1. GIVE MY REGARDS TO
KREISLER
THIRTY YEARS OF ZEN MEDITATION ON TONE

2. “Please give my regards to Kreisler!” – Shinichi Suzuki
Quote from: Philosophy of Tone Production: Thirty Years of Zen Meditation on Tone
By Shinichi Suzuki, copyright 1960, soon to be translated into English

3. PRESENTATION OVERVIEW
• Fritz Kreisler
• Important moments in his life
• Colleagues‟ recollections
• Tone
• In regards to Suzuki‟s TONE concepts
• Recorded examples of Kreisler
• The Results of Dr. Suzuki‟s Study of Fritz Kreisler‟s TONE
• Integrating these concepts into our teaching

4. • Born February 2, 1875
• Enrolled in the Vienna
Conservatory at the age of
seven
• Studied under Hellmesberger
• Met Brahms during this time

5. “In Vienna there was in the conservatory itself a little
restaurant, which was a musician‟s club, and Brahms was
the president. There was music every week, mostly
chamber music. And the works of Brahms were very often
played there – particularly when he had just composed
them and wanted to hear them.” – Fritz Kreisler, 1955
Quote from: WQXR Radio Interview, 1955

6. “To talk to an Olympian like that, to actually be present at
the creation of superb music, was priceless – and a lasting
possession which does not fade or suffer from comparisons
made with the perspective of time.” – Fritz Kreisler, 1942
Olin Downes Quotes Kreisler

7. • At the age of ten, won the Gold
Medal for violinists
• Enrolled in the Paris Conservatoire
where he studied with Massart
• Massart was his LAST violin teacher
• Concludes study at the age of 12,
winning the Premier Prize from the
Conservatoire
• The next year he toured the U.S.
with pianist, Moriz Rosenthal,
finishing the tour in the spring of
1889

8. Concerning Kreisler‟s performance on the tour, critical
reviews were mixed. The Boston Globe critic wrote:
“He plays like a nice studious boy who has a rather musical
nature…but cannot be ranked among prodigies or
geniuses.”

9. Fritz Kreisler:
Child Performer
To Concert Artist

10. YEHUDI MENUHIN
“Fritz Kreisler‟s playing was unique and markedly characteristic. His
tone production, incision, lilt, phrasing, rhythmic inflection and
accentuation belonged to a born violinist…His music was always
vivacious, provocative and unfailingly fascinating.”

11. JOSEF GINGOLD
“Kreisler‟s playing was always vibrant and alive and bearing demanded
“When he made his stage entrance his majestic his sense of rhythm was
outstanding…(his) way of interpreting his own charming pieces is
attention even before he played a single note. However, once he put his
violin under his chin he combined a tone of ravishing beauty with a highly
unforgettable – he was completely transformed. A certain modesty and
individualistic artistic sense and fantasy plussay „I would love to play for you.‟
humility were evidenced as he seemed to a dazzling technical finish…What
we consider modern today might be old fashioned in the future. Genius,
I felt that Kreisler played personally for each listener in the audience, so
however, is never old fashioned, and Fritz Kreisler will remain the modern
personable was his magnetism.”
violinist and one who can never be replaced.”

12. Musical Example:
“Tambourin Chinois, Op. 3”
From album Kreisler Plays Kreisler
Violin: Fritz Kreisler
Piano: Carl Lamson

13. SUZUKI’S REACTION
TO HEARING KREISLER IN BERLIN
“They (meaning Kreisler and Casals)
have always been my teachers.
Thanks to them, I have become
able to listen to tone as a result,
and counting backwards, to think in
my mind and see in my mind‟s eye
the situation and form which are its
cause.”

15. “I trace those masters‟ (Kreisler‟s) tone
back to how they must have
produced it, think about their
bowing, technique, grasp in concrete
terms as much as possible that would
contribute to such tone, and give
them to my students as a method.”
– Shinichi Suzuki
After researching Kreisler‟s tone, Suzuki produced the music book
Tonalization (1955) and Philosophy of Tone Production (1960).

16. SUZUKI’S METHOD OF TEACHING TONE
1. Natural Tone
2. Tonalization
3. First Variation
4. Second Variation
5. Third Variation

17. Suzuki‟s early attempts were not at all successful…
“The tone I aimed at was the brilliant rich tone, beautiful
tone, or tender tone of the masters; yet, not knowing how to
produce such a magnificent tone, I was sawing away with
force, pressing the strings that could otherwise have rung
beautifully…” – Shinichi Suzuki

18. SUZUKI’S METHOD OF TEACHING TONE
1) Natural Tone
a. Natural ring of the string when plucked
b. The string continues to ring after it is plucked
c. Bowed notes should resemble plucked notes
d. The tone is beautiful, the resonance lingers

19. SUZUKI’S METHOD OF TEACHING TONE
2. Tonalization
a. Singers practice vocalization, string players practice
TONALIZATION
b. Ten resonant tones out of a total of thirteen pitches
c. To focus on tone helps to develop other aspects such as
intonation and musicianship
d. Focusing on TONE really helps us to LISTEN

21. SUZUKI’S METHOD OF TEACHING TONE
3. First Variation
a. Changing BOW SPEED to create dynamics in NATURAL
TONE
“The changes in sound are created by changes in motions, or in
other words, changes in the physical movement are translated into
sound and musical expression…I teach different bow speeds and
dynamics using the easiest of pieces.” – Shinichi Suzuki

24. Musical Example:
“Liebesfreud”
From album Kreisler Plays Kreisler
Violin: Fritz Kreisler
Piano: Carl Lamson

25. SUZUKI’S METHOD OF TEACHING TONE
4. Second Variation
“Change in thethe tone by changing the amount ofchange in the
a. Affects weight of the bow on the string creates PRESSURE on
amount of sound and tone color. This should be practiced, however,
the string or WEIGHT
with attention to the beautiful, ringing sound of the string. Avoid
crushing the tone by skillfully controlling the right hand. I think it is
necessary to guide the student gradually so that he will comprehend
through experience how control can be achieved when the fingers,
wrist and entire right arm are supple, all weight comfortably placed on
the resiliency of the horsehair.” – Shinichi Suzuki

26. Excerpt from “Tonalization” by Shinichi Suzuki, copyright 1955

28. “This ability is required for expressing necessary dynamics within a
slur. When we attentively observe how beautifully Kreisler, Casals
and other masters sing slurred phrases, we realize that this is one
of the crucial bowing abilities for music expression. Therefore, I
think it is indispensable to train students, even if just for five
minutes per lesson, in various tone exercises so as to heighten this
basic skill in tone production, and help them develop more and
more beautiful tone according to their different levels of
ability…This bow study will become the basis of bowing. Good
training in this second variation will develop the ability to express
dynamics from pp to f.” – Shinichi Suzuki

29. Musical Example:
“Liebesleid”
From album Kreisler Plays Kreisler
Violin: Fritz Kreisler
Piano: Carl Lamson

30. SUZUKI’S METHOD OF TEACHING TONE
5. Third Variation
“When asked to play near CONTACT for the first the bow on the string,
a. By changing the the bridge POINT of time, many students fail
to produce fine tone. That is because the bow does not skillfully allow
it affects TONE COLOR and the AMOUNT OF SOUND
the string to ring. This is due to a poorly balanced bow – the bow fails to
muster a Scotch-tape-like power of suction where the horsehair touches
the string; it fails to achieve perfect contact that is necessary for making
the string ring…When trying to produce f or ff sound, suppleness of the
right hand and skillful control of the fingers are all the more essential.
Hence a student with a stiff right hand either encounters heavy
resistance or produces an unpleasant squashed tone the moment he
attempts to play f or ff.” - Shinichi Suzuki

32. Musical Example:
“The Old Refrain”
From album Kreisler Plays Kreisler
Violin: Fritz Kreisler
Piano: Carl Lamson

33. “Listen to Kreisler‟s tone, I always tell my students,
encouraging them to become disciples of these
teachers. Since naturally it is impossible to receive
instruction directly from them, I have my students
study with them through records, as I myself did.”
– Shinichi Suzuki

34. “Listen to Kreisler‟s tone, I always tell my students, encouraging them to
become disciples of these teachers. Since naturally it is impossible to receive
instruction directly from them, I have my students study with them through
records, as I myself did.” – Shinichi Suzuki
Quote from the biography called Fritz Kreisler by Louis Lockner

35. GENERAL REMARKS
Our challenge is to help our students to perform with a
beautiful tone.
1. We must study to demonstrate a wonderful resonant tone for our
students.
2. Encourage each student to invite a wonderful artist player into
their home, so that they might listen to them everyday.

36. Kreisler was quoted in Lochner‟s biography as saying:
“The technical talent of the youth of today is almost
unbelievable…but they continue the
If we are to are all technical „wonder
children‟…This can never remain the object of music.”
legacy of Shinichi Suzuki,
we need the fine artist player, with a
wonderful heart, to inspire the students of
our movement!

37. SOME FINAL THOUGHTS ON
KREISLER AND SUZUKI
Margaret Campbell in her wonderful book The Great Violinists says of Kreisler,
“In the entire history of violin playing there is probably no performer
who was more universally loved and admired than Fritz Kreisler. He was
the first of the 20th Century violinists to anticipate by instinct the growing
need for emotional expression in playing. He appealed to the heart of
his audience, not only by his virtuosity but by a quality that exuded a
subtle vitality, humor, sweetness and pathos in an interfusion of tone,
technique, and communication.”

38. THE THREE PILLARS OF
DR. SUZUKI’S TEACHINGS
1. Play with Kreisler's beautiful TONE
2. Learn the correct TECHNIQUE
3. Play from your HEART, not your liver

39. Musical Example:
“Schön Rosmarin”
From album Kreisler Plays Kreisler
Violin: Fritz Kreisler
Piano: Carl Lamson

40. PARALLELS BETWEEN
SUZUKI AND KREISLER

42. SOME TECHNICAL IDEAS OF SUZUKI’S
REGARDING TONE INSTRUCTION
(FROM PHILOSOPHY OF TONE PRODUCTION)
1. Hold the bow with the thumb on the mother-of-
pearl of the frog, place the bow lightly on the
string and play.
1. Finger before bow!
1. Practice producing a ringing natural tone in piano
at the bottom of the bow near the winding,
suggesting a bow length no longer than your
finger. (Not for beginners!)
2. Control of tip of the bow is central.

43. IN CONCLUSION:
“When teachers consider instruction of fine tone to be crucial
side of violin instruction, constantly study it themselves, and give
ever better instruction, they thereby produce students who play
with fine tone.” – Shinichi Suzuki

44. Musical Example:
“Caprice Viennois, Op. 2”
From album Kreisler Plays Kreisler
Violin: Fritz Kreisler
Piano: Carl Lamson

45. Bow-hold, finger manipulation,
Keep the horsehair
The beautifulright hand
supple tone of maestros
in not produced under awith the string,
is light, perfect contact pressing bow.
and listenof weight for tone as it ringing tone -
control to your own beautiful rings beautifully.
Rather, the resilience of the horsehair turns into cellophane tape
that Just place the sound, contactthe string,string
creates every bow lightly on with the
For perfect bow how it starts
though theso bow is only placed on the to the string, as a bird.
its single pointiswill life.
its adhere string, lightly
neither floating
It must It is becausewith pianissimo.on tone.
be so even the heart acts
nor detaching itself.
A clumsy With a bow that is alive, firmly,
player holds the bow too
gently a makes the string produced.
and this powerful tone is ring
Lightly let the tone scratchy.
with strong adhesion at that single point.
It is the sound of singlenot of nature.
On that ego, point,
That tone of maestros
on that single contact point
is indeed a gift of always
You should such training.
where the horsehair touches the string
use your heart for tone,
ByLet us then listenmaintaining that single point
the deftness of to that tone again today.
Think of the resilience of produce natural tone.
one may the horsehair and its contact point
as cellophane tape.