order of development of the four great representative masters of the
classical violin school of Paris; the others being Viotti, first, Rode,
second, and Baillot, fourth. With Baillot he compiled the famous
"Methode de Violon" for the use of the students at the Conservatoire.
Kreutzer's first teacher was his father, who was a musician in the
king's chapel, but he was soon placed under Anton Stamitz, and at the
age of thirteen he played a concerto in public, with great success. This
is said by some writers to have been his own composition, though by
others it was attributed to his teacher.

Kreutzer made a tour through the north of Italy, Germany, and Holland,
during which he acquired the reputation of being one of the first
violinists in Europe. On his return to Paris, he turned his attention to
dramatic music, and composed two grand operas, which were performed
before the court, and secured for him the patronage of Marie Antoinette.
He also became first violin at the Opéra Comique, and professor at the
Conservatoire, where he formed some excellent pupils, among them being
D'Artot, Rovelli, the teacher of Molique, Massart, the teacher of
Wieniawski and Teresina Tua, and Lafont, who also became a pupil of De
Bériot. On Rode's departure for Russia, Kreutzer succeeded him as solo
violin at the Opéra, later becoming Chef d'Orchestre, and after fourteen
years' service in this capacity he was decorated with the insignia of
the Legion of Honour, and became General Director of the Music at the
Opéra. In 1826 he resigned his post and retired to Geneva, where he died
in 1831. Kreutzer was a prolific composer, and his compositions include
forty dramatic works and a great number of pieces for the violin.

In 1798, when Kreutzer was at Vienna in the service of the French
ambassador, Bernadotte, he made the acquaintance of Beethoven, and was
afterwards honoured by that great composer with the dedication to him of