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Scan 89
Grove's dictionary of music and musicians, 1916
12 lines. Read by computer on 6 September 2026. Printed page 59. See the scan on archive.org.
1REINKEN
3St. George the Martyr, Bloomsbury. In 1759 he appeared as a bass singer at Marylebone Gardens, where he continued to sing for many seasons. He afterwards performed in English operas, and sang in oratorios, and at provincial festivals, etc. He was especially famed for his singing of Handel's song, 'O ruddier than the cherry.' He was one of the principal bass singers at the Commemoration of Handel in 1784. He retired in 1797, and died in Somers Town, Sept. 29, 1815. See Musical Times, 1877, p. 273. W. H. H.
5REINKEN, JOHANN ADAM, or JAN ADAMS REINCKEN, eminent organist, born at Wilshausen in Lower Alsace, April 27, 1623, a pupil of Heinrich Scheidemann, became in 1654 organist of the church of St. Catherine at Hamburg, and retained the post till his death, Nov. 24, 1722, at the age of ninety-nine. He was a person of some consideration at Hamburg, both on account of his fine playing, and of his beneficial influence on music in general, and the Hamburg opera in particular, but his vanity and jealousy of his brother artists are severely commented on by his contemporaries. So great and so widespread was his reputation that Sebastian Bach frequently walked to Hamburg from Lüneburg (1700 to 1703), and Cöthen (1720), to hear him play. Reinken may be considered the best representative of the North-German school of organists of the 17th century, whose strong points were, not the classic placidity of the South-German school, but great dexterity of foot and finger, and ingenious combinations of the stops. His compositions are loaded with passages for display, and are defective in form, both in individual melodies and general construction. His works are very scarce; 'Hortus Musicus,' for two violins, viol da gamba and bass (Hamburg, 1704) is reprinted as No. XIII. of the publications of the Maatschappij tot bevordering der Toonkunst (Amsterdam, 1887). No. XIV. of the same publication consists of Reinken's 'Partite Diverse' (variations), but even in MS. only very few pieces are known—two on Chorales, one Toccata, and two sets of Variations (for Clavier).1 Of the first of these, one—on the chorale 'An Wasserflüssen Babylons'—is specially interesting, because it was by an extempore performance on that chorale at Hamburg in 1722 that Bach extorted from the venerable Reinken the words, 'I thought that this art was dead, but I see that it still lives in you.' Two organ fugues, a toccata in G, Variations on chorales and on a 'ballet,' etc. are in MSS. at Dresden, Leipzig, and Darmstadt. (See the Tijdschrift of the Vereeniging voor N.-Nederlands Muziekgeschiedenis, vi. pp. 151-8, the Quellen-Lexikon, etc.) A. M.
7REINTHALER, KARL MARTIN, conductor of the Private Concerts at Bremen, born Oct. 13, 1822, at Erfurt, was early trained in music by G. A. Ritter, then studied theology in Berlin, but after passing his examination, devoted himself entirely to music, and studied with A. B. Marx. His first attempts at composition, some psalms sung by the Cathedral choir, attracted the attention of King Frederick William IV., and procured him a travelling grant. He visited Paris, Milan, Rome, and Naples, taking lessons in singing from Geraldi and Bordogni. On his return in 1853 he obtained a post in the Conservatorium of Cologne, and in 1858 became organist in the Cathedral of Bremen, and conductor of the Singakademie. He had already composed an oratorio, 'Jephta' (performed in London by Hullah, April 16, 1856, and published with English text by Novellos), and in 1875 his opera 'Edda' was played with success at Bremen, Hanover, and elsewhere. His 'Bismarck-hymn' obtained the prize at Dortmund, and he composed a symphony, and a large number of part-songs. [He was a member of the Berlin Academy from 1882, and had the title of Royal Professor in 1888. His cantata 'In der Wüste' had a great success, and his opera 'Käthchen von Heilbronn' received a prize at Frankfort. He retired from the Singakademie in 1890, and died at Bremen, Feb. 13, 1896.] F. G.
9REISSIGER, KARL GOTTLIEB, son of Christian Gottlieb Reissiger, who published three symphonies for full orchestra in 1790. Born Jan. 31, 1798, at Belzig near Wittenberg, where his father was Cantor, he became in 1811 a pupil of Schicht at the Thomas-schule, Leipzig. In 1818 he removed to the University with the intention of studying theology, but some motets composed in 1815 and 1816 had already attracted attention, and the success of his fine baritone voice made him determine to devote himself to music. In 1821, he went to Vienna and studied opera thoroughly. Here also he composed 'Das Rockenweibchen.' In 1822 he sang an aria of Handel's, and played a PF. concerto of his own composition at a concert in the Kärnthnerthor theatre. Soon after he went to Munich, where he studied with Peter Winter, and composed an opera, 'Dido,' which was performed several times at Dresden under Weber's conductorship. At the joint expense of the Prussian government and of his patron von Altenstein, a musician, he undertook a tour in 1824 through Holland, France, and Italy, in order to report on the condition of music in those countries. On his return he was commissioned to draw up a scheme for a Prussian national Conservatorium, but at the same time was offered posts at the Hague and at Dresden. The latter he accepted, replacing Marschner at the opera, where he laboured hard, producing both German and Italian operas. In 1827 he succeeded C. M. von Weber as conductor of the German Opera
111 Spitta's Bach, Engl. transl. i. 197-9.
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