A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Reicha, Anton
REICHA, Anton Joseph, born at Prague, Feb. 27, 1770, lost his father before he was a year old; his mother not providing properly for his education he left home, and took refuge with his grandfather at Glattow, in Bohemia. The means of instruction in this small town being too limited, he went on to his uncle Joseph Reicha (born in Prague, 1746, died at Bonn, 1795), a cellist, conductor, and composer, who lived at Wallerstein in Bavaria. His wife, a native of Lorraine, speaking nothing but French, had no children, so they adopted the nephew, who thus learned to speak French and German besides his native Bohemian. He now began to study the violin, pianoforte, and flute in earnest. On his uncle's appointment, in 1788, as musical director to the Elector of Cologne, he followed him to Bonn, and entered the Chapel of Maximilian of Austria as second flute. The daily intercourse with good music roused the desire to compose, and to become something more than an ordinary musician, but his uncle refused to teach him harmony. He managed, however, to study the works of Kirnberger and Marpurg in secret, gained much practical knowledge by hearing the works of Handel, Mozart, and Haydn, and must have learned much from his constant intercourse with Beethoven, who played the viola in the same band with himself and was much attached to him. At length his perseverance and his success in composition conquered his uncle's dislike. He composed without restraint, and his symphonies and other works were played by his uncle's orchestra.[1]
On the dispersion of the Elector's Court in 1794, Reicha went to Hamburg, where he remained till 1799. There the subject of instruction in composition began to occupy him, and there he composed his first opera, 'Obaldi, ou les Français en Egypte' (2 acts). Though not performed, some numbers were well received, and on the advice of a French émigré, he started for Paris towards the close of 1799, in the hope of producing it at the Théâtre Feydeau. In this he failed, but two of his symphonies, an overture, and some 'Scenes italiennes,' were played at concerts. After the successive closing of the Théâtre Feydeau and the Salle Favart, he went to Vienna, and passed six years (1802–1808), in renewed intimacy with Beethoven, and making friends with Haydn, Albrechtsberger, Salieri, and others. The patronage of the Empress Maria Theresa was of great service to him, and at her request he composed an Italian opera, 'Argina, regina di Granata.' During this happy period of his life he published symphonies, oratorios, a requiem, 6 string quintets, and many solos for PF. and other instruments. He himself attached great importance to his '36 Fugues pour le piano,' dedicated to Haydn, but they are not the innovations which he believed them to be; in placing the answers on any and every note of the scale he merely reverted to the Ricercari of the 17th century, and the only effect of this abandonment of the classic laws of the Real fugue was to banish tonality.
The prospect of another war induced Reicha to leave Vienna, and he settled finally in Paris in 1808. He now realised the dream of his youth, producing first 'Cagliostro' (Nov. 27, 1810), an opéra-comique composed with Dourlen; and at the Académie, 'Natalie' (3 acts, July 30, 1816), and 'Sapho' (Dec. 16, 1822). Each of these works contains music worthy of respect, but they had not sufficient dramatic effect to take with the public.
Reicha's reputation rests on his chamber-music, and on his theoretical works. Of the former the following deserve mention: a diecetto for 5 strings and 5 wind instruments; an ottet for 4 strings and 4 wind instruments; 24 quintets for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, and bassoon; 6 quintets and 20 quartets for strings; 1 quintet for clarinet and strings; 1 quartet for PF., flute, cello, and bassoon; 1 do. for 4 flutes; 6 do. for flute, violin, tenor, and cello; 6 string trios; 1 trio for 3 cellos; 24 do. for 3 horns; 6 duets for 2 violins; 22 do. for 2 flutes; 12 sonatas for PF. and violin, and a number of sonatas and pieces for PF. solo. He also composed symphonies and overtures. These works are more remarkable for novelty of combination and striking harmonies, than for abundance and charm of ideas. Reicha was fond of going out of his way to make difficulties for the purpose of conquering them; for instance, in the ottet the strings are in G, and the wind in E minor, and in the sestet for 2 clarinets concertanti one is in A, and the other in B. This faculty for solving musical problems brought him into notice among musicians when he first settled in Paris, and in 1818 he was offered the professorship of counterpoint and fugue at the Conservatoire. Among his pupils there were Boilly, Jelensperger, Bienaimé, Millaut, Lefebvre, Elwart, Pollet, Lecarpentier, Dancla, and others; Barbereau, Seuriot, Blanchard, Mme. de Montgeroult, Bloc, Musard, and George Onslow, were private friends.
His didactic works, all published in Paris, are: 'Traité de Mélodie,' etc. (4to, 1814); 'Cours de composition musicale,' etc. (1818); 'Traité de haute composition musicale' (1st part 1824, 2nd 1826), a sequel to the two first; and 'Art du compositeur dramatique,' etc. (4to, 1833).
Fétis has criticised his theories severely, and though highly successful in their day, they are now abandoned, but nothing can surpass the clearness and method of his analysis, and those who use his works will always find much to be grateful for. Czerny published a German translation of the 'Traité de haute composition' [Vienna, 1834, 4 vols. folio), and in his 'Art d'improviser' obviously made use of Reicha's 'Art de varier'—57 variations on an original theme.
Reicha married a Parisian, was naturalised in 1829, and received the Legion of Honour in 1831. He presented himself several times for election to the Institut before his nomination as Boieldieu's successor in 1835. He only enjoyed his honours a short time, being carried off by inflammation of the lungs, May 28, 1836. His death was deplored by the many friends whom his trustworthy and honourable character had attached to him. A life-like portrait, somewhat spoiled by excessive laudation, is contained in the 'Notice sur Reicha' (Paris, 1837, 8vo), by his pupil Delaire.[2][ G. C. ]