Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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98 RIES RIETEE-BIEDEBMANN
Festivals, and he directed the performances of
the years 1825, 1829, 1830, 1832, 1834, and
1837, as well as those of 1826 and 1828 in
conjunction with Spohr and Klein respectively.
In 1834 he was appointed head of the town
orchestra and Singakademie at Aix-la-Chapelle.
But he was too independent to keep any post,
and in 1836 he gave this up and returned to
Frankfort. In 1837 he assumed the direction
of the Cecilian Society there on the death of
Schelble, but this lasted a, few months only,
for on Jan. 13, 1838, he died after a short
illness.
The principal works which he composed after
his return to Germany are Die ' Rauberbraut,.'
which was first performed in Frankfort probably
in 1829, then in Leipzig, July 4, and London,
July 15, of the same year, and often afterwards
in Germany ; another opera, known in Germany
as Liska,' but produced ' at the Adelphi, London,
in English, as 'The Sorcerer,' by Arnold's company,
August 4, 1831, and a third, Eine Nacht
'
auf dem Libanon ; '
an oratorio, ' Der Sieg des
Glaubens' (The Triumph of the Faith), apparently
performed in Dublin for the iirst time
in 1831^ and then at Berlin, 1835; andasecond
oratorio, Die Kbnige ' Israels ' (The; Kings of
Israel), Aix-la-Ghapelle, 1837. He also wrote
much chamber music and six symphonies. All
these works, however, are dead. Beethoven once
said of his compositions, 'he imitates me too
much.' He caught the style and the phrases,
but he could not catch the immortality of his
master's work. One work of his will live—the
admirable Biographical Notices of I/udwig van
Beethoven, which he published in conjunction
with Dr. Wegeler (Coblenz, 1838). The two
writers, though publishing together, have fortunately
kept their contributions quite distinct
Eies's occupies from pp. 76 to 163 of a little
duodecimo volume, and of these the last thirtyfive
pages are occupied by Beethoven'fe letters.
The work is translated into French by Le Gentil
(Dentu, 1862), and partially into English by
Moscheles, as an Appendix to his version of
Sohindler's Life of Beethoven.
3. Hubert, youngest brother of the preceding,
was born at Bonn, April 1, 1802. He made
his first studies as a violinist under his father,
and afterwards under Spohr. Hauptmann was
his teacher in composition. From 1824 he lived
at Beirlin. In that year he entered the band o f the
Kbnigstadt Theatre, Berlin, and in the following
year became a member of the Royal band. In
1835 he was appointed Director of the Philharmonic
Society at Berlin. In 1836 he was
nominated Concertmeister, and in 1839 elected
a member of the Royal Academy of Arts. [In
1851 he became a teacher at the Kgl. Theaterinstrumentalschule,
from which he retired with
a pension in 1872.] A thorough musician and
a solid violinist, he was held in great esteem as
1 Information from L. H'C. L, Dix, Sag.
a leader, and more especially as a methodical
and conscientious teacher. His Violin-School
forbeginners is a very meritorious work, eminently
practical, and widely used. He published two
violin-concertos, studies and duets for violins,
and some quartets. An English edition of the
Violin-School appeared in 1873 (Hofmeister).
He died in Berlin, Sept. 14, 1886. Three of
his sons gained reputation as musicians :
Louis, violinist, born at Berlin, Jan. 30, 1830,
pupil of his father and of Vieuxtemps, has, since
1853, been settled in London, where he enjoys
great and deserved reputation as violinist and
teacher. He was a member of the Quartet of
the Musical Union from 1855 to 1870, and held
the second violin at the Monday Popular Concerts
from their beginning in 1859, until his
retirement in 1897.
Adolph, pianist, born at Berlin, Dec. 20,
1837, died in April 1899. He was a pupil of
KuUak for the piano, and of Boehmer for composition,
and lived in London as » pianoforte
teacher. He published a number of compositions
for the piano, and some songs. A. yf. T.
with additions in square brackets by E. H. -A.
RIES, Franz, violinist and composer, was
born on April 7, 1846, in Berlin. His musical
gifts were apparent in early youth. The
possessor of an alto voice of exceptional beauty,
he was admitted at the age of twelve to the
Konigl. Domchor (royal Cathedral choir), which
then, under JTeithardt's direction, enjoyed considerable
reputation in the musical circles of
Berlin. He studied the violin in the first
instance under his father, and afterwards, in
Paris, under Leon Massart and Henri Vieuxtemps.
In composition he Was a pupil of
Friedr. Kiel. Gained in 1868 the first prize at
the Paris Conservatoire, and was active in the
musical life of the city as soloist and also as
viola -player in the Vieuxtemps Quartet. In
1870 he migrated, owing to the Franco-German
war, to London, appearing as a soloist at the
Crystal Palace. But in 1872 an unfortunate
nerve aflfection of the left hand compelled him
to renounce the career of an executive artist.
He founded in 1874 a publishing business in
Dresden, and ten years later became partner in
the firm Ries & Erler in Berlin, where he still
resides. As a composer his main successes have
been made in four suites for violin and pianoforte,
which are in the repertory of almost
every famous violinist. He has also written a
string quintet, two string quartets, a dramatic
overture, piano and violin solos and arrangements,
besides a series of songs, one of which,
the 'Rheinlied,' has taken rank in the Rhine
provinces as a Folk-song. w w c
RIETER - BIEDERMANN. An " eminent
German firm of music-publishers. The founder
was Jacob Melchior Rieter-Biedermann (born
May 14, 1811 ;
died Jan. 25, 1876), who in
June 1849 opened a retail business and lending.