|
|
| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| − | {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians —>
| |
| − | | Name = Fritz Kreisler
| |
| − | | Img = Kreisler.jpg
| |
| − | | Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| |
| − | | Born = February 2, 1875<br/><small>[[Vienna]], [[Austria]]
| |
| − | | Died = January 29 1962 (age 86)<br/><small>[[New York City, New York]], [[United States|USA]]
| |
| − | | Instrument = [[Violin]]
| |
| − | | Genre = [[Classical music|Classical]]
| |
| − | | Occupation = [[Composer]], [[violin]]ist
| |
| − | | Years_active = 1903-1950
| |
| − | | Notable_instruments = '''Violin'''<br/>''Kreisler Guarnerius'' 1707<br/>''Earl of Plymouth Stradivarius'' 1711<br/>''Greville-Kreisler-Adams Stradivarius'' 1726<br/>''Kreisler Guarneri del Gesù'' 1730c <br/>''Kreisler-Nachez Guarneri del Gesù'' 1732<br/>''Huberman-Kreisler Stradivarius'' 1733<br/>''Lord Amherst of Hackney Stradivarius'' 1734<br/>''Kreisler Guarneri del Gesù'' 1734<br/>''Mary Portman Guarneri del Gesù'' 1735c<br/>''Hart-Kreisler Guarneri del Gesù'' 1737<br/> Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù 1740c<br/>''Kreisler Bergonzi'' 1740c<br/>[[Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume]] 1860<br/>
| |
| − | }}
| |
| | | | |
| − | '''Fritz Kreisler''' (February 2, 1875 – January 29, 1962) was an [[Austria]]-born [[United States|American]] [[violinist]] and [[composer]]; one of the most famous violinists of his day.
| |
| − | He is noted for his sweet tone and expressive phrasing. Like many great violinists of his generation, he produced a characteristic sound, which was immediately recognizable as his own. Although he was a violinist of the Franco-Belgian school, his style is nonetheless reminiscent of the ''gemütlich'' (cozy) lifestyle of pre-war [[Vienna]].
| |
| − |
| |
| − | ==Biography==
| |
| − | Kreisler was born in [[Vienna]] to a [[Jewish]] father and a [[Roman Catholic]] mother; he was [[Baptism|baptised]] at age twelve. He studied at the [[University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna|Vienna Conservatory]] and in [[Paris]], where his teachers included [[Anton Bruckner]], [[Léo Delibes]], [[Jakob Dont]], [[Joseph Hellmesberger, Jr.]], [[Joseph Massart]], and [[Jules Massenet]]. He made his [[United States]] debut at [[Steinway Hall]] in [[New York City]] on November 10, 1888, and his first tour of the United States in 1888/1889 with [[Moriz Rosenthal]], then returned to Austria and applied for a position in the [[Vienna Philharmonic]]. He was turned down by the concertmaster [[Arnold Rosé]]. Hearing a recording of the [[Rosé Quartet]] it is easy to hear why - Rosé was sparing in his use of [[vibrato]], and Kreisler would not have blended successfully with the orchestra's violin section.{{Fact|date=July 2008}} As a result, he left music to study [[medicine]]. He spent a brief time in the [[army]] before returning to the violin in 1899, giving a concert with the [[Berlin Philharmonic]] [[conducting|conducted]] by [[Arthur Nikisch]]. It was this concert and a series of American tours from 1901 to 1903 that brought him real acclaim.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | In 1910, Kreisler gave the premiere of [[Edward Elgar]]'s ''[[Violin Concerto (Elgar)|Violin Concerto]]'', a work dedicated to him. He briefly served in the Austrian Army in [[World War I]] before being honourably discharged after he was wounded. He spent the remaining years of the war in America. He returned to Europe in 1924, living first in [[Berlin]], then moving to [[France]] in 1938. Shortly thereafter, at the outbreak of [[World War II]], he settled once again in the United States, becoming a [[naturalized citizen]] in 1943. He lived in that country for the rest of his life. He gave his last public concert in 1947 and broadcast performances for a few years after that.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | On April 26th, 1941, he was involved in the first of two traffic accidents that marked his life. Struck by a truck while crossing a street in [[New York]], he fractured his skull, and was in a coma for over a week, as reported by [[Life magazine]] on May 12, 1941 (pp. 32-33). Towards the end of his life, he was in another accident while traveling in an automobile, and spent his last days blind and deaf from that accident, but he "radiated a gentleness and refinement not unlike his music," according to Archbishop [[Fulton J. Sheen]] who visited him frequently during that time (Kreisler and his wife were converts to [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholicism]]). He died in [[New York City]] in 1962.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | Kreisler wrote a number of pieces for the violin, including solos for encores, such as "Liebesleid" and "Liebesfreud." Some of Kreisler's compositions were [[pastiche]]s in an ostensible style of other composers, originally ascribed to earlier composers such as [[Gaetano Pugnani]], [[Giuseppe Tartini]], [[Jacques Marnier Companie]], and [[Antonio Vivaldi]]. When Kreisler revealed in 1935 that they were actually by him and critics complained, Kreisler answered that critics had already deemed the compositions worthy: "The name changes, the value remains" he said. He also wrote [[operetta]]s including ''Apple Blossoms'' in 1919 and ''Sissy'' in 1932, a [[string quartet]] and [[cadenza]]s, including ones for the ''[[Violin Concerto (Brahms)|Brahms D major violin concerto]]'', the [[Paganini]] ''[[Violin Concerto No. 1 (Paganini)|D major violin concerto]]'', and the [[Beethoven]] ''[[Violin Concerto (Beethoven)|D major violin concerto]]''. His cadenza for the Beethoven concerto is the one most often employed by violinists today.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | He performed and recorded his own version of the Paganini D major violin concerto-first movement. This version is rescored and in some places reharmonised. The orchestral introduction is completely rewritten in some places. The overall effect is of a late nineteenth century work.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | Kreisler owned several antique violins by [[luthier]]s [[Antonio Stradivari]], [[Guarneri|Pietro Guarneri]], [[Giuseppe Guarneri]], and [[Carlo Bergonzi (luthier)|Carlo Bergonzi]], most of which eventually came to bear his name.
| |
| − | He also owned a [[Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume]] violin of 1860, which he often used as his second fiddle<ref>[http://www.maestronet.com/m_library/world_strings/fall80.pdf Second Fiddle by Philip Kass]</ref>, and which he often loaned to the young prodigy [[Josef Hassid]].
| |
| − |
| |
| − | Kreisler's personal style of playing on record bears a resemblance to [[Mischa Elman]] with a tendency towards expansive tempi, a continuous and varied [[vibrato]], remarkably expressive phrasing, and a melodic approach to passage work. Kreisler employs considerable use of ''[[portamento]]'' and ''[[rubato]]''. However considerable performance contrasts exist between Kreisler and Mischa Elman on the shared standard repertoire with the [[Violin Concerto (Mendelssohn)|concerto]] of [[Felix Mendelssohn]] serving as one example.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | ==Work==
| |
| − | ===Compositions===
| |
| − |
| |
| − | ===Recordings===
| |
| − | Kreisler's work has been reasonably well represented on both LP and CD reissues. Original masters were made on [[RCA Victor]] and [[HMV]]. His final recordings were made in 1950. As usual with remasterings of 78rpm original, the sound quality varies widely - worn sources, excessive signal processing are common. Recent British EMI re-releases are generally pleasant sounding. The RCA/Victor reissues on LP suffer from aggressive low pass filtering of otherwise exceptional source material. Angel/EMI reissues on LP (Great Recordings of the Century series) are quite muddy. The 4CD album currently available as Membran Q222141-444 features a cross section of his repertoire, but has audio compromised by extremely invasive DSP.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | *[[Johann Sebastian Bach|Bach]] [[Double Violin Concerto (Bach)|Concerto for Two Violins]] in D minor, [[BWV]] 1043. w/ Efrem Zimbalist (vn #2), and a string quartet. rec. 1915.
| |
| − | *[[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]] [[Violin Concerto (Beethoven)|Violin Concerto]] in D Major, Op. 61 w/ [[Leo Blech]], Berlin Opera Orchestra. rec 1926.
| |
| − | *Beethoven Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61 w/ John Barbirolli, London Symphony Orchestra. rec 1936.
| |
| − | *Beethoven [[Violin Sonata No. 8 (Beethoven)|Sonata # 8]] in G major, Op. 30, No. 3 w/ [[Sergei Rachmaninoff]], pF. rec. 1928.
| |
| − | *Beethoven [[Violin Sonata No. 9 (Beethoven)|Sonata # 9]] in A major, Op. 47 w/ Franz Rupp, pF. rec 1936.
| |
| − | *[[Johannes Brahms|Brahms]] [[Violin Concerto (Brahms)|Violin Concerto]] in D major, op. 77 w/ [[John Barbirolli]], London Symphony Orchestra, rec. 1936.
| |
| − | *[[Edvard Grieg|Grieg]] [[Sonatas for Violin and Piano (Grieg)|Sonata # 3]] in C minor, Op. 45 w/ Sergei Rachmaninoff, pF. rec 1928.
| |
| − | *[[Felix Mendelssohn|Mendelssohn]] [[Violin Concerto (Mendelssohn)|Violin Concerto]] in E minor, Op. 64 w/ Leo Blech, Berlin Opera Orchestra. rec 1926.
| |
| − | *Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 w/ Landon Ronald, London Symphony Orch. rec. 1934?
| |
| − | *[[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]] [[Violin Concerto No. 4 (Mozart)|Violin Concerto in D Major]], K. 218 w/ Landon Ronald, London Symphony Orch, rec. 1924.
| |
| − | *[[Niccolò Paganini|Paganini]] [[Violin Concerto No. 1 (Paganini)|Violin Concerto in D Major]], Op. 6 (recomposed by [[Fritz Kreisler|Kreisler]]) w/ [[Eugene Ormandy]], Philadelphia Orch, rec 1936.
| |
| − | *[[Franz Schubert|Schubert]] [[Duo for Violin and Piano (Schubert)|Sonata # 5 in A Major]], D. 574. w/ Sergei Rachmaninoff, pF. rec 1928.
| |
| − | *attrib. [[Antonio Vivaldi|Vivaldi]] RV Anh. 62 (composed by Kreisler) Violin Concerto in C Major w/ Donald Voorhees, RCA Victor Orchestra, rec. 1945.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | ===Broadway===
| |
| − | *''Apple Blossoms'' (1919) - [[operetta]] - co-[[composer]]
| |
| − | *''Continental Varieties'' (1934) - [[revue]] - featured [[composer]] for "Caprice Viennois" and "La Gitana"
| |
| − | *''Reunion in New York'' (1940) - [[revue]] - featured [[composer]] for "Stars in Your Eyes"
| |
| − | *''Rhapsody'' (1944) - [[Musical theater|musical]] - [[composer]]
| |
| − |
| |
| − | ==Notes==
| |
| − | {{reflist}}
| |
| − |
| |
| − | ==References==
| |
| − | * Kreisler, Fritz. ''Four Weeks in the Trenches'', Houghton Mifflin, 1915. {{OCLC|1161448}}
| |
| − |
| |
| − | ==External links==
| |
| − | * {{allmusic|41:3447}}
| |
| − | * {{ibdb name|12009}}
| |
| − | *[http://hdl.handle.net/1802/5482 An assembled edition of original pieces and arrangements for violin and piano] by Fritz Kreisler. From Sibley Music Library Digital Scores Collection
| |
| − | * [http://www.maestronet.com/m_library/world_strings/fall80.pdf Second Fiddle by Philip Kass]
| |
| − |
| |
| − |
| |
| − | {{DEFAULTSORT:Kreisler, Fritz}}
| |
| − |
| |
| − | [[Category:art, music, literature, sports and leisure]]
| |
| − | [[Category:music]]
| |
| − | [[Category:musicians]]
| |
| − | [[Category:biography]]
| |
| − | {{credit|253737054}}
| |
