Gidon Kremer’s ambitions as founder, orchestral director and concert master with Kremerata have gone beyond the repertoire boundaries right from the start. Rather than playing traditional chamber orchestra pieces he looks for unique masterworks to study with his exceptionally gifted young players – such as Schubert’s confessional last String Quartet in an arrangement for chamber orchestra or a symphonic movement originally conceived for large orchestra like the Adagio from Mahler’s unfinished Symphony No 10. To convey the sonic wealth of this swansong makes the highest demands.

Shostakovich’s dramatic and moving Symphony No 14, written in a sanatorium in the expectation of imminent death, is marked by enormous rhythmic intricacies and a variety of characters. Shostakovich uses texts by Apollinaire, Rilke, Lorca and Küchelbeker. In all their stylistic individuality both pieces display an intense preoccupation with death and parting: whereas Mahler, in spite of some violent outbursts, seems to find a certain peace and conciliation, Shostakovich utters fierce protest against an unjust and premature death.

Gidon Kremer’s relationship with ECM dates back to the legendary Tabula Rasa of 1984, which put Arvo Pärt on the map, and recordings from his famous Lockenhaus Festival. His Bach Sonatas & Partitas for solo violin in 2005 met with unanimous acclaim. Kremerata Baltica made its label debut with an astounding version of Schubert’s G-major String Quartet (476 1939). Founded by Kremer in 1997, the Grammy-award winning chamber orchestra - 27 young musicians from the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - is one of Europe’s outstanding ensembles. Kremerata Baltica annually performs 60 concerts, touring throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Most are led by Kremer, but it’s also appeared under Ashkenazy, Eschenbach, Nagano, Rattle and Salonen - and commissioned Arvo Pärt, Kancheli, Vasks, and Raskatov.