Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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RINFOEZANDO EIOTTE 107
period, and, like Johann Schneideh, he had
the advantage of a direct traditional reading of
the works of Sebastian Bach, having studied at
Erfurt (in 1786-89) under Kittel, one of the
great composer's best pupils. Kinck having
sat at the feet of Forkel at the University of
Gbttingen, obtained in 1790 the organistship
of Giessen, where he held several other musical
appointments. In 1805 he became organist at
Darmstadt, and ' professor ' at its college ; in
1813 was appointed Court organist, and in
1817 chamber musician to the Grand Duke
(Ludwig I.). Rinek made several artistic tours
in Germany, his playing always eliciting much
admiration. At Treves, in 1827, he was greeted
with special honour. He received various
decorations,—in 1831 membership of the Dutch
Society for Encouragement of Music ; in 1838
the cross of the first class from his Grand Duke ;
in 1840 Doctor ' of Philosophy and Arts ' from
the University of Giessen. Out of his 125 works
a few are for chamber, including sonatas for PF.,
violin, and violoncello, and PF. duets. But
his reputation is based on his organ music, or
rather on his ' Practical Organ School, 'a standard
work. Ginck's compositions for his instrument
show no trace of such sublime infiuence as might
have been looked for from a pupil, in the second
generation, of Bach ; indeed, throughout them
fugue - writing is conspicuous by its absence.
But iv'ithout attaining the high standard which
has been reached by living composers for the
instrument in Germany, his organ-pieces contain
much that is interesting to an organ student.
Einck's name will always live as that of an
executant, and of a safe guide towards the formation
of a sound and practical organ -playdr ;
and his works comprise many artistic studies.
Amongst these the more important are the
'Practical Organ School,' in six divisions (op.
55, re-edited by Otto Dienel, 1881), and
numerous ' Preludes for Chorales,'* issued at
various periods. He also composed for the
church a ' Pater Noster ' for four voices with
organ (op. 59) ; motets, ' Praise the Lord ' (op.
88) and 'God be merciful' (op. 109) ; twelve
chorales for men's voices, etc. H. s. o.
EINFORZANDO, ' reinforcing ' or increasing
in power. This word, or its abbreviations,
rinf. or rfz, is used to denote a sudden and brief
crescendo. It is applied generally to a whole
phrase, however short, and has the same meaning
as sforzando, which is only applied to single
notes. It is sometimes used in concerted music
to give a momentaryprominence to a subordinate
part, as for instance in the Beethoven Quartet,
op. 95, in the Allegretto, where the violoncello
part is marked rinforzaTido, when it has the
second section of the principal subject of the
movement. M.
RING DES NIBELUNGEN, DER, 'The
Ring of the Niblung,' a tetralogy or sequence
of four music-dramas (more correctly
a ' trilogy ' with a preludial drama), words and
music by Richard Wagner, was first performed
in its entirety at Bayreuth, August 13, 14, 16,
and 17, 1876, and repeated during the two
following weeks. The book, which is written
in an alliterative style modelled on that of the
' Stabreim, ' is founded on the Icelandic Sagas,
and has little in common with the Nibelungenlied,
or more correctly ' Der Nibelunge N6t,'
a mediaeval German poem of the beginning of
the 13th century, in which the mythical types
of the old Norse sagas appear in humanised
modifications. The poem was completed in
1852. The whole was given at Her Majesty's
Theatre, under the management of Angelo Neumann
and the conductorship of Anton Seidl,
on May 5-9, 1882 ; four performances of the
complete cycle took place. 'The dates of first performances
of the separate parts are appended :
Das Rhbingold. The ' Vorabend,' or Preludial
Evening, was first performed at Munich,
Sept. 22, 1869.
Die WALKiJRE was completed in 1856, and
the first performance took place at Munich
June 25, 1870. It was given in English at
Covent Garden, Oct. 16, 1895.
SlEOFRlBD was completed early in 1869,
and first performed in its place in the cycle, at
Bayreuth, August 16, 1876. It was given in
French at Brussels, June 12, 1891, and subsequently
at the Opera in Paris ; and in English,
by the Carl Rosa Company, in 1898.
GoTTERDAMMBRUNG, completed in 1874, was
first heard at Bayreuth, August 17, 1876. The
whole trilogy was announced for production in
English at Covent Garden in the winter season
of 1907-8. M.
RIOTTE, Philipp Jacob, bom at St. Mendel,
Treves, August 16, 1776. Andre of Offenbach
was his teacher in music, and he made his first
appearance at Frankfort in Feb. 1804. In 1806
he was music-director at Gotha. In 1808 he
conducted the French operas at the Congress of
Erfurt. In April 1809 his operetta Das ' Grenzstadtchen
' was produced at the Kamthnerthor
Theatre, and thenceforward Vienna was his residence.
In 1818 he became conductor at the
Theatre an-der-Wien, beyond which he does not
seem to have advanced up to his death, August
20, 1856. The list of his theatrical Works is
immense. His biography in Wurzbach's Lexicon
enumerates, between 1809 and 1848, no less
than forty-eight pieces, operas, operettas,ballets,
pantomimes, music to plays, etc., written mostly
by himself, and sometimes in conjunction with
others. In 1852 he wound up his long labours
by a cantata ' The Crusade, ' which was perfoi-med
in the great Redoutensaal, Vienna, with much
applatise. He wrote an opera called ' Mozart's
Zauberflbte ' at Prague about 1 820. He left also
a symphony (op. 25), nine solo-sonatas, six do.
for PF. and violin, three concertos for clarinet
and orchestra, but these are defunct. He