Heinrich Rietsch

Heinrich Rietsch was born as Heinrich Löwy on 22 September 1860 in Falkenau an der Eger (at that time in Austria-Hungary, today Sokolov in the Czech Republic). His first musical education came from his mother, through whom he learned to play the piano. He also learned to play the organ in church and received violin lessons from the archdeacon Michael Pelleter.
From 1878 to 1882, Heinrich Löwy studied law at the University of Vienna and completed his doctorate in law in 1883. Alongside his legal studies, he pursued formal musical training. Around that time, he decided to give up the surname Löwy and adopted his mother’s maiden name, Rietsch. Between 1882 and 1884, he studied musicology with Guido Adler and Eduard Hanslick and, according to his own account, also attended lectures by Anton Bruckner. Heinrich Rietsch studied music theory with Franz Krenn, Eusebius Mandyczewski, and Robert Fuchs and attended courses at the Vienna Music Academy.
In 1895, Rietsch qualified as a Privatdozent in musicology at the University of Vienna. When Guido Adler moved to Prague, Rietsch temporarily assumed responsibilities connected with Adler’s academic position in Vienna before following him in 1900 to the German University in Prague as an associate professor. In 1905, he received the title of full professor, and in 1909, he became an ordinary professor. He remained at the university until his death and played a central role in establishing and developing the musicological institute in Prague. During the academic year 1915/16, he served as dean, and in 1927, the final year of his life, he became rector of the university. He also served as chairman of the Prague German Chamber Music Society and taught numerous students, among them Max Brod, Robert Maria Haas, Robert Lach, Paul Nettl, Rudolf Quoika, Erich Steinhard, and Vaclav Stepan.
Alongside his university career, Heinrich Rietsch was active as a musicologist, editor, lecturer, and organizer of musical institutions. In 1893, he became an active member of the Society for the Publication of Denkmäler der Tonkunst in Österreich, contributing to editions of historical musical sources. He founded the Prague branch of the International Music Society, later associated with the German Music Society. His scholarly work focused on the German Lied, Baroque music, nineteenth-century music, Anton Bruckner, selected questions of musical aesthetics, and contemporary music. He published studies and essays in German-language journals and also wrote on individual aspects of Czech musical history.
As a composer, Rietsch wrote works in several genres. His compositions included the opera "Walther von der Vogelweide" (partially performed in Prague in 1902), the orchestral work "Tauferer Serenade", chamber works such as a String Quartet, a Piano Quintet and Three Pieces for Violin and Piano, as well as piano music. His vocal output included songs, male and female choral works, arrangements of folk songs, and works for choir with instrumental accompaniment.
Heinrich Rietsch died on 12 December 1927 in Prague (Czechoslovakia).

In my possession is the handwritten manuscript of the "Sechs Klavierstücke" op.17 by Heinrich Rietsch. The work consists of the six pieces 1. Stammbuchblatt, 2. Menuett, 3. Nachtstück, 4.-6. Drei Walzerskizzen. I am not sure if the manuscript is an autograph, but op.17 was never published (so it can't be a simple copy) and it came from the estate of pianist Elly Ney, and it seems reasonable that Heinrich Rietsch in such a case send an autograph manuscript.

What is interesting about the "Sechs Klavierstücke" op.17 is the fact, that in 1909 the composition "Sechs Klavierstücke" op.19 was published by Eberle in Stuttgart. The six pieces of op.19 are 1. Aus jungen Tagen, 2. Mimischer Tanz, 3. Nachtstück, 4.-5. Zwei Walzerskizzen, 6. Walzerphantasie. So very likely the numbers 3, 4 and 5 are identical with op.17.