Born into a poor immigrant Italian family as Giuseppe Guttoveggio, Paul Creston had to leave school at thirteen and study Piano and Composition at night after working long hours. His industry eventually paid off and he is now rightfully celebrated. Crestons's music exemplifies the traits common in American Music of the first half of the twentieth century: it is distinctly tuneful, tonal in the modern American idiom and has a strong rhythmic sense. The Suite for Violin and Piano is no exception to this, with its lively Prelude (good practice for double-stopping), it's wistful Air and a rather frantic Rondo .