Wilhelm Fitzenhagen, born in 1848 in Seesen, Lower Saxony, came from a musically inclined family, as his father was a court musician to the Duke of Brunswick. He received extensive musical training from an early age and chose the cello as his primary instrument. He initially studied with Theodor Müller, later continuing his studies with Friedrich Grützmacher in Dresden. At a young age, he became a member of the Dresden Court Orchestra and simultaneously launched a successful career as a soloist.
Thanks to the support of the Duke of Brunswick, who exempted him from military service, Fitzenhagen was able to continue his studies both in Dresden and later in Moscow. From the 1870s onward, he published his own compositions, most notably the Cello Concerto No. 1 in B minor, Op. 2, and the Cello Concerto No. 2 in A minor, Op. 4. He dedicated his B minor concerto to the Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and composed it in three movements that flow seamlessly into one another. His musical language is characterized by melodic richness and a fluid style, though it lacks programmatic elements.
Fitzenhagen made a name for himself in Russia as a respected cellist and met Tchaikovsky there, who dedicated his "Variations on a Rococo Theme," Op. 33, to him. Fitzenhagen fundamentally revised this composition. Despite the controversies surrounding it, his version remains a significant part of the musical repertoire to this day.