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Scan 104
Grove's dictionary of music and musicians;, 1904
25 lines. Read by computer on 7 September 2026. Printed page 96. See the scan on archive.org.
1masterpieces of ancient music, as, for instance, the works of Abaco and the Mannheim symphonists for the Denkmäler der Tonkunst in Bayern (1900 and 1902 respectively). His original compositions—for he has found time to write music as well as musical literature—are numerous but not very important, being mainly of an educational kind; but his position in the musical world of Germany is deservedly a very high one.
3RIEMSDIJK, J. C. M. VAN, born 1843, died June 30, 1895, at Utrecht, was a member of an aristocratic family, and thus grew up amid the best and most powerful social influences. An enthusiastic amateur musician, he threw himself into the work of furthering the cause of music. A cultivated scholar, he devoted himself to editing the old songs of the Netherlands with marked success. A practical and business-like citizen, he became Technical Director of the State railway. His house was always open to any artists, and his welcome was always ready for those who followed music as a profession.
5He was chairman of the 'Society of Musical history in the North Netherlands,' in which capacity he doubtless had many facilities for collecting old Netherland Folk-Songs, of which he availed himself in the most able manner. His works are as follows:—
71881. State Music School of Utrecht 1631-1891 (a complete history of the Art of Music in the Netherlands between those dates).
8*1882. Netherland Dances arranged for PF. Duet.
91883. The two first Music books of Tylman Susato (c. 1545), a collection of Netherland Folk Songs of the 16th century.
10*1888. Hortus Musicus of J. A. Reinken (1623-1722) for two violins, viola, and bass (translation into Dutch).
11*1890. Twenty-four Songs of the 15th and 16th centuries with PF. accompaniment.
121896. Folk Song book of the Netherlands (posthumous).
13The works marked thus * are among the publications of the Vereeniging voor N.-Nederlandse Muziekgeschiedenis. D. H.
15RIENZI, DER LETZTE DER TRIBUNEN (the last of the Tribunes). An opera in five acts; words (founded on Bulwer's novel) and music by Wagner. He adopted the idea in Dresden in 1837; two acts were finished early in 1839, and the opera was produced at Dresden, Oct. 20, 1842. 'Rienzi' was brought out in French (Nuitter and Guillaume) at the Théâtre Lyrique, April 16, 1869, and in English at Her Majesty's Theatre, London (Carl Rosa), Jan. 27, 1879.
17RIES. A distinguished family of musicians.
181. JOHANN RIES, native of Benzheim on the Rhine, born 1723, was appointed Courttrumpeter to the Elector of Cologne at Bonn [with a salary of 192 thalers], May 2, 1747, and violinist in the Capelle, March 5, 1754. On April 27, 1764, his daughter Anna Maria was appointed singer. In 1774 she married Ferdinand Drewer, violinist in the band, and remained first soprano till the break-up in 1794. Her father died at Cologne in 1784. Her brother, FRANZ ANTON, was born at Bonn, Nov. 10, 1755, and was an infant phenomenon on the violin; learned from J. P. Salomon, and was able to take his father's place in the orchestra at the age of eleven. His salary began when he was nineteen [at 25 thalers a year; he occupied the post until 1774]. In 1779 he visited Vienna, and made a great success as a solo and quartet player. But he elected to remain, on poor pay, in Bonn, and was rewarded by having Beethoven as his pupil and friend. [On March 2, 1779, he petitioned the Elector Maximilian for a post, and received it on May 2.] During the poverty of the Beethoven family, and through the misery caused by the death of Ludwig's mother in 1787, Franz Ries stood by them like a real friend. In 1794 the French arrived, and the Elector's establishment was broken up. Some of the members of the band dispersed, but Ries remained, and documents are preserved which show that after the passing away of the invasion he was to have been Court-musician.1 Events, however, were otherwise ordered; he remained in Bonn, and at Godesberg, where he had a little house, till his death; held various small offices, culminating in the Bonn city government in 1800, taught the violin, and brought up his children well. He assisted Wegeler in his Notices of Beethoven, was present at the unveiling of Beethoven's statue in 1845, had a Doctor's degree and the Order of the Red Eagle conferred on him, and died, Nov. 1, 1846, aged ninety-one all but nine days.
202. Franz's son FERDINAND, who with the Archduke Rudolph enjoys the distinction of being Beethoven's pupil, was born at Bonn in November (baptized Nov. 28) 1784. He was brought up from his cradle to music. His father taught him the pianoforte and violin, and B. Romberg the violoncello. In his childhood he lost an eye through small-pox. After the break-up of the Elector's band he remained three years at home, working very hard at theoretical and practical music, scoring the quartets of Haydn and Mozart, and arranging the 'Creation,' the 'Seasons,' and the Requiem with such ability that they were all three published by Simrock.
22In 1801 he went to Munich to study under Winter, in a larger field than he could command at home. Here he was so badly off as to be driven to copy music at 3d. a sheet. But poor as his income was he lived within it, and when after a few months Winter left Munich for Paris, Ries had saved seven ducats. With this he went to Vienna in October 1801, taking a letter from his father to Beethoven. Beethoven received him well, and when he had read the letter said, 'I can't answer it now; but write and tell him that I have not forgotten the time when my mother died'; and knowing how miserably poor the lad was, he on several occasions gave him money unasked, for which he would accept no return. The next three years Ries spent in Vienna. Beethoven took
241 See the curious and important lists and memorandums, published for the first time in Thayer's Beethoven, I. 248.
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