Kreisler << KRYS luhr >>, Fritz (1875-1962), ranks as one of the best-loved violinists of all time. He was also a composer. Kreisler’s playing possessed a warm and natural tone quality. His expressiveness created an intimacy between himself and his audience that was unique among performing musicians. His recordings are studied for the way they demonstrate the effective shaping of musical phrases and the use of rubato (shortening and lengthening notes) that sounds natural and convincing.
Kreisler wrote many short compositions, including Caprice Viennois, Tambourin Chinois, Liebesfreud, Liebesleid, and Schon Rosmarin. Many other pieces were first published as the work of earlier composers. Later, Kreisler admitted that he had written the music “in the style” of those composers and had modestly denied authorship.
Kreisler was born on Feb. 2, 1875, in Vienna. He became a pupil at the Vienna Conservatory when he was 7 years old. Three years later, he entered the Paris Conservatory and studied there under Joseph Massart and Léo Delibes. He made his New York City debut when he was 13 and his Berlin debut at the age of 24, after a brief vacation from the violin to study medicine and art. In 1939, after Germany annexed Austria, Kreisler became a French citizen. Later, he settled in the United States and became a U.S. citizen in 1943. He died on Jan. 29, 1962.
