Four Weeks in the Trenches: The War Story of a Violinist

Fritz Kreisler

Friedrich "Fritz" Kreisler was an Austrian and American violinist and composer. One of the most distinguished violin virtuoso of his day, he was known for his sweet tone and expressive phrasing with marked portamento and rubato. Like many great violinists of his generation, he produced a characteristic sound which was immediately recognizable as his own. Although it derived in many respects from the Franco-Belgian school, his style is nonetheless reminiscent of the gemütlich (cozy) lifestyle of pre-war Vienna.