Julius Rietz (1812-1877)

[Peter1953]

Anyone familiar with this composer, cellist and teacher, who has been mentioned before in several threads? Some of his music is released, e.g. the clarinet and oboe concertos.  I wonder how they sound. Mendelssohnian?  Is a complete list of his works available?

[eschiss1]

I've seen a few (string quartet op.1, cello fantasy op.2 and concerto, the chorus part to a bass-section-chorus and orchestra work, etc.) in parts and whatnot. Even though two works of his are uploaded here I haven't heard them yet-- but will soon- and listening to them might be the best answer As to a complete list, don't know, though I will have a look for some reference materials along the lines of what Cáceres has done for Bargiel...

[eschiss1]

Rietz works include-
with opus number -
*Opus 1 - String Quartet (pub.1833)
*Opus 2 - Cello and Orchestra Fantasia (p1844)
*Opus 3 - Overture for Band (p1841)
*Opus 5 - Scherzo capriccioso for piano (p.1842)
*Opus 6 - 13 Songs (p1841)
*Opus 7 - Concert Overture (p1840)
*Opus 8 - 12 Songs (p1838)
*Opus 9 - 6 Duets (soprano and alto) (p1841)
*Opus 10 - Jery und Bately, Singspiel after Goethe (premiered 7 April 1840 in Düsseldorf, p1841)
*Opus 11 - Hero und Leander overture (p1842)
*Opus 12 - Altdeutscher Schlachtgesang (p1842) (bass section and orchestra)
*Opus 13 - Symphony No.1 in G minor (1843, p1844. Premiered? 8 February 1844 Leipzig)
*Opus 14 - Overture to The Tempest (p1845)
*Opus 15 - 9 Lieder (p1843)
*Opus 16 - Cello Concerto (p1844)
*Opus 17 - Piano Sonata in A minor (p1848)
*Opus 18 - Lustspiel-Ouverture in B-flat (p.late 1853) (HMB gives 1854, score, parts and reduction advertised in the Rheinische Musik-Zeitung in December 1853. Performed in Leipzig late 1853 according to Neue Berliner Musikzeitung, November 1853.)
*Opus 19 - Recitative & Cavatine for Soprano "zum Concertgebrauch". (Sagt mir ihr kosenden Lüftchen.) (p.1855.)
*Opus 20 - Dithyramb ("Nimmer, das glaub mir, erscheinen die Götter") for Men's Voices (p.1846)
*Opus 21 - Piano Sonata No.2 in E-flat major (p.1855)
*Opus 22 - Des Weines Hofstaat (Men's voices) (performed and published 1854)
*Opus 23 - Symphony No.2 in A major (1846? Premiered Leipzig, January 14 1847 (source: Carl Becker's "Die Tonkünstler des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts: ein kalendarisches Handbuch zur Kunstgeschichte"))
*Opus 25 - 6 Psalms for Alto or Bass (p1847)
*Opus 26 - 12 Songs (p1848-49)
*Opus 27 - 7 Songs (p1849)
*Opus 28 - 12 Songs (p1852)
*Opus 29 - Clarinet Concerto (piano reduction published 1857)
*Opus 30 - Violin Concerto in G (p.1855)
*Opus 31 - Symphony No.3 in E-flat major (1854-55, p.1856)
*Opus 33 - Oboe concertpiece (composed ca.1856?, published 1857)
*Opus 34 - 12 Children's Pieces (p.1856)
*Opus 36 - Lied vom Wein (after Geibel) for Men's Voices and orchestra (p.1856)
*Opus 37 - 6 Sacred Songs (p.1857)
*Opus 38 - Concert arias (p.1861)
*Opus 40 - 6 Sacred Songs (p1873)
*Opus 41 - Wind Quintet concertpiece (p.1873)
*Opus 42 - Flute Sonata
*Opus 48 - Arioso (1869)
**Also Offertorium (Laudate Dominum) (p1870)
*Opus 50 - Te Deum laudamus (p1865)
*Opus 51 - Das grosse deutsche Vaterland, Hymnus (p1871)
*Opus 53 - Ouverture für Feier der goldenen Hochzeit Ihrer Majestäten des Königs und der Königin von Sachsen für grosses Orchester (p.ca.1872)

without opus number -
*Incidental music for "Maria Tudor" (1837)
*Festouverture (premiered 1841)
*Deutsche Liederhalle. Sammlung der ausgezeichnesten Volkslieder, herausgegeben von Wilhelm von Zuccalmaglio (1803-69), f. 4 Männerstimme bearbeitet (p1846)
*Operas and Operettas:
**Herr Heiter (text by Carl von Holtei) - Leiderspeil, 3 acts (premiered 1832, Berlin
**Lorbeerbaum und Bettelstab (Holtei) (premiered 16 February 1833, Berlin)
**Dei Eremiten (Franz August von Kurländer), opera in 2 acts (1834, never given)
**Ein Carnevalstag in Salamanka (Rolein), opera in 2 acts (1844, never given)
**Der Corsar (Julius Otto d. J.?), Opera in 4 acts (21 December 1850, Leipzig)
**Georg Neumark und die Gambe (Pasqué), opera in 1 act (25 May 1859, Weimar)

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks, Eric. Most helpful. What about the Symphony No2? I understand that the Symphony No.3 was always regarded in Rietz' day as his best orchestral work and it's a work that's been on my "Holy Grail" list for years.

I've already uploaded recordings of his Concert Overture Op.7 and Hero & Leander Overture Op.11 to the German Music thread in the Downloads board and will happily add a recent recording of the Lustpiel Overture Op.18 if anyone's interested. FWIW, I'd categorise his style as lively, muscular Mendelssohn.

[Alan Howe]

I know very little of Rietz's music. However, Brilliant Classics brought out his Clarinet Concerto in G minor, Op.29 a few years ago in an excellent performance played by Sharon Kam, so that is my starting point. It's all very Mendelssohnian, but very well written and attractive - so no great surprises there. Nevertheless, we shouldn't be sniffy about music this grateful on the ear - and clarinettists aren't exactly swimming in 19th-century concertos for their instrument...

[eschiss1]

One problem (?) in finding works by Rietz, as with similar situations involving other composer-editors, is the amount of work he did for Mendelssohn (mainly). "Rietz symphony 2? Are you sure you don't want to hear about the Lobgesang instead?" "No, thank you..." "But I can..." "_NO_, thank you..."* I'm not quite positive actually that Rietz's 2nd symphony is his opus 23, in A major, and from 1846 but will attempt to confirm that as best I can...

*Yes, Google has gotten talkative as it's matured. Re opus 18: yes, please, thank you

**Current sole source (and quite inadequate) for some of the information on the symphonies is http://home.earthlink.net/~dbratman/syms_list.html. However, the date of the premiere of symphony 1 is from a contemporary account (Allgemeine musikalisches Zeitung, report from Leipzig 20 February 1844.) Becker (mentioned above) doesn't give key or opus number but does give premiere dates and places for the first two symphonies (confirming the first and providing the second.)

[Lionel Harrsion]

I think I'm right in saying that Heinz Holliger recorded the op 33 Konzertstück in the days of vinyl.

[Mark Thomas]

eschiss1 wrote:

Re opus 18: yes, please, thank you

I'll upload it within the next few days, Eric.

[Mark Thomas]

In fact, I've just uploaded the Lustspiel Overture. It's in the German Music thread in the Downloads board.

[edurban]

The Rietz Concert Overture recorded by Mester and Louisville in the good old days was wonderful.  Completely Mendelssohnian, but  vital, vigorous, and thoroughly enjoyable.

David

[eschiss1]

(on a whim, moved the list over to http://imslp.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Julius_Rietz - feel free to improve it please! )

[edurban]

I've just been listening to the download of the Concert Overture (thanks, Mark) and it's a delightful piece...still a favorite after 40 years!.  Comparing this performance to the old Jorge Mester run-through, I find Weil's marginally slower tempos result in a cleaner performance, but make things sound a bit stodgy.  The accelerando at the close comes too late and seems like a desperate attempt to whip up some excitement.  Still, Weil's orchestra plays better and certainly sounds larger than the old Louisville orchestra. 

Rietz's cribs from the Italian symphony are so unashamed as to suggest intentional homage.  I love it all.

With three symphonies and concertos for violin and cello, surely Herr Rietz is a candidate for revival on disc, if not the concert hall?

(Listening from a Manhattan neighborhood that never lost electricity during Sandy!)

David

[Mark Thomas]

I'd wondered how you'd fared with Sandy. I have a friend on the Jersey Shore whom I've been unable to contact since the storm...

Back to Rietz. Yes, I agree that he is a prime candidate for digital revival. His Third Symphony is frequently mentioned by contemporary writers as being a fine work and seems to have held its place in the repertoire at least until his death.