Biography
Having received early violin instruction from his father while in Versailles, Kreutzer began lessons in both violin and composition with Anton Stamitz in 1778. Journeys to Paris brought him success at the Concert Spirituel, where he encountered Viotti and observed his performance, although direct instruction from Viotti is considered improbable despite ongoing conjecture. Recognized as a prodigious virtuoso, Kreutzer gained the patronage of Marie Antoinette and likely secured a place in the royal musical establishment. Throughout the upheaval of the Revolution he continued his professional activities without interruption, securing appointments at the Institut National de Musique that subsequently evolved into the Conservatoire. He held the post of violin professor there until 1826; an arm injury sustained in 1810 ended his concert appearances yet left his teaching unaffected. Outwardly displaying the technical brilliance of a virtuoso while inwardly embodying an artist’s expressive depth, Kreutzer avoided frequent use of higher positions and constant shifts yet promoted both closed and open hand techniques as teacher and technician. Beethoven, admiring these qualities, dedicated the “Violin Sonata, Opus 47” to him, a work commonly known as the “Kreutzer Sonata,” although the dedicatee probably never performed it. Beyond instrumental pieces, Kreutzer’s notable output encompassed the “42 Etudes ou Caprices,” the ballet “Paul et Virginie,” and the operas “Astyanax,” “Abel,” and “Lodoiska.” The etudes specifically trained the left hand to reach farther while remaining in open position, anticipating the technical requirements of later repertoire. Their enduring value has kept them in circulation through successive editorial revisions and continued pedagogical use. “Paul et Virginie” enjoyed a fifteen-year run, while “Abel” contains some of Kreutzer’s strongest writing; a scene in “Astyanax” depicting the Greeks’ departure from Troy demonstrated forceful musical imagery. In general his operas seldom moved beyond straightforward melodies and accompaniment, confirming that his gifts found their fullest expression in violin performance, with the influences of both Stamitz and Viotti still evident in his earliest works.
Albums