Credits:

Gidon Kremer, Mario Brunello

Description:

[Kremer joins the Alpha roster: a tribute to Beethoven made with Mario Brunello]An imaginatively conceived album marking the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. Two great players, Gidon Kremer and Mario Brunello, join forces with Kremerata Baltica to record two of the celebrated late string quartets in versions for string orchestra. Two recent works inspired by Beethoven complete the programme, exploring what the composer’s legacy means to us today.At the heart of the disc are the two quartets. No. 16, Beethoven’s last completed work, is conducted by Brunello, while No. 14 is directed by Kremer from the violin. Kremer seems to have had Bernstein’s Vienna Philharmonic recordings in mind for both, but the results are quite different from that richly upholstered manner: the singing quality and vivid phrasing so characteristic of Kremerata Baltica, together with a clear, transpa