Career
He is best known for his writings on composer Franz Liszt, including a highly thought of biography Ein Lebensbild (1898). He also authored the book Liszts Lieder (1906) and penned several essays on the life and works of Liszt. As a composer, he mainly produced works for solo piano and also made arrangements of several works by Liszt.
Born in New York City to German immigrants to the United States, Reuss lived most of his life in Germany.
He began his musical training at the age of 11 in Göttingen where he was a pupil of composer and music critic Eduard Krüger (1807–1885) from 1862-1869. He then became a disciple of Franz Liszt, studying with the great composer from 1870-1879.
He was also a student of Marie Gabriel Augustin Savard in Paris in 1876-1877. In 1880 Reuss joined the teaching staff at the Karlsruhe Conservatory where he remained until 1896 when he joined the faculty of the Wiesbaden Conservatory.
He was appointed director of that institution in 1899 where he remained until 1902.