Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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108 KIPIENO RITORNELLO
became very popular by a piece called 'The
Battle of Leipzig,' for PF. solo, which was
republished over half Germany, and had a
prodigious sale. G.
EIPIENO, 'supplementary.' Thename given
in the orchestral concertos of the 17th and 18th
centuries, to the accompanying instruments
which were only employed to fill in the harmonies
and to support the solo or ' concertante
parts. [See Concbetaute, and Conceetino,
vol. i. pp. 576-7.] M.
RIPPON, John, born at Tiverton, April 29,
1751. Died in London, Dec. 17, 1836 {Brit.
Mus. Biog.). He was a doctor of divinity, and
had a meeting-house for a number of years in
Carter Lane, Tooley Street. His ' Selection of
Psalm and Hymn Tunes,' from the best authors
in three and five parts (1795) was a tune-book
in much request for congregational singing,
and ran through a large number of editions.
In its compilation and arrangement he was
assisted by T. Walker. Bippon was composer
of an oratorio 'The Crucifixion,' published in
1837. F. K.
EISELEY, Geokgb, born at Bristol, August
28, 1845, was elected chorister of Bristol Cathedral
in 1852, and in Jan. 1862 articled to Mr.
John Davis Corfe, the Cathedral organist, for
instruction in the organ, pianoforte, harmony,
and counterpoint. During the next ten years
he was organist at various churches in Bristol
and Clifton, at the same time acting as deputy
at the Cathedral. In 1870 he was appointed
organist to the Colston Hall, Bristol, where he
started weekly recitals of classical and popular
music, and in 1876 succeeded Corfe as organist
to the Cathedral. In 1877 he started his orchestral
concerts, which have won for him
a well-deserved reputation. Notwithstanding
considerable opposition, and no small pecuniary
risk, he has continued, during each season, to
give fortnightly concerts, at which the principal
works of the classical masters have been well
performed, and a large number of interesting
novelties by modern writers, both English and
foreign, produced. [In 1878 he was appointed
conductor of the Bristol Orpheus Society, and
has enlarged its scope and greatly increased its
reputation. He is conductor of the Bristol
Society of Instrumentalists, and was the founder
of the Bristol Choral Society in 1889. He
retired with a pension from the cathedral
appointment in 1898, and was appointed
conductor of the Alexandra Palace, and of the
Queen's Hall Choral Society. In 1896 he
conducted Iiis first Bristol Festival, with great
success. His compositions include a Jubilee
Ode (1887), part-songs, etc. See an intferesting
article on him in Musical Tiines, 1899, p.
81 ff.] w. B. s.
RISLER, Joseph Edouaed, bom at Baden,
Feb. 23, 1873, studied at the Paris Conservatoire,
where he gained, among other distinctions.
first medals in solfege and elementary piano in
1887, a first piano prize (in Dimmer's class) in
1889, a second harmony prize in 1892, and
the first prize for accompaniment in 1897. On
leaving the Conservatoire, Risler made further
studies with Dimmler, Stavenhagen, D'Albert,
and Klindworth. In 1896 and 1897 he was
one of the 'Assistenten auf der Biihne' at
Bayreuth, and took part as
' r^p^titeur,' in
preparing the Meistersinger ' ' for the Paris
Op&a. In 1906 he was appointed a member
of the Conseil superieur of the Paris Conservatoire.
Risler has given many pianoforte recitals
in France, Germany, Holland, Russia, Spain,
etc. His first appearance in England took place
at Prince's Hall, May 17, 1894, when he played
two sonatas of Beethoven, a, master for whom
he has a special predilection. His playing was
then found to be singularly free from affectation,
although in his later years he has yielded
to certain mannerisms which detract from the
artistic beauty of his earlier performances. His
technique is very remarkable. He played the
thirty-two sonatas of Beethoven in London in
1906. He has written a, concert- transcription
of Strauss's 'Till Eulenspiegel,' etc. G. f.
RISPOSTA (Lat. Comes; Eng. 'Answer').
The Answer to the subject of a Fugue, or point
of imitation. [See Peoposta.]
In Real Fugue, the answer imitates the
subject, interval for interval. In Tonal Fugue,
the Tonic is always answered by the Dominant,
and vice versa. In both, the imitation is
usuaUy conducted, either in the fifth above
the Proposta, or the fourth below it, when the
subject begins upon the Tonic ; and, in the
fourth above, or the fifth below, when it begins
upon the Dominant. [See Fugtjb, Subject.]
w. s. E.
RITARDANDO; RITENENTE ; RITEN-
UTO. [See Rallentando.]
RITORNELLO (Abbrev. Ritorml., RUor. ;
Fr. RUournelle). I. An Italian word, literally
signifying a little return or repetition ; but
more frequently applied, in a conventional sense,
(1) to a short instrumental melody played
between the scenes of an opera, or even during
the action, either for the purpose of enforcing
some particular dramatic effect or of amusing
the audience during the time occupied in the
preparation of some elaborate ' set-scene ; '
or,
(2) to the symphonies introduced between the
vocal phrases of a song or anthem.
1. The earliest known use of the term, in its
first sense, is to be found in Peri's 'Euridice,'
in connection with a melody for three flutes,
which, though called a ' Zinfonia ' on its first
appearance, is afterwards repeated under the
title of 'Ritornello.' 'Euridice' was first
printed at Florence in 1600, and at Venice in
1608.
A similar use of the term occurs soon afterwards
in Monteverde's ' Orfeo, ' printed at Venice