Gidon Kremer avoids the well-trodden paths of the musical world as he explores it with style and sensitivity. Harnoncourt’s fellow researcher, Argerich’s soulmate, an early champion of Schnittke and Pärt – Kremer combines a passion for freedom with a quest for authenticity, as is revealed in the recordings he made over a period of two decades for EMI, Teldec and Erato.

Born in 1947 in Riga, a city then ruled from Moscow, Kremer grew up in a German-speaking family of musicians. He completed his studies in Moscow at the Tchaikovsky conservatory with David Oistrakh between 1965 and 1973. At the same period, he won several prestigious competitions: 1967 3rd prize at Queen Elisabeth competition in Brussels, 1969 1st prize at Paganini competition at Genoa, 1970 1st prize at Tchaikovsky competition in Moscow.

He started to tour in the West in 1970 and, in 1980, left the USSR to establish himself in West Germany.

The year after he founded a chamber music festival in Lockenhaus, Austria, with a focus on programming contemporary and unconventional works. In 1992 he created the Kremerata Baltica chamber orchestra, composed of young musicians from the Baltic States.

Talented, free, generous, creative, curious, versatile, and above all an artist of integrity, Kremer likes to perform a wide repertoire, from the East to the West, from the past to the future: Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, Piazzolla, Pärt, Adams, Glass, Schnittke, Nono, Gubaidulina… – the last three even composed for him.

He has convinced the biggest names to play with him: Karajan, Bernstein, Abbado, Maazel, Rostropovich, Harnoncourt, Bashmet, Argerich…

The present box gathers all recordings Kremer made for Erato, Teldec and EMI and is a perfect example of all the previous superlatives that Kremer fully deserves.

“Kremer simply galvanizes whatever he plays; it is not the same piece afterwards.” – The Times

“Kremer and Kremerata Baltica animate everything their bows touch.” – Los Angeles Times

“These young Baltic musicians possess a vivid spectrum of string colour, thoroughly polished execution, and a direction of effort in service of the compose … There is no violinist with greater versatility and commitment to musical truth than Kremer.” – Chicago Tribune

“The greatest violinist in the world” – Herbert von Karajan