Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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RIETZ EIETZ 99
library 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 ; Laohner ;
F. Marsohner ; Mendelssohn (op. 98, Nos. 2,
3 ; opp. 103, 105, 106, 108, 115, 116); Eaif;
Keineeke; Schumann (opp. 130, 137, 1S8, 140,
'
142); etc.
G.
RIETZ (originally ElTZ i) Eduard, the elder
brother of Julius Kietz, 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 SIS an executant,^ 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, 1 832. Mendelssohn's earlier
letters teem with affectionate reference to him,
and the news of his death aifected him deeply. ^
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 'Naohruf.' p. D.
RIETZ, Julius, younger brother of the preceding,
violoncellist, composer, and eminent
conductor, was bom at Berlin, Deo. 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 Gahz. 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 Konigstadt 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 Diisseldorf 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
1 VnilozmJy eo spelt hy MeDdelesohn.
2 ' I long earnestly,' says he, in a letter from Bome, 'for h js t jolin,
and his depth of feeling ; they come vividly before my mind when
I see his heloved neat handwriting.'
3 MendelBsohn's/;ett6rs/yom/Ca£ffandAsUzerIafid,EngliBh translation,
p. 327.
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 Stadtischer Musikdirector,'
the post of conductor of the public
'
subscription - concerts, the principal choral
society, and the church -music at Diisseldorf.
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,'* Concert overture in
A major, Lustspiel-overture, the ' Altdeutscher
Sehlachtgesang ' 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 Diisseldorf; in
1864, 1867, and 1873 at Aix.
In 1847, after Mendelssohn's death, he took
leave of Diisseldorf, 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 El? 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 &
Hartel'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.
In 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 1869 conferred
on him the honorary degree of Doctor of
Philosophy.
Rietz was for some time one of the most
influential musicians of Germany, He was a
good violoncellist, but soon after leaving
Diisseldorf 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.
* See Uendelssohn's Letteri, ii. p. 234 (Eng. ed.).