In 1910, Kreisler performed the premiere of Edward Elgar's Violin Concerto, an event that marked his growing international prominence; by 1914, he was considered the preeminent violinist of his generation. At its peak, his performing schedule encompassed 200 concerts a year, prompting his friend and colleague, Rachmaninov, to joke that “Fritz gives so many concerts he does not need to practice.
” Indeed, an enduring aspect of the Kreisler legend is his open indifference toward practicing and his “...