Fritz Kreisler

FRITZ KREISLER by Louis P. Lochner is the first biography of the most glamorous, universally beloved figure in music history. A prodigy who could read music before he mastered his ABC's, Kreisler climbed to the heights without abandoning his innate modesty. For sixty years he made triumphal world tours while keeping regular engagements throughout Europe and North America. Kreisler became a storm center during World War I, when intolerance and war hysteria forced him off the American concert platform. But he never lost his compassion for and understanding of the underprivileged and suffering within the world. This book depicts Kreisler as the undisputed king of violinists-a great spirit to whom literature, science, and politics were as familiar as the intricate score of a tricky violin passage. The author was a close friend of Kreisler and, through many long chats and diligent delving into Kreisler's past, was able to allow the great violinist to tell much of the story himself.