Julius Rietz

Born in Berlin and a cellist first, Julius Rietz studied with Bernhard Romberg and took composition from Carl Friedrich Zelter, and was still in his teens when he joined the orchestra of the Königstädter Theater. In 1834 he went to Düsseldorf as Mendelssohn's assistant and succeeded him a year later. From 1847 he was in Leipzig, conducting the Singakademie, teaching at the Conservatory and, after Mendelssohn's death, directing the Gewandhaus concerts; from 1860 he was court kapellmeister in Dresden. He edited Mendelssohn's music. Woldemar Bargiel, Salomon Jadassohn and Arthur Sullivan were among his pupils. He died in 1877. For the Koenigstaedter Theater, which he entered at sixteen, he wrote the music to Holtei's play Lorbeerbaum und Bettelstab, and Arthur O'Leary was another of his pupils. In Dresden he followed Carl Gottlieb Reissiger and took over the direction of the Royal Conservatory as well, appearing often in the opera house. His own catalogue holds operas, three symphonies, overtures to plays, sonatas for flute and for violin and a quantity of church music, reflecting his allegiance to the classical tradition.