Fritz (Friz), Gaspard (Kaspar), *18 February 1716 Geneva, †23 March 1783 Geneva, Swiss violinist and composer of German origin. He was probably a student of G.B. Somis in Turin. In 1756, he performed in Paris as a soloist at the Concert Spirituel, playing his own works.
Fritz’s symphonies are close to the style of the Mannheim school, whereas his sonatas – usually in three movements – are written in the Baroque style, as evidenced, among other things, by the sequential development of melodic figures and the lack of thematic contrast.
Compositions:
VI Sonate a violino o flauto traversiere solo col basso…, Op. 2 (pub. before 1750)
6 sinfonie a piú strumenti, Op. 6, Paris (after 1770)
6 sonate a 4 strumenti…, Op. 1, London n.d.
6 sonate a violino solo e basso…, Op. 3, Paris n.d.
6 sonate a due violini e basso…, Op. 4, Paris n.d.
6 sonate a due violini, Geneva n.d.
Editions:
Sonata for violin and basso continuo, Op. 3 no. 4, ed. G. Growler, London 1919
Sonata for violin or flute and basso continuo, Op. 2 no. 4, ed. F. Martin, Geneva 1931
Sinfonia in G major Op. 6 no. 3, ed. E. Huber, Geneva 1950
6 sonatas for violin and basso continuo, Op. 3, ed. E. Huber, Bern 1953
Sonata a 4 strumenti Op. 1 no. 2, ed. R. Bader, Geneva 1953
Sinfonia in B-flat major Op. 6 no. 1, ed. H. Scherchen, in: «Das Kammerorchester» II, Zurich n.d.
