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Scan 1359
Baker S Biographical Dictionary Of Musicians, 1900
8 lines. Read by computer on 12 September 2026. Printed page 1339. See the scan on archive.org.
1RICHTER — RICORDI
3Richter, Hans, conductor; b. Raab, Hungary, April 4, 1843; d. Bayreuth, Dec. 5, 1916. In 1853, choirboy in the Court Chapel, Vienna; from 1860-65 he studied composition under Sechter, violin under Heissler, and the French horn under Klein-ecke at the Cons. From 1862-66, horn-player in the orch. at the Kärnthnerthor-Theater; from 1866-67 in Lucerne (Triebischen) with Wagner, making for him a fair copy of the Meistersinger score and recommended by him for the position of chorusmaster at the Munich Opera (Dec., 1867); from Aug. 25, 1868, to Sept. 1, 1869, court conductor under Bülow. Conducted rehearsals and initial performances of Lohengrin at Brussels, March 22, 1870; Kapellmeister at the Pest National Th. 1871-75, then at the Imperial Opera, Vienna, becoming 1st Kapellmeister in 1893. From 1875-97 he conducted, concurrently with the opera, the concerts of the Vienna Philh. Society, and from 1880-95 he also conducted the concerts of the 'Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde,' excepting the season of 1883-84. He was chosen by Wagner to conduct the Ring des Nibelungen at Bayreuth in 1876, and at the close of the festival was decorated with the Maximiliansorden by the King of Bavaria and the Falkenorden by the Grand Duke of Weimar. In 1877 (May 7-19) he conducted, alternately with the master himself, the great Wagner Festival at Albert Hall, London. The success of a second festival (May 5-12, 1879), conducted by Richter alone, led to the establishment of an annual series in May, known at first as 'Orchestral Festival Concerts,' later simply as 'Richter Concerts,' which were given regularly until 1897. In that year Richter settled definitely in Manchester as conductor of the Symph. (Hallé) Orch., but did not by any means limit his activity to that city; he still gave occasional 'Richter Concerts' in London, and was regular conductor of the Birmingham Festival (1885-1911) and of the season of Wagner opera at Covent Garden (1903-10); in 1882 he conducted at Drury Lane the English premières of Meistersinger (May 30) and Tristan und Isolde (June 20). Throughout his life he remained in closest touch with Bayreuth, spending a part of every summer there as conductor-in-chief of the festivals. The last concert he conducted was his farewell concert with the Manchester Symph. Orch. on April 11, 1911, having bidden farewell to London the day before at a special concert of the London Symph. Orch.; he then directed a few performances at the Hofoper in Vienna, and after directing with all the fire of youth the superb Meistersinger performances at Bayreuth in the summer of 1912 he retired from all activities, spending his last years in Bayreuth. Among the world's conductors the figure of Richter is one of the most imposing. A pioneer and unsurpassed interpreter of Wagner's art, he espoused with equal devotion the cause of Brahms, the majority of whose orchestral works had their first performance in Vienna (and later also in England) under Richter's baton. A musician of universal sympathies and master of all styles, his interpretation of classic or modern works was equally convincing and authoritative. —Cf. F. Klickmann, Dr. H. Richter in 'Windsor Magazine' (Sept., 1896); also L. Karpath, Wagner's Briefe an Hans Richter (Vienna, 1924); W. Kienzl, in Bettelheim's 'Nekrolog' (1930).
5Richter, Sviatoslav Teofilovitch, outstanding Russian pianist; b. Zhitomir, March 20, 1914. The family moved to Odessa when he was a child; he grew up in a musical atmosphere (his father was a pianist); studied symph. literature, and developed exceptional skill in playing orchestral scores at the piano; gave his 1st concert as pianist at 20, at the Sailors' Collective Circle in Odessa. He entered the Moscow Cons. in 1937, studying piano with H. Neuhaus; graduated in 1947; but even before graduation, he won 1st prize at the national contest in 1945; was awarded the Stalin Prize in 1949; was soloist in Prokofiev's 5th piano concerto in Leningrad with the Philadelphia Orch. during its Russian tour, in the spring of 1958. His virtuoso technique and extraordinary interpretative powers, in a wide repertory, place him in the front rank among Russian pianists.
7Ricordi & Co., G., famous music-publishing firm of Milan; founded by Giovanni Ricordi, b. Milan, 1785; d. there, March 15, 1853. As first violinist and conductor at the old Fiando theater, he also earned small sums as a music copyist, and in 1807 went to Leipzig to learn music engraving in Breitkopf & Härtel's establishment. Returning, he opened a little shop, and began publishing in 1808, the first works being engraved by himself. He was an intimate of Rossini, whose operas he published; also recognized Verdi's genius when the latter was still unknown. His son Tito Ricordi (b. Milan, Oct. 29, 1811; d. there, Sept. 7, 1888) succeeded to the business. In 1845 he established the 'Gazzetta Musicale,' one of the most important Italian musical papers; also introduced the 'Edizioni economiche,' and under his able administration the house
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