NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Fritz Kreisler

Fritz Kreisler (February 2, 1875 – January 29, 1962) was an Austria-born 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 lifestyle of pre-war Vienna. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1875 (MDCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... â€œWienâ€ redirects here. ... January 29 is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... New York, New York redirects here. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... The violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... The violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1875 (MDCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... January 29 is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A violinist is an instrumentalist who plays the violin. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ...

Biography

Kreisler was born in Vienna to a Jewish father and a Roman Catholic mother; he was baptised at age twelve. He studied at the Vienna conservatory and in Paris, where his teachers included Léo Delibes, Joseph Hellmesberger, Jr., Joseph Massart, and Jules Massenet. He made his United States debut at Steinway Hall in New York 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 Rose. Hearing a recording of the Rose Quartet it is easy to hear why-Rose was sparing in his use of vibrato, and Kreisler would not have blended successfully with the orchestra's violin section. As a result, he left music to study first medicine, then painting. He spent a brief time in the army before returning to the violin in 1899, giving a concert with the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Arthur Nikisch. It was this concert and a series of American tours from 1901 to 1903 that brought him real acclaim. â€œWienâ€ redirects here. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Baptism in early Christian art. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) The Eiffel Tower in Paris, as seen from the esplanade du TrocadÃ©ro. ... Maestro ClÃ©ment Philibert LÃ©o Delibes, Paris, circa 1885 (ClÃ©ment Philibert) LÃ©o Delibes (February 21, 1836 â€“ January 16, 1891) was a French composer of Romantic music. ... Joseph Hellmesberger junior (9 April 1855â€“26 April 1907) was an Austrian composer, violinist and principal conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra from 1901 to 1903. ... Lambert Joseph Massart (July 19, 1811 – February 13, 1892) was a Belgian violinist. ... Jules Massenet Jules (Ã‰mile FrÃ©dÃ©ric) Massenet (May 12, 1842 â€“ August 13, 1912) was a French composer. ... Moriz Rosenthal (December 18, 1862 - September 3, 1946) was a Ukrainian-born American pianist. ... The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (in German: Wiener Philharmoniker) is the best known orchestra in Austria and one of Europes major ensembles. ... The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the worlds leading orchestras. ... A conductor conducting at a ceremony A conductors score and batons Conducting is the act of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. ... Arthur Nikisch (or Nikitsch) (October 12, 1855 â€“ January 23, 1922) was a Hungarian conductor who performed mainly in Germany. ...

In 1910, Kreisler gave the premiere of Edward Elgar's 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. Towards the end of his life, he was in an auto accident 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 Sheen who visited him frequently during that time. Kreisler and his wife were converts to Catholicism. He died in New York City in 1962. Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, OM, GCVO (2 June 1857 â€“ 23 February 1934) was an English Romantic composer. ... The Violin Concerto in B Minor, opus 61, is one of Sir Edward Elgars longest works, yet it is somewhat uncommon in recording and in performance. ... â€œThe Great War â€ redirects here. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Naturalization is the process whereby a person becomes a national of a nation, or a citizen of a country, other than the one of his birth. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ...

Kreisler wrote a number of pieces for the violin, including solos for encores, such as "Liebesleid" and "Liebesfreud". Some of Kreisler's compositions were pastiches in the style of other composers, originally ascribed to earlier composers such as Gaetano Pugnani, Giuseppe Tartini, 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 operettas including Apple Blossoms in 1919, a string quartet and cadenzas, including ones for the Brahms D major violin concerto, the Paganini D major violin concerto, and the Beethoven D major violin concerto. His cadenza for the Beethoven concerto is the one most often employed by violinists today. The word pastiche describes a literary or other artistic genre. ... Gaetano Pugnani (1731â€“1798) was born in Turin, on November 27, 1731. ... Giuseppe Tartini. ... Portrait of Antonio Vivaldi Antonio The Ass-Toucher Lucio Vivaldi (March 4, 1678 â€“ July 27 or 28, 1741), nicknamed Il Prete Rosso (The Big Time Loser), was a Venetian priest and baroque music composer, as well as a famous violinist. ... Operetta (literally, little opera) is a performance art-form similar to opera, though it generally deals with less serious topics. ... The resident string quartet of the Library of Congress in 1963 A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string instrumentsâ€”usually two violins, a viola and celloâ€”or a piece written to be performed by such a group. ... In music, a cadenza (Italian for cadence) is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a free rhythmic style, and often allowing for virtuosic display. ... The Violin Concerto in D major by Johannes Brahms, his opus 77, is one of the best-known of all violin concertos. ... Niccolò Paganini Niccolò Paganini, (Genoa, October 27, 1782 - Nice, May 27, 1840) was a violinist and composer. ... NiccolÃ² Paganini composed his first violin concerto in Italy, most probably in 1817-1818. ... Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized December 17, 1770 – March 26, 1827) was a German composer of Classical music, the predominant musical figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras. ... Ludwig van Beethovens Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major was written in 1806. ...

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 luthiers Antonio Stradivari, Pietro Guarneri, Giuseppe Guarneri, and Carlo Bergonzi, most of which eventually came to bear his name. An engravers impression of Antonio Stradivari examining an instrument. ... Antonio Stradivari examining an instrument, in a Romantic 19th-century print. ... Guarneri is the family name of a group of highly acclaimed violin makers (luthiers) from Cremona in Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries, whose standing is considered comparable to those of the Amati and Stradivari families. ... Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri del GesÃ¹ (August 21, 1698 - October 17, 1744), more commonly known as Joseph Guarneri, is the only violin maker to rival Antonio Stradivari in the respect accorded to his instruments. ... The Italian singer Carlo Bergonzi (born 13 July 1924) is one of the most admired tenors of the post-war period. ...

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 concerto of Felix Mendelssohn serving as one example. Mischa Elman Mischa Elman (January 20, 1891 â€“ April 5, 1967) was a Ukrainian-born violinist, famed for his passionate style and the beauty of his tone. ... Vibrato is a musical effect where the pitch or frequency of a note or sound is quickly and repeatedly raised and lowered over a small distance for the duration of that note or sound. ... Portamento is a musical term currently used to mean pitch bending or sliding, and in 16th century polyphonic writing refers to a type of musical ornamentation. ... This article will be merged with Italian musical terms at some point in the near future. ... Mischa Elman Mischa Elman (January 20, 1891 â€“ April 5, 1967) was a Ukrainian-born violinist, famed for his passionate style and the beauty of his tone. ... Felix Mendelssohns Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. ... Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, born and known generally as Felix Mendelssohn (February 3, 1809 â€“ November 4, 1847) was a German composer and conductor of the early Romantic period. ...

Work

Recordings

Kreisler's work has been reasonably well represented on both LP and CD reissues. Original masters were made on RCA Victor and HMV. 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 wonderful cross section of his repertoire, but has audio compromised by extremely invasive DSP. Sony BMG Music Entertainment is the result of a 50/50 joint venture between Sony Music Entertainment (part of Sony) and BMG Entertainment (part of Bertelsmann AG) completed in August 2004. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Bach in a 1748 portrait by Haussmann Johann Sebastian Bach (pronounced ) (21 March 1685 O.S. â€“ 28 July 1750 N.S.) was a prolific German composer and organist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it... The Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor, BWV 1043, is perhaps one of the most famous works by J.S. Bach and considered among the best examples of the work of the late Baroque period. ... Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (Bach Works Catalogue) is the numbering system used to identify musical works by Johann Sebastian Bach. ... A portrait by Joseph Karl Stieler, 1820 Ludwig van Beethoven (IPA: ), (baptized December 17, 1770[1] â€“ March 26, 1827) was a German composer and one of the pillars of European classical music. ... Ludwig van Beethovens Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major was written in 1806. ... Leo Blech (1871-1958) was a German opera composer and conductor who is perhaps most famous for his work at the KÃ¶nigliches Schauspielhaus (later the Staatsoper Unter den Linden) from 1906 to 1937, and later as the conductor of Berlins StÃ¤dtische Oper from 1949 to 1958. ... The Violin Sonata No. ... Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff (Russian: , Sergej VasileviÄ Rakhmaninov, 1 April 1873 (N.S.) or 20 March 1873 (O.S.) â€“ 28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor, one of the last great champions of the Romantic style of European classical music. ... Violin Sonata No. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Violin Concerto in D major by Johannes Brahms, his opus 77, is one of the best-known of all violin concertos. ... Sir John (Giovanni Battista) Barbirolli (December 2, 1899 - July 29, 1970), was a British conductor and cellist who led the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, among many others. ... Edvard Grieg Edvard Hagerup Grieg (15 June 1843 â€“ 4 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist who composed in the romantic period. ... Sonatas for violin and piano written by Edvard Grieg, a Norwegian composer (1843â€“1907). ... Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, born and known generally as Felix Mendelssohn (February 3, 1809 â€“ November 4, 1847) was a German composer and conductor of the early Romantic period. ... Felix Mendelssohns Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. ... Bologna Mozart - Mozart age 21 in 1777, see also: face only Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (IPA: , baptized Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart) (January 27, 1756 â€“ December 5, 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. ... Violin Concerto No. ... NiccolÃ² (or NicolÃ²) Paganini (October 27, 1782 â€“ May 27, 1840) was an Italian violinist, violist, guitarist and composer. ... NiccolÃ² Paganini composed his first violin concerto in Italy, most probably in 1817-1818. ... Eugene Ormandy (November 18, 1899, Budapest, Hungary â€“ March 12, 1985, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was an eminent American orchestral conductor. ... Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (January 31, 1797 â€“ November 19, 1828) was an Austrian composer. ... Portrait of Antonio Vivaldi Antonio The Ass-Toucher Lucio Vivaldi (March 4, 1678 â€“ July 27 or 28, 1741), nicknamed Il Prete Rosso (The Big Time Loser), was a Venetian priest and baroque music composer, as well as a famous violinist. ...

Broadway

Operetta (literally, little opera) is a performance art-form similar to opera, though it generally deals with less serious topics. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... A revue is a type of theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches that satirize contemporary figures, news, or literature. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... A revue is a type of theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches that satirize contemporary figures, news, or literature. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... Musical theater (or theatre) is a form of theatre combining music, songs, dance, and spoken dialogue. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ...

References

OCLC Online Computer Library Center was founded in 1967 and originally named the Ohio College Library Center (OCLC). ...

External links

Categories: 1875 births | 1962 deaths | 20th century classical composers | American classical violinists | American composers | Austrian classical violinists | Austrian composers | Composers for violin | Forgers | Hollywood Walk of Fame | Jewish American musicians | Jewish classical musicians | Jewish composers and songwriters | Naturalized citizens of the United States | Operetta composers | People from Vienna | Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medallists | Musical hoaxes The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... Internet Broadway Database The Internet Broadway Database (IBDb) is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. ... Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to digitize, archive, and distribute cultural works. ...

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