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Scan 784
Baker's biographical dictionary of musicians, 1919
8 lines. Read by computer on 4 September 2026. Printed page 763. See the scan on archive.org.
1rusmaster at the Munich Opera (Dec., 1867); from Aug. 25, 1868, to Sept. 1, 1869, court cond. under v. Bülow. Conducted rehearsals and initial performances of Lohengrin at Brussels, Mar. 22, 1870; after ten months more at Triebschen he was app. Kapellm. at the Pest National Th. 1871–5, then succeeding Dessoff as Kapellm. at the Imperial Opera, Vienna, becoming 1st Kapellm. on Hellmesberger's death in 1893. From 1875–97 he conducted, concurrently with the opera, the concerts of the Vienna Philh. Soc., and from 1880–95 he also cond. the concerts of the 'Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde,' excepting the season of 1883–4, when Jahn was his deputy. 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 cond., alternately with the master himself, the great Wagner Festival at Albert Hall, London. The success of a second festival (May 5–12, 1879), cond. by R. alone, led to the establishment of an annual series in May, known at first as 'Orchl. Fest. Concerts,' later simply as 'R. Concerts,' which were given regularly until 1897. In that year R. settled definitely in Manchester as cond. of the Symph. (Hallé) Orch., but did not by any means limit his activity to that city; he still gave occasional 'R. Concerts' in London, and was regular cond. of the Birmingham Fest. (1885–1911) and of the season of Wagner opera at Cov. Garden (1903–10); in 1882 he cond. at Drury Lane the Engl. premières of Meistersinger (May 30) and Tristan und Isolde (June 20); was cond. of the Lower Rhenish Fest. in 1888, '89, '91, and '97. Throughout his life he remained in closest touch with Bayreuth, spending a part of every summer there as cond.-in-chief of the festivals. The last orchl. concert he conducted was his farewell-concert with the Manchester Symph. Orch. on April 11, 1911, having bid- den 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 R. 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 orchl. works had their first performance in Vienna (and later also in England) under R.'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. R., in 'Windsor Magazine' (Sept., 1896); also 'M. T.' (July, 1899).
3Richter, Johann Christian Christoph, father of Jean Paul Friedrich Richter; b. Neustadt am Kulm, Dec. 16, 1727; d. Schwarzenbach-on-Saale, 1779, as pastor. From 1760 he was organist at Wunsiedel for some years, and comp. vocal church-music (left in MS.). From him his son inherited his musical nature, especially his fondness for improvising on the piano.
5Ricieri [ri-ch'yā're], Giovanni Antonio, the teacher of Padre Martini; b. Venice, May 12, 1679; d. Bologna, 1746. In 1701, soprano singer at S. Petronio, Bologna; member of the Philharm. Acad. till his dismissal in 1716, because of unfavorable criticisms of the works of his colleagues. He wrote several oratorios; a fugue a 5 is given as a model in Martini's Saggio del contrapunto.
7Ricordi & Co., G., famous music-publishing firm in Milan; founded by Giovanni R., b. Milan, 1785; d. there March 15, 1853. At first violinist and cond. at the old Fiando theatre, 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 (b. Milan, Oct. 29, 1811; d. there Sept. 7, 1888) succeeded to the business. In 1845 he establ. the 'Gazzetta Musicale,' one of the most important Ital. musical papers; also introduced the 'Edizioni economiche,' and under his able administration the house became the largest music-publishing firm in Italy. With Verdi he was on terms of intimate friendship, and that composer's works (especially Aida) made a fortune for both publisher and author. Owing to ill health he withdrew from active management in 1887.—His successor was his son Giulio (b. Milan, Dec. 19, 1840; d. there June 6, 1912), a man of extraordinary business ability, who continued the policy of expansion. In 1888 he bought, and consolidated with his own, the important firm of Francesco Lucca, thus bringing the number of publications to 100,000; he discovered Puccini, the immense success of whose works enabled him to become practically the dictator of the policies of the principal opera houses in Europe and America as far as the Italian répertoire was concerned. A trained musician, he publ., under the pseudonym of J. Burgmein, much elegant salon-music (160 opus numbers), Fan-
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