Rodolphe Kreutzer (1766 — 1831)

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Rodolphe Kreutzer’s dedication to the violin could not be thwarted by the innumerable political changes of his day. His allegiance was solely to the violin, and no external factors could affect his devotion to music. The son of a local musician in Versailles, Kreutzer was brought up in a family that adored music. Kreutzer’ s father fostered the young boy’s love for the violin, and Kreutzer began taking lessons from Anton Stamitz in 1778. Under Stamitz’s instruction, young Kreutzer attained tremendous musical heights, and at the age of thirteen he composed his first concerto. He then performed at the Concert Spirituel in Paris where he was recognized as a prodigy.

The death of his mother and father in 1784 and 1785 was a tremendous blow to Kreutzer. A teenager, Kreutzer suddenly found himself without the loving parental support that had sustained much of his musical growth. Fortunately, Marie Antoinette and Count Artois fancied Kreutzer’s playing, and became his protectors. Kreutzer was instated into the king’s royal orchestra, and thereby was able to support himself and spend his free time composing. By 1789 Kreutzer’s chamber music and violin concertos had gained popularity, and he had become a leading virtuoso. He decided to leave Versailles and embrace a soloist position at the Opera-Comique. There he was able to produce his first opera, Jeanne d’Arc a Orleans.

Throughout the time of the French Revolution, Kreutzer’s work embodied a constant sense of energy and brilliance. He wrote prodigiously, and seemed to be unhindered by the constant social changes that were occurring in his midst. In 1798 he toured in Vienna, and was a member of the French ambassador’s party. This party was ordered by Napoleon Bonaparte to bring Italian manuscripts back to France. A few years later, Kreutzer became Bonaparte’s solo violinist, and in 1815 Louis XVIII became his patron.

Kreutzer’s legacy is greatly tied to his remarkable teaching style. In 1793 he was attached to the National Institute of Music, the precursor to the Paris Conservatory. From 1796 to 1830 Kreutzer was an active professor of the violin at the Paris Conservatory. Inspired by Viotti’s stunning violin playing, Kreutzer studied and modernized the technique violinists use. Lie encouraged the opening and extension of the left hand, and wrote the famous 42 Studies, a book of violin etudes that was first published by the Paris Conservatory. These studies have become indispensable to the study of the violin, and have established Kreutzer as the great teacher of the instrument.

In 1804 Beethoven and Kreutzer met. Beethoven, an avid fan of Kreutzer’ s vivacious playing style, was so inspired that he wrote a sonata specifically for Kreutzer. Ironically, Kreutzer was not a great fan of Beethoven’s compositions. The sonata was dedicated to Kreutzer without his knowledge, and he never performed the piece. Nonetheless, audiences have adored Beethoven’s Violin Sonata in A major, No. 9 “Kreutzer “. The concerto-like work has been described as brimming with incomparable emotion and magnificence.

Sadly, Kreutzer’s days of solo performances came to a close after his arm was broken in an accident. Although he continued to compose and play in ensembles, he was  unable to attain the verve with which he had originally played. He passed away in 1831, leaving behind a wealth of compositions and methods for the study of the violin. Kreutzer, Baillot, and Rode are described as the trinity that established the French school of violin. Defined by brilliance and foresight, the violin techniques established by these three men have become a staple for the study of the instrument. Thus, Kreutzer’s remarkable ability to withstand social and political changes enabled him to produce a mode of violin playing that has withstood the centuries. His timeless instructions continue to direct and inspire students of the violin.

Notes by Shanaira Udwadia (July-2001)