Krenek's long life in music began as a conductor in German opera houses, which may explain his prodigious output of original operas (Jonny spielt auf, The Bell Tower, etc.). But his compositions include all instruments, from solo to orchestral, and cover a wide range of influences (neo-classical, 12-tone, neo-romantic, even jazz overtones). Universal Edition proudly presents two of Krenek's Sonates for solo Violin, the first from 1925, at about the time of his divorce from his first wife, Anna Mahler.