Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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60 REISSMANN RELATION
at Dresden.
Among his operas, ' Ahnenschatz
(1824), 'Libella,' 'Turaudot,' ' Adfele de Foix,'
and 'Der Sohiffbruoh von Medusa,' had great
success in their day, but the term ' Oapellmeistennusik'
eminently describes them, and they
have almost entirely disappeared. The overture
to the ' Felsenmiihle,' a spirited and not uninteresting
piece, was occasionally played.
Masses and church music [an oratorio, David '
'],
a few Lieder, numerous chamber compositions,
particularly some graceful and easy trios for
PF. violin and violoncello, made his name very
popular for a period. He is generally supposed
to have been the composer of the piece known
as Weber's ' Last Waltz.' Keissiger died Nov.
7, 1859, and was succeeded at Dresden by
Julius Rietz. F. g.
REISSMANN, Attgttst, musician and writer
on music, born Nov. 14, 1825, at Frankenstein,
Silesia, was grounded in music by Jung, the
Cantor of his native town. In 1843 he removed
to Breslau, and there had instruction from
Mosewius, Baumgart, Ernst Riohter, Llistner,
and Kahl, in various branches, including pianoforte,
organ, viplin, and violoncello. He at
first proposed to become a composer, but a
residence in 1850-52 at Weimar, where he came
in contact with the new school of music, changed
his j>lans and drove hiiu to literature.
His first
book was Von Bach bis Wagner (Berlin, 1861) ;
rapidly followed by a historical work on the
German song. Das dewtsche Lied, etc. (1861),
rewritten as Geschichte des Deutschen Liedes
(1874). This again was succeeded by his
General History of Music Allg. Geschichte der
Musik (3 vols. 1864, Leipzig), with a great
number of interesting examples ; Allg. Musiklehre
(1864) ; and Lehrlmch der nvusik. Kompositionen
(3 vols. Berlin, 1866-71). His later
works were of a biographical nature, attempts
to show the gradual development of the life
and genius of the' chief musicians—Schumann
(1865), Mendelssohn (1867), Schubert (1873),
Haydn (1879), Bach (1881), Handel (1882),
Gluok (1882), Weber (1883). In 1877 he
published a volume of lectures on the history
of music, delivered in the Conservatorium of
Berlin, where he resided from 1863. His chief
employment from 1871 was the completion of
the Musik Conversationslemkon, in which he
succeeded Mendel as editor, after the death of
the latter. The 11th volume, completing the
work, appeared in 1879, and it will long remain
as the most comprehensive lexicon of music.
Dr. Reissmann unfortunately thought it necessary
to oppose the establishment of the Hochschule
in 1875, and to enforce his opposition
by a bitter pamphlet, which, however, has long
since been forgotten. Many treatises on musical
education were written in the later part of his
life. As a practical musician Dr. Reissmann was
almost as industrious as he was in literature.
The operas, 'Gudrun' (Leipzig, 1871), 'Die Biirgerraeisterin
von Sehomdorf (I^eipzig, 1880),
and 'Das Gralspi^l ' (Dusseldorf, 1895), aballet,
'
'Der Blumen Rache (1887),a work for singing
and speaking soloists, with choir and piano,
'Kbnig Drosselbart' (1886), dramatic scenas,
an oratorio, 'Wittekind' (1888), a concerto
and a suite for solo violin and orchestra ;
two
sonatas for pianoforte and violin ; and a great
quantity of miscellaneous pieces for piano solo
and for the voice are mentioned. In 1881 he
edited an Illustrated History of German music.
[He died in Berlin, Dec. 1, 1903.] G.
RELATION is a general term implying connection
between two or more objects of consideration,
through points of similarity and
contrast. In other words, it is the position
which such objects appear to occupy when
considered with reference to one another. It
is defined by its context.
The relations of individual notes to one
another may be described in various ways. For
instance, they may be connected by belonging
to or being prominent members of the diatonic
series o£ any one key, and contrasted in various
degrees by the relative positions they occupy
in that series. A further simple relation is
established by mere proximity, such as may
be observed in the relations of grace -notes,
appoggiaturas, turns, and shakes to the essential
notes which they adorn ; and this is carried so
far that notes alien to the harmony and even
to the key are freely introduced, and are perfectly
intelligible when in close connection with
characteristic diatonic notes. The relations of,
disjunct notes may be found, among other ways,
by their belonging to a chord which is easily
called to mind ; whence the successive sounding
of the constituents of familiar combinations is
easily realised as melody ; while melody which
is founded upon less obvious relations is not so
readily appreciated.
The relations of chords may be either direct or
indirect. Thus they may have several notes in
common, as in Ex. 1, or only one, as in Ex. 2,
Ex. 1. Bl. 2. Ex. 3.
to make simple direct connection, while the
diversity of their derivations, or their respective
degrees of consonance and dissonance, afford an
immediate sense of contrast. Or they may be
indirectly connected through an implied chord
or note upon which they might both converge ;
as the common chord of D to that of C through
G, to which D is Dominant, while G in its turn
is Dominant to C (Ex. 3). The relation thus
established is sufficiently clear to allow the
major chord of the supertonio and its minor
seventh and major and minor ninth to be
systematically affiliated in the key, though its