Kreuzer, member of the Conservatory of Music in Paris, first violin of the Academy of Arts, and of the Imperial Chamber, by L.

“Sonata for piano and violin obbligato written in a concertante style, similar to a concerto, composed and dedicated to his friend, R. Bridgetower was bitter for the rest of his life. He never spoke to Bridgetower again, and he changed the sonata’s dedication to Kreutzer before its publication in 1805. Beethoven, who generally held grudges forever, was furious. The honeymoon came to a swift end, however, when Bridgetower made an unflattering comment about a woman that Beethoven respected (exactly what he said is unknown). The pair premiered the sonata on May 24, 1803, with very little rehearsal and to great audience acclaim. Beethoven and Bridgetower got along like a house on fire and, when they booked a concert together (with Beethoven playing the piano), the composer rushed to finish a violin sonata he had begun the previous year. It was originally written for George Bridgetower, a violin virtuoso who was visiting Vienna in the spring of 1803. Kreutzer probably never performed the sonata publicly and the composer Berlioz reported that he called it “outrageously unintelligible.” The dedication of Beethoven’s violin sonata was only a minor event at a time when Kreutzer was composing more and concertizing less.īeethoven’s last-minute dedication to Kreutzer was made after the sonata was completed and premiered. 47, to Kreutzer, the violinist wasn’t told ahead of time. Beethoven did appreciate Kreutzer’s playing, writing, “I prefer his modesty and natural behavior to all the exterior without any interior, which is characteristic of most virtuosos.” When Beethoven dedicated the Violin Sonata in A major, Op. Not much is known about their relationship but the two men don’t appear to have been close. Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonataīeethoven first met Kreutzer in 1798. In a twist of fate, his name ended up on not just one but three major works of art (and many minor ones) that spanned more than 100 years and explored love, murder, religion, social issues, and more. Yet his popularity began to wane even before his death and he would be little remembered today if it wasn’t for Beethoven’s sonata. Kreutzer also composed many works for the stage, and he went on to become chief conductor and later music director of the Paris Opéra.

When Beethoven dedicated his ninth violin sonata to Rodolphe Kreutzer in 1805, the violinist was already internationally renowned for his virtuosity and celebrated for a new style of violin playing characterized by a full tone and legato (singing) style.

The Kreutzer Sonata by Leo Tolstoy