johann Sebastian Bach
10. Sonata for Violin solo no 2 in A minor, BWV 1003: 2nd movement, Fugue - Johann Sebastian Bach
11. Concerto for 2 Violins in D minor, BWV 1043: 1st movement, Allegro - Johann Sebastian Bach
12. Concerto for 2 Violins in D minor, BWV 1043: 2nd movement, Largo ma non tanto - Johann Sebastian Bach
13. Concerto for 2 Violins in D minor, BWV 1043: 3rd movement, Vivace - Johann Sebastian Bach


Disc: 2
1. Concerto for Violin no 2 in D major, K 211: 1st movement, Allegro moderato - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
2. Concerto for Violin no 2 in D major, K 211: 2nd movement, Andante - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
3. Concerto for Violin no 2 in D major, K 211: 3rd movement, Rondeau - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
4. Concertone for 2 Violins in C major, K 190 (186E): Allegro spiritoso - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
5. Concertone for 2 Violins in C major, K 190 (186E): 2nd movement, Andante grazioso - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
6. Concertone for 2 Violins in C major, K 190 (186E): 3rd movement, Tempo di menuetto - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
7. Concerto for Violin no 3 in G major, K 216: 1st movement, Allegro - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
8. Sonata for Violin and Piano in C major, K 404 (385d) [Fragment] - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
9. Sonata for Violin and Piano in C major, K 404 (385d) [Fragment] - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
10. Quintet for 2 Violins, Viola and 2 Cellos in E major, Op. 11 no 5/G 275: 3rd movement, Minuet in A - Luigi Boccherini


Disc: 3
1. Sonata for Violin and Piano no 10 in G major, Op. 96: 1st movement, Allegro moderato - Ludwig Van Beethoven
2. Sonata for Violin and Piano no 10 in G major, Op. 96: 2nd movement, Adagio espressivo - Ludwig Van Beethoven
3. Sonata for Violin and Piano no 10 in G major, Op. 96: 3rd movement, Scherzo - Ludwig Van Beethoven
4. Sonata for Violin and Piano no 10 in G major, Op. 96: 4th movement, Poco allegretto - Ludwig Van Beethoven
5. Variations (12) for Violin and Piano on 'Se vuol ballare', WoO 40 - Ludwig Van Beethoven
6. German Dances (6) for Violin and Piano, WoO 42 - Ludwig Van Beethoven
7. Mystery Sonatas (15) for Violin and Basso Continuo: no 4 in D minor Presentation - Ciacona - Heinrich Ignaz Biber
8. Sonatas (6) for 2 Flutes/Violins, Op 5 'Melodious Canons': no 5 in A minor, TV 40 no 122 - 1st movement, Vivace - Georg Philipp Telemann
9. Sonatas (6) for 2 Flutes/Violins, Op 5 'Melodious Canons': no 5 in A minor, TV 40 no 122 - 2nd movement, Soave - Georg Philipp Telemann
10. Sonatas (6) for 2 Flutes/Violins, Op 5 'Melodious Canons': no 5 in A minor, TV 40 no 122 - 3rd movement, Allegro assai - Georg Philipp Telemann
11. Sonatas (6) for 2 Flutes/Violins, Op 5 'Melodious Canons': no 1 in G major, TV 40 no 118 - 1st movement, Vivace - Georg Philipp Telemann
12. Sonatas (6) for 2 Flutes/Violins, Op 5 'Melodious Canons': no 1 in G major, TV 40 no 118 - 2nd movement, Adagio - Georg Philipp Telemann
13. Sonatas (6) for 2 Flutes/Violins, Op 5 'Melodious Canons': no 1 in G major, TV 40 no 118 - 3rd movement, Allegro - Georg Philipp Telemann


Disc: 4
1. Rondo for Violin and Strings in A major, D 438 - Franz Schubert
2. Introduction and Variations for Flute and Piano in E minor, D 802/Op. 160 'Trockne Blumen' - Franz Schubert
3. Rondo for Violin and Piano in B minor, D 895/Op. 70 'Rondo Brillant': Andante - Franz Schubert
4. Rondo for Violin and Piano in B minor, D 895/Op. 70 'Rondo Brillant': Allegro - Franz Schubert
5. Valse-Scherzo for Violin and Orchestra in C major, Op. 34 - Franz Schubert / Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
6. Souvenir d'un lieu cher, Op. 42: no 3, Mélodie - Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky


Disc: 5
1. Concerto for Violin in D minor: 1st movement, Allegro moderato - Felix Mendelssohn
2. Concerto for Violin in D minor: 2nd movement, Andante - Felix Mendelssohn
3. Concerto for Violin in D minor: 3rd movement, Allegro - Felix Mendelssohn
4. Poème for Violin and Orchestra in E flat major, Op. 25 - Ernest Chausson
5. Sonatas (6) for Violin solo, Op. 27: no 5 in G major - L'aurore - Ernest Chausson / Eugène Ysaÿe
6. Sonatas (6) for Violin solo, Op. 27: no 5 in G major - Danse rustique - Ernest Chausson / Eugène Ysaÿe
7. Sonata for Violin and Piano in F minor: 1st movement, Lento assai e mesto - Eugène Ysaÿe
8. Sonata for Violin and Piano in F minor: 2nd movement, Allegro - Eugène Ysaÿe
9. Sonata for Violin and Piano in F minor: 3rd movement, Lento - Eugène Ysaÿe
10. Sonata for Violin and Piano in F minor: 4th movement, Tempo moderato - Eugène Ysaÿe
11. Sonata for Violin and Piano in G major: Blues - Maurice Ravel


Disc: 6
1. Sonata for Violin and Piano in E flat major, Op. 18: 1st movement, Allegro ma non troppo - Richard Strauss
2. Sonata for Violin and Piano in E flat major, Op. 18: Andante cantabile - Richard Strauss
3. Sonata for Violin and Piano in E flat major, Op. 18: 3rd movement, Andante-allegro - Richard Strauss
4. Sonata for Violin no 2 in C minor, Op. 139: 1st movement, Con passione - Max Reger
5. Sonata for Violin no 2 in C minor, Op. 139: 2nd movement, Largo - Max Reger
6. Sonata for Violin no 2 in C minor, Op. 139: 3rd movement, Vivace - Max Reger
7. Sonata for Violin no 2 in C minor, Op. 139: 4th movement, Andantino con variazioni - Max Reger


Disc: 7
1. Sonata for Violin and Piano no 1 in F minor, Op. 80: 1st movement, Andante assai - Sergei Prokofiev
2. Sonata for Violin and Piano no 1 in F minor, Op. 80: 2nd movement, Allegro brusco - Sergei Prokofiev
3. Sonata for Violin and Piano no 1 in F minor, Op. 80: 3rd movement, Andante - Sergei Prokofiev
4. Sonata for Violin and Piano no 1 in F minor, Op. 80: 4th movement, Allegrissimo - Sergei Prokofiev
5. Concerto for Violin no 1 in D major, Op. 19: Scherzo - Sergei Prokofiev
6. Sonata for 2 Violins in C major, Op. 56: 1st movement, Andante cantabile - Sergei Prokofiev
7. Sonata for 2 Violins in C major, Op. 56: 2nd movement, Allegro - Sergei Prokofiev
8. Sonata for 2 Violins in C major, Op. 56: 3rd movement, Commodo - Sergei Prokofiev
9. Sonata for 2 Violins in C major, Op. 56: 4th movement, Allegro con brio - Sergei Prokofiev
10. Souvenir - Ladislav Kupkovic


Disc: 8
1. Concerto for Violin: 1st movement, Allegro moderato - Kara Karayev
2. Concerto for Violin: 2nd movement, Andante - Kara Karayev
3. Concerto for Violin: 3rd movement, Allegro ben marcato - Kara Karayev
4. Sonata for Violin and Piano no 2: 1st movement, Allegro molto - Vadim Salmanov
5. Sonata for Violin and Piano no 2: 2nd movement, Andante - Vadim Salmanov
6. Sonata for Violin and Piano no 2: 3rd movement, Presto - Vadim Salmanov
7. Fantasy for Violin and Piano, Op. 47 - Arnold Schoenberg
8. Pieces (4) for Violin and Piano, Op. 7: no 1, Sehr langsam - Anton Von Webern
9. Pieces (4) for Violin and Piano, Op. 7: no 2, Rasch - Anton Von Webern
10. Pieces (4) for Violin and Piano, Op. 7: no 3, Sehr langsam - Anton Von Webern
11. Pieces (4) for Violin and Piano, Op. 7: no 4, Bewegt - Anton Von Webern
12. MEDLEY: Tierkreis: Aquarius/Tierkreis: Gemini/Tierkreis: Pisces/Tierkreis: Libra/Tierkreis: Sagittaire/Tierkreis: Lion/Tierkreis: Aquarius - Anton Von Webern


Disc: 9
1. Come In: 1st movement - Vladimir Martynov
2. Come In: 2nd movement - Vladimir Martynov
3. Come In: 3rd movement - Vladimir Martynov
4. Come In: 4th movement - Vladimir Martynov
5. Come In: 5th movement - Vladimir Martynov
6. Come In: 6th movement - Vladimir Martynov
7. Concerto da Camera: 1st movement, Entrata - Arthur Vincent Lourié
8. Concerto da Camera: 2nd movement, Aria - Arthur Vincent Lourié
9. Concerto da Camera: 3rd movement, Intermezzo - Arthur Vincent Lourié
10. Concerto da Camera: 4th movement, Fantasia - Arthur Vincent Lourié
11. Concerto da Camera: 5th movement, Serenata - Arthur Vincent Lourié
12. Concerto da Camera: Epilogo - Arthur Vincent Lourié


Disc: 10
1. Cantabile for Violin and Piano in D major - Niccolò Paganini
2. Caprices (24) for Violin solo, Op. 1: no 4 in C minor - Niccolò Paganini
3. Caprices (24) for Violin solo, Op. 1: no 17 in E flat major - Niccolò Paganini
4. Polyphonic Studies (6) for Violin solo: no 6, Variations on 'The Last Rose of Summer' - Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst
5. Grand Caprice for solo Violin on Schubert's 'Erlkönig', Op. 26 - Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst
6. Sonata for Violin solo, Sz 117: Chaconne - Béla Bartók
7. Elégie for Viola solo - Igor Stravinsky
8. Duetti (34) for 2 Violins: Leonardo - Luciano Berio
9. Duetti (34) for 2 Violins: Annie - Luciano Berio
10. Duetti (34) for 2 Violins: Aldo - Luciano Berio
11. In the style of Albeniz - Rodion K. Shchedrin
12. Hora staccato - Grigoras Dinicu
13. Csárdás - János Bihari
14. Carnival of the animals: no 8, People with long ears - Camille Saint-Saëns