The Search for the Minor Composer
Bruce R. Schueneman · Music Reference Services Quarterly · 1996
The Viennese violinist/composer Fritz Kreisler was born in Vienna on February 2, 1875. A Wunderkind of gigantic proportions, he entered the Vienna Conservatory in 1882. In 1885 he went to Paris and studied with Massart. In late 1888 he toured America with Moriz Rosenthal. After a brief interlude studying medicine and serving in the Austrian army, Kreisler returned to music in 1896. After a successful Berlin debut in 1899, Kreisler became and remained throughout his life one of the most beloved violinists of modern times. A parallel career in composition produced some of the most idiomatic and popular short violin pieces ever penned. While considered a minor composer in many respects, Kreisler's lilting melodies and sure technique have gained him a worldwide and lasting audience. He died in New York on January 29, 1962.