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Scan 107
Grove's dictionary of music and musicians;, 1904
17 lines. Read by computer on 10 September 2026. Printed page 99. See the scan on archive.org.
1library at Winterthur. Since the first work was published in 1856, the business has continually improved and increased. In 1862, a publishing branch was opened at Leipzig. The stock catalogue of the firm includes music by Berlioz, Brahms (PF. Concerto, PF. Quintet, Requiem, Magelone-Lieder, etc.); A. Dietrich; J. O. Grimm; Gernsheim; von Herzogenberg; F. Hiller; Holstein; Kirchner; Lachner; F. Marschner; Mendelssohn (op. 98, Nos. 2, 3; opp. 103, 105, 106, 108, 115, 116); Raff; Reinecke; Schumann (opp. 130, 137, 138, 140, 142); etc.
3RIETZ (originally RITZ1) EDUARD, the elder brother of Julius Rietz, an excellent violinist, was born at Berlin, Oct. 17, 1802. He studied first under his father, a member of the royal band, and afterwards, for some time, under Rode. He died too young to acquire more than a local reputation, but his name will always be remembered in connection with Mendelssohn, who had the highest possible opinion of his powers as an executant,2 and who counted him amongst his dearest and nearest friends. It was for Rietz that he wrote the Octet which is dedicated to him, as well as the Sonata for PF. and violin, op. 4. For some years Rietz was a member of the royal band, but as his health failed him in 1824 he had to quit his appointment and even to give up playing. He founded and conducted an orchestral society at Berlin, with considerable success; he died of consumption Jan. 23, 1832. Mendelssohn's earlier letters teem with affectionate reference to him, and the news of his death affected him deeply.3 The Andante in Mendelssohn's string quintet, op. 18, was composed at Paris 'in memory of E. Ritz,' and is dated on the autograph 'Jan. 23, 1832,' and entitled 'Nachruf.' P. D.
5RIETZ, JULIUS, younger brother of the preceding, violoncellist, composer, and eminent conductor, was born at Berlin, Dec. 28, 1812. Brought up under the influence of his father and brother, and the intimate friend of Mendelssohn, he received his first instruction on the violoncello from Schmidt, a member of the royal band, and afterwards from Bernhard Romberg and Moritz Ganz. Zelter was his teacher in composition. Having gained considerable proficiency on his instrument, he obtained, at the age of sixteen, an appointment in the band of the Königstadt Theatre, where he also achieved his first success as a composer by writing incidental music for Holtei's drama, 'Lorbeerbaum und Bettelstab.' In 1834 he went to Düsseldorf as second conductor of the opera. Mendelssohn, who up to his death showed a warm interest in Rietz, was at that time at the head of the opera, and on his resignation in the summer of 1835, Rietz became his successor. He did not, however, remain long in that position, for, as early as 1836, he accepted, under the title of 'Städtischer Musikdirector,' the post of conductor of the public subscription-concerts, the principal choral society, and the church-music at Düsseldorf. In this position he remained for twelve years, gaining the reputation of an excellent conductor, and also appearing as a solo violoncellist in most of the principal towns of the Rhine-province. During this period he wrote some of his most successful works—incidental music to dramas of Goethe, Calderon, Immermann, and others; music for Goethe's Liederspiel 'Jery und Bately,' his first Symphony in G minor; three overtures—'Hero and Leander,'4 Concert overture in A major, Lustspiel-overture, the 'Altdeutscher Schlachtgesang' and 'Dithyrambe'—both for men's voices and orchestra. He was six times chief conductor of the Lower Rhine Festivals—in 1845, 1856, and 1869 at Düsseldorf; in 1864, 1867, and 1873 at Aix.
7In 1847, after Mendelssohn's death, he took leave of Düsseldorf, leaving Ferdinand Hiller as his successor, and went to Leipzig as conductor of the opera and the Singakademie. [He gave up the post at the opera in 1854.] From 1848 we find him also at the head of the Gewandhaus orchestra, and teacher of composition at the Conservatorium. In this position he remained for thirteen years. Two operas, 'Der Corsar' and 'Georg Neumark,' were failures, but his Symphony in E♭ had a great and lasting success. At this period he began also to show his eminent critical powers by carefully revised editions of the scores of Mozart's symphonies and operas, of Beethoven's symphonies and overtures for Breitkopf & Härtel's complete edition, and by the work he did for the Bach and (German) Handel Societies. His editions of Handel's scores contrast very favourably with those of some other editors. An edition of Mendelssohn's complete works closed his labours in this respect.
9In 1860 the King of Saxony appointed him Conductor of the Royal Opera and of the music at the Hofkirche at Dresden. He also accepted the post of Artistic Director of the Dresden Conservatorium. In 1874 the title of General-Musikdirector was given to him. The University of Leipzig had already in 1859 conferred on him the honorary degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
11Rietz was for some time one of the most influential musicians of Germany. He was a good violoncellist, but soon after leaving Düsseldorf he gave up playing entirely. As a composer he showed a rare command of all the resources of the orchestra and a complete mastery of all technicalities of composition. Yet few of Rietz's works have shown any vitality.
131 Uniformly so spelt by Mendelssohn.
142 'I long earnestly,' says he, in a letter from Rome, 'for his violin, and his depth of feeling; they come vividly before my mind when I see his beloved neat handwriting.'
153 Mendelssohn's Letters from Italy and Switzerland, English translation, p. 327.
164 See Mendelssohn's Letters, ii. p. 234 (Eng. ed.).
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