A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Ruzicka, Wenzel

by George Grove

RUZICKA,^[1] Wenzel, deserves a corner for his connexion with Schubert. He was born at Jarmeritz in Moravia, where his father was schoolmaster, Sept. 8, 1758, and died at Vienna, July 21, 1823. At 14 he was sent to Vienna to support himself by music, which he did, contriving at the same time to make himself a thorough proficient in the rules of composition. In 1783 he was playing the violin, and in 1797 the viola, at the Hofburg theatre. He then appears to have gone to Veszprim in Hungary, and become chorus-master and military bandmaster, and to have put, or assisted to put, the famous Rakoczy march into its present shape. And there he composed his one large work, an opera, 'Bela futás,' which was first performed at Pesth, Feb. 22, 1862, and holds a high place in Hungary. On Dec. 1, 1792, he was made Adjunct, and on April 1, 1793, First organist to the Court at Vienna, a post which he held till his death. He had a great reputation as a teacher of composition, and when Salieri discovered Schubert's easy aptitude for music he handed him to Ruzicka for instruction. Ruzicka, however, did not keep the lad long, but returned him, saying much as Holzer had done before him. 'He knows everything already, God Almighty has taught him.'—A sonata of Ruzicka's for PF. and violin is published by Mechetti.

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1. Spelt also Rucsicska, Rutschitschka, etc.