Walther Klein

Walther Klein was born on 23 June 1882 in Brünn (at that time Austria-Hungary, today called Brno in the Czech Republic). He first began to study law and soon switched to music. He first studied under Karl Koretz and Otto Kitzler at the Brünn conservatory. In 1900 Walther Klein moved to Vienna and continued his studies privately under Oskar C. Posa and Bruno Freiherr von Morpurgo, and also attended lectures at the Vienna university under Guido Adler.
After his studies Walther Klein first worked as conductor at the Brno City Theatre in 1908. From 1910 to 1920 he directed the state examination courses at the Vienna music school founded by Julius Stern. During this period and afterwards, he gave lectures and taught at various institutions, including the Vienna Music Academy, the American Summer School in Mondsee, the Austrian-American Institute, and the Hellerau Eurythmics School. Alongside his work as a composer and music writer, he was active primarily as a private teacher. Among his students were Georg Kreisler and Giacinto Scelsi.
In 1939 Klein emigrated to California in the United States. Following his emigration, he taught music theory and composition at the Presbyterian Theological Seminary in San Anselmo and at Mills College in Oakland. He later taught at The Katharine Branson High School in Ross. 
Alongside his teaching and compositional work, Klein was active as a music theorist, author, translator, and lecturer. He translated opera texts and published theoretical writings, including "Harmonielehre für Fortgeschrittene" in 1923, as well as writings on the metaphysics of music. 
In recognition of his work, Klein was awarded the honorary professional title of Professor in 1928.
Walther Klein died on 17 August 1961 in San Anselmo (California, USA).

In my possession is the autograph manuscript of the piano composition "Feuer" by Walther Klein. The composition belongs to a set of piano pieces titled "Die Elemente" with the other parts Erde, Luft and Wasser. The manuscript is not dated and I found no information when the work was composed. But the manuscript was accompanied by a letter to pianist Elly Ney which is dated 28 June 1932. In this letter Walther Klein is thankful that he got the permission to send his manuscript again to Elly Ney. That sounds like he had already tried before and therefore the work very likely was composed before 1930.