Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

'
90 BICCIO EICH
published two volumes of voeal pieoes entitled
'
Mes Loiaii's ' and ' Les inspirations du Th6
(Ricordi), and he left in MS. a large number of
compositions for the cathedral service. His
brother,
Federioo, was born in Naples, Oct. 22,1809,
entered the Royal Conservatorio of that town,
where his brother was then studying, and
received his musical education from Bellini
and Zingarelli. In 1837 he gave La ' Prigione
d'Edimburgo' in Trieste. The barcarola of
this opera, ' Sulla poppa del mio brick,' was
for long one of the most popular melodies of
Italy. In 1839 his 'Duello sotto Richelieu'
was only moderately successful at the Scala, but
in 1841 ' Michelangelo e EoUa' was applauded
in Florence. In it sang Signora Strepponi, who
afterwards married Verdi.
' Corrado d' Altamura
' was given at the Scala in the same year.
At the personal request of Charles Albert he
composed in 1842 a cantata for the marriage
of Victor Emmanuel, and another for a court
festival. In 1843 his Vallombra ' ' failed at La
Scala.
' Isabella de' Medici ' (1844) in Trieste,
'Estella' (1846) in Milan, 'Griselda' (1847)
and ' I due ritratti ' (1850) in Venice, were all
failures. ' II Marito e I'Amante ' was greatly
applauded in Vienna in 1852, but his last opera,
'
II paniere d' amore, ' given there the following
year, did not succeed. He was then named
Musical Director of the Imperial Theatres of
St. Petersburg, which post he occupied for many
years. Of the operas written in collaboration
with his brother we have already spoken.
He brought out at the Fantaisies-Parisiennes,
Paris, 'Une Folic k Rome,' Jan. 30, 1869, with
great success. Encouraged by this he produced
an op6ra-comique in three acts, 'Le Docteurrose'
(Bouffes Parisiens, Feb. 10, 1872), and 'Une
F§te k Venise,' a reproduction of his earlier
work, ' II Marito e 1' Amante ' (Athtefe, Feb.
15, 1872). Shortly after this Federico retired
to Conegliano in Italy, where he died Deo. 10,
1877. He was concerned partially or entirely
in nineteen operas. Of his cantatas we have
spoken. He also left two masses, six albums
or collections of vocal pieces (Ricordi), and
many detached songs. L. E.
RICCIO, Tbodoko, a native of Brescia, who
after holding the post of choirmaster at one of
the churches of Brescia was in 1576 invited by
George Frederick, Margrave of Brandenberg-
Anspach, to be his capellmeister at Anspach.
When in 1579 George Frederick became also
Duke of Prussia, Riocio accompanied him as
capellmeister to his new capital Kbnigsberg,
where, like Soandello, also a native of Brescia,
in similar circumstances at Dresden, Riccio
adopted the Lutheran faith, and seems to have
settled for the rest of his life with an occasional
visit to Anspach. His adoption of Lutheranism
made little difference to the nature of his compositions
for use in church, as Latin was still
largely used in the services of Lutheran court
cha,pels, and so we find that his publications
mainly consist of various volumes of Latin
masses, motets, and magnificats, a 4 to 8 or 12.
Probably Johann Ecoai'd, who was called to be
his coadjutor at Konigsberg from 1581, provided
the music required for German texts.
Besides the Latin works the Quellen-Lexikon
mentions two incomplete books of madrigals
a 5 and 6, and one book of Canzone alia
napolitana. "Riccio is supposed to have died
between 1603 and 1604, since in the latter year
Eocard is known to have definitely succeeded
him as capellmeister. J. » M-
RICERCARE, or RICERCATA (from ricercare,
' to search out '),
an Italian term of the
17th century, signifying a fugue of the closest
and most learned description. Frescobaldi's
Rioercari (1615), which are copied out in one of
Dr. Bumey's note-books (Brit. Mus. Add. MS.
11,588), are full of augmentations, diminutions,
inversions, and other contrivances, in fact
rechercMs or full of research. J. S. Bach has
affixed the name to the 6-part Fugue in his
'
Musikalisches Opfer,' and the title of the whole
contains the word in its initials—Regis lussu
Oantio Et Reliqua Canonica Arte Eesoluta. But
the term was also employed for a fantasia on
some popular song, street-cry, or such similar
theme. Dr. Cummings has a MS. book, dated
1580-1600, containing twenty-two ricercari by
CI. da Coreggio, Gianetto Palestina (sic), A.
Vuillaert (sic), 0. Lasso, Clemens non Papa,
Cip. Eore, and others—compositions in four
and five parts, on 'Ce moy de May,' 'Vestiva i
colli,'' La Eossignol,' Susan unjour,' and other
'
apparently popular songs. This use of the word
appears to have been earlier than the other,
as ijieces of the kind by Adriano (1520-67)
are quoted. a.
RICH, John, son ofChristopher Rich, patentee
of Drury Lane Theatre, was bom about 1682.
His father, having been compelled to quit
Drury Lane, had erected a new theatre in
Lincoln's Inn Fields, but died in 1714 when it
was upon the eve of being opened. John Rich,
together with his brother Christopher, then
assumed the management and opened the house
about six weeks after his father's death. Finding
himself unable to contend against the
superior company engaged at Drury Lane, he
had recourse to the introduction of a new species
of entertainment — pantomime—in which music,
scenery, machinery,* and appropriate costumes
formed the prominent features. In these pieces
he himself, under the assumed name of Lun
perfoi-med the part of Harlequin with such
ability as to extort the admiration of even the
most determined opponents of that class of
entertainment. [He played Harlequin in ' Cheats,
or the Tavern Bilkers," a pantomime by John
1 Most of Eioh'. maoWner, was InTsnted Ijy John Hool., tile
translator of Tmso, .nd his father, Samuel Hoole, .i enSneit