Austrian violinist Fritz Kreisler was not only one of the most beloved musicians of the early 20th century, he was also one of the last representatives of an era in which performers were also composers, writing music for their own concerts to show off their individual talents and new technical discoveries.

Kreisler (1875–1962) continued a legacy established by Paganini, Wieniawski, Sarasate, and Ysaÿe. Many of his compositions reflect his Viennese background and have become staples in the violin repertoire. Liebesfreud and Liebesleid became so popular that the great Sergei Rachmaninov arranged them for solo piano.

Around 1910 Kreisler wrote his only composition for solo violin: Recitativo and Scherzo, Op. 6. He dedicated this five-minute piece to the Belgian violin virtuoso Eugene Ysaÿe, “le maitre et l’ami,” the master and friend.

It serves, in fact, as a musical thank-you note, as Ysaÿe had dedicated his own fourth solo sonata to Kreisler, imitating the Austrian’s style, even quoting Kreisler’s well-known Praeludium and Allegro.

Kreisler returned the gesture with Recitativo and Scherzo. The dark-hued, chromatic Recitativo, written in the brooding key of D minor, shows some of the impressionistic colors and textures that Ysaÿe used to great effect in his own compositions.

A recitative is closely related to human speech. In an opera, recitatives traditionally move the action of the drama along. The music is subordinate to the words and its declamatory character helps the listeners to understand the text.

In Kreisler’s piece the music is the text.

Imagine getting up onstage, without your violin (a chilling thought!), to deliver a speech on a subject of grave importance. Imagine how passionately you feel about that subject.

Before you utter the first words, you collect yourself. The first statement is a bold one and it has to come off with conviction.
You find a rich, resonating voice and begin to speak.


Raise Your Voice

The entire Recitativo, along with excerpts from the Scherzo, can be viewed in the PDF document accompanying this article. In the first two measures of the Recitativo, let the statement resonate with the audience. Then you reinforce it in measures 3 and 4, this time raising your voice a bit more.

In measures 5 to 9, you change the tone of your voice and your speech becomes more fluid. You begin to plead: the matter is serious. Gradually you become more animated, things become urgent, and then you stretch a word to leave no doubt about its importance (fermata on the B flat. But, failing to persuade your audience, you stop to catch your breath (fermata rest).

Then you restate your opening phrase (measures 10 to 18). But this time, there is no pleading. This time your eyes begin to gleam and your speech becomes heroic and excited (we are in E flat major now). The tempo increases, your arms are up in the air, and you are taken with your own excitement.

But then—silence (fermata rest).

You realize it was all in vain. Your audience stares at you, motionless. In measures 19 to 27, you begin forgetting about your audience and turn inward, musing to yourself.

The eighth notes marked with “+” signs in bars 19, 26 and 27 are to be played left-hand pizzicato (I suggest using the fourth finger) while the quarter notes continue in the bow.