Kreuz, Select Studies for Viola Bk 1 (Stainer and Bell)

Kreuz was a renowned violist who significantly contributed to the viola community through his compositions and arrangements. Over a decade, he created a vast music repertoire suitable for violists of all levels. His pedagogical works were quickly adopted by prestigious music institutions such as the RCM and the Royal Academy of Music, and his music continued to be recommended to violists for decades. Kreuz advised his students to explore various study books for fresh material. Among the books, he suggested Emil Kreuz’s “Select Studies” in five volumes.

Emil Kreuz was a talented musician from Germany, born in Elberfeld on May 25, 1867. He was skilled in playing the violin and viola and was a teacher, conductor, and composer. Emil began playing the violin at ten and received his training under Georg Joseph Japha in Cologne. At 16, he was awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music in London, where he learned to play the violin from Henry Holmes and studied composition under Charles Villiers Stanford until 1888.

He started his music career as a violin soloist. Still, he later transitioned to playing the viola and joined the Gompertz Quartet. He gained popularity in England and performed at the Leeds Festival in 1889. Between 1900 and 1903, he worked at the Covent Garden Opera Orchestra. In 1903, he became the assistant musical director of the Covent Garden Opera and joined The Hallé to study conducting. After that, he primarily focused on operatic work, particularly training singers and conducting.

Emil Kreuz composed pieces for violin and viola, including a concerto, songs, and chamber music. One of his works is the ‘Prize Quintet’ for horn or viola and string quartet, Op. 49.