A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Ries
RIES. A distinguished family of musicians.
1. Johann Ries, native of Benzheim on the Rhine, born 1723, was appointed Court trumpeter to the Elector of Cologne at Bonn, May 2, 1747, and violinist in the Capelle, Mar. 5, 1754. On April 27, 1764, his daughter Anna Maria was appointed singer. In 1774 she married Ferdinand Drewer, violinist in the band, and remained first soprano till the break-up in 1794. Her father died 1786 or 7. Her brother, Franz Anton, was born at Bonn, Nov. 10, 1755, and died there Nov. 1, 1846. He was an infant phenomenon on the violin; learned from J. P. Salomon, and was able to take his father's place in the orchestra at the age of 11. His salary began when he was 19, and in 1779 it was 160 thalers per annum. At that date he visited Vienna, and made a great success as a solo and quartet player. But he elected to remain, on poor pay, in Bonn, and was rewarded by having Beethoven as his pupil and friend. During the poverty of the Beethoven family, and through the misery caused by the death of Ludwig's mother in 1787, Franz Ries stood by them like a real friend. In 1794 the French arrived, and the Elector's establishment was broken up. Some of the members of the band dispersed, but Ries remained, and documents are [1]preserved which show that after the passing away of the invasion he was to have been Court-musician. Events however were otherwise ordered; he remained in Bonn, and at Godesberg, where he had a little house, till his death; held various small offices, culminating in the Bonn city government in 1800, taught the violin, and brought up his children well. He assisted Wegeler in his Notices of Beethoven, was present at the unveiling of Beethoven's statue in 1845, had a Doctor's degree and the order of the Red Eagle conferred on him, and died, as we have said, Nov. 1, 1846, aged 91 all but 9 days.
2. Franz's son Ferdinand, who with the Archduke Rudolph enjoys the distinction of being Beethoven's pupil, was born at Bonn Nov. 28, 1784. He was brought up from his cradle to music. His father taught him the pianoforte and violin, and B. Romberg the cello. In his childhood he lost an eye through the small-pox. After the break-up of the Elector's band he remained three years at home, working very hard at theoretical and practical music, scoring the quartets of Haydn and Mozart, and arranging the Creation, the Seasons, and the Requiem with such ability that they were all three published by Simrock.
In 1801 he went to Munich to study under Winter, in a larger field than he could command at home. Here he was so badly off as to be driven to copy music at 3d. a sheet. But poor as his income was he lived within it, and when after a few months Winter left Munich for Paris, Ries had saved 7 ducats. With this he went to Vienna in October 1801, taking a letter from his father to Beethoven. Beethoven received him well, and when he had read the letter said, 'I can't answer it now; but write and tell him that I have not forgotten the time when my mother died'; and knowing how miserably poor the lad was, he on several occasions gave him money unasked, for which he would accept no return. The next three years Ries spent in Vienna. Beethoven took a great deal of pains with his pianoforte-playing, but would teach him nothing else. He however prevailed on Albrechtsberger to take him as a pupil in composition. The lessons cost a ducat each; Ries had in some way saved up 28 ducats, and therefore had 28 lessons. Beethoven also got him an appointment as pianist to Count Browne the Russian charge d'affaires, and at another time to Count Lichnowsky. The pay for these services was probably not over-abundant, but it kept him, and the position gave him access to the best musical society. Into Ries's relations with Beethoven we need not enter here. They are touched upon in the sketch of the great master in vol. i. of this work, and they are fully laid open in Ries's own invaluable notices. He had a great deal to bear, and considering the secrecy and imperiousness which Beethoven often threw into his intercourse with every one, there was probably much unpleasantness in the relationship. Meantime of course Ries must have become saturated with the music of his great master; a thing which could hardly tend to foster any little originality he may ever have possessed.
As a citizen of Bonn he was amenable to the French conscription, and in 1805 was summoned to appear there in person. He left in Sept. 1805, made the journey on foot via Prague, Dresden, and Leipzig, reached Coblentz within the prescribed limit of time, and was then dismissed on account of the loss of his eye. He then went on to Paris, and existed in misery for apparently at least two years, at the end of which time he was advised to try Russia. On Aug. 27, 1808, he was again in Vienna, and soon afterwards received from Reichardt an offer of the post of Kapellmeister to Jerome Bonaparte, King of Westphalia, at Cassel, which Reichardt alleged had been refused by Beethoven. Ries behaved with perfect loyalty and straightforwardness in the matter. Before replying, he endeavoured to find out from Beethoven himself the real state of the case; but Beethoven having adopted the idea that Ries was trying to get the post over his head, would not see him, and for three weeks behaved to him with an incredible degree of cruelty and insolence. When he could be made to listen to the facts he was sorry enough, but the opportunity was gone.
The occupation of Vienna (May 12, 1809) by the French was not favourable to artistic life. Ries however, as a French subject, was free to wander. He accordingly went to Cassel, possibly with some lingering hopes, played at Court, and remained till the end of February 1810, very much applauded and fêted, and making money—but had no offer of a post. From Cassel he went by Hamburg and Copenhagen to Stockholm, where we find him in Sept. 1810, making both money and reputation. He had still his eye on Russia, but between Stockholm and Petersburg the ship was taken by an English man-of-war, and all the passengers were turned out upon an island in the Baltic. In Petersburg he found Bernhard Romberg, and the two made a successful tournée, embracing places as wide apart as Kieff, Reval and Riga. The burning of Moscow (Sept. 1812) put a stop to his progress in that direction, and we next find him again at Stockholm in April 1813, en route to England. By the end of the month he was in London.
Here he found his countryman and his father's friend, Salomon, who received him cordially and introduced him to the Philharmonic Concerts. His first appearance there was March 14, 1814, in his own PF. Sestet. His symphonies, overtures, and chamber works frequently occur in the programmes, and he himself appears from time to time as a PF. player, but rarely if ever with works of Beethoven's. 'Mr. Ries,' says a writer in the 'Harmonicon' of March 1824, 'is justly celebrated as one of the finest pianoforte performers of the day; his hand is powerful and his execution certain, often surprising; but his playing is most distinguished from that of all others by its romantic wildness.' Shortly after his arrival he married an English lady of great attractions, and he remained in London till 1824, one of the most conspicuous figures of the musical world.
His sojourn here was a time of herculean labour. His compositions numbered at their close nearly 180, including 6 fine symphonies; 4 overtures; 6 string quintets, and 14 do. quartets; 9 concertos for PF. and orchestra; an octet, a septet, 2 sextuors, and a quintet, for various instruments; 3 PF. quartets, and 5 do. trios; 20 duets for PF. and violin; 10 sonatas for PF. solo; besides a vast number of rondos, variations, fantasias, etc:, for the PF. solo and à 4 mains. Of these 38 are attributable to the time of his residence here, and they embrace 2 symphonies, 4 concertos, a sonata, and many smaller pieces. As a pianist and teacher he was very much in request. He was an active member of the Philharmonic Society. His correspondence with Beethoven during the whole period is highly creditable to him, proving his gratitude towards his master, and the energy with which he laboured to promote Beethoven's interests. That Beethoven profited so little therefrom was no fault of Ries's.
Having accumulated a fortune adequate to the demands of a life of comfort, he gave a farewell concert in London, April 8, 1824, and removed with his wife to Godesberg, near his native town, where he had purchased a property. Though a loser by the failure of a London Bank in 1825–6, he was able to live independently. About 1830 he removed to Frankfort. His residence on the Rhine brought him into close contact with the Lower Rhine Festivals, and he directed the performances of the years 1825, 29, 30, 32, 34, and 37, as well as those of 1826 and 28 in conjunction with Spohr and Klein respectively. [See the list, vol. ii. p. 457.] In 1834 he was appointed head of the town orchestra and Singakademie at Aix-la-Chapelle. But he was too independent to keep any post, and in 1836 he gave this up and returned to Frankfort. In 1837 he assumed the direction of the Cecilian Society there on the death of Schelble, but this lasted a few months only, for on Jan. 13, 1838, he died after a short illness.
The principal works which he composed after his return to Germany are 'Die Rauberbraut' (the Robber's bride), which was first performed in Frankfort probably in 1829, then in Leipzig, July 4, and London, July 15, of the same year, and often afterwards in Germany; another opera, known in Germany as 'Liska,' but produced at the Adelphi, London, in English, as 'The Sorcerer,' by Arnold's Company, Aug. 4, 1831; an oratorio, 'Der Sieg des Glaubens' (the Triumph of the Faith), Berlin, 1835; and a second oratorio, 'Die Könige Israels' (the Kings of Israel), Aix-la-Chapelle, 1837. All these works however are dead. Beethoven once said of his compositions, 'he imitates me too much,' He caught the style and the phrases, but he could not catch the immortality of his master's work. Technically great as much that he composed was, that indescribable something, that touch of nature, which, in music as elsewhere, makes the whole world kin, was wanting. One work of his, however, will live—the admirable
'Biographical Notices of Ludwig van Beethoven,' which he published in conjunction with Dr. Wegeler (Coblentz, 1838). The two writers, though publishing together, have fortunately kept their contributions quite distinct; Ries's occupies from pp. 76 to 163 of a little duodecimo volume, and of these the last 35 pages are occupied by Beethoven's letters. His own portion, short as it is, is excellent, and it is hardly too much to say that within his small limits he is equal to Boswell. The work is translated into French by Le Gen til (Dentu, 1862), and partially into English by Moscheles, as an Appendix to his version of Schindler's Life of Beethoven.[ A. W. T. ]
3. Hubert, brother of the preceding, was born at Bonn in 1802 [App. p.772 "April 1"]. He made his first studies as a violinist under his father, and afterwards under Spohr. Hauptmann was his teacher in composition. Since 1824 he has lived at Berlin. In that year he entered the band of the Königstadter Theatre, and in the following year became a member of the Royal band. In 1835 he was appointed Director of the Philharmonic Society at Berlin. In 1836 he was nominated Concertmeister, and in 1839 elected a member of the Royal Academy of Arts. A thorough musician and a solid violinist, he has ever since been held in great esteem as a leader, and more especially as a methodical and conscientious teacher. His Violin-School for beginners is a very meritorious work, eminently practical, and widely used. He has published two violin-concertos, studies and duets for violins, and some quartets. An English edition of the Violin-School appeared in 1873 (Hofmeister). Three of his sons have gained reputation as musicians:—
Louis, violinist, born at Berlin in 1830, pupil of his father and of Vieuxtemps, has, since 1852, been settled in London, where he enjoys great and deserved reputation as violinist and teacher. He was a member of the Quartet of the Musical Union from 1855 to 1870, and has held the second violin at the Monday Popular Concerts from their beginning in 1859, to the present time. He played a solo at the Crystal Palace Oct. 29, 1864.
Adolph, pianist, born at Berlin in 1837. He is a pupil of Kullak for the piano, and of Boehmer for composition, and lives in London as a pianoforte teacher. He has published a number of compositions for the piano, and some songs.
Franz, violinist and composer, was born at Berlin in 1846. He studied first under his father (violin), and under Boehmer and Kiel (composition). He afterwards entered the Conservatoire at Paris as a pupil of Massart, and gained the first prize for violin-playing in 1868. Some of his compositions, especially two suites for violin, have met with considerable success. He visited London in 1870 and played at the Crystal Palace. He has published an overture, two quartets, a quintet, and a large number of songs. Compelled by ill-health to give up violin-playing entirely, he established a music-publishing business at Dresden in 1874.[ P. D. ]
- ↑ See the curious and important lists and memorandums, published for the first time in Thayer's 'Beethoven,' i. 248.