August Gottfried Ritter (25 August 1811 – 26 August 1885) was a German romantic composer and organist

Organist

An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...

.

Biography

Co-creator, together with Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, of the first example of Romantic Organ Sonata

Sonata

Sonata , in music, literally means a piece played as opposed to a cantata , a piece sung. The term, being vague, naturally evolved through the history of music, designating a variety of forms prior to the Classical era...

 (the first one was composed in 1845); he moved in 1847 from being organist in Merseburg

Merseburg

Merseburg is a town in the south of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt on the river Saale, approx. 14 km south of Halle . It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese founded by Archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg....

 cathedral to become organist in Magdeburg

Magdeburg

Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....

 cathedral. In his critical writings, Ritter condemned the Renaissance organ composers termed the Colorists for overindulging in ornamentation.

Compositions

• Toccata in D minor for organ
• First Organ Sonata in D minor, op. 11 (ca. 1845)
• Second Organ Sonata in E minor, op. 19 (ca. 1850)
• Third Organ Sonata in A minor, op. 23, dedicated to Franz Liszt
  Franz Liszt
  Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
  
  (ca. 1855)
• Fourth Organ Sonata in A major, op. 31 (ca. 1855)
• Choral Preludes for organ (opp. 7, 8 & 9)
• Preludes, postludes etc.
• XXXII der gebräuchlichsten Choräle : mit Vor- und Zwischenspielen tacktgemäß verbunden : und mit Bezeichnung der Register und der Applicaturen versehen für die ersten Versuche im gottesdienstlichen Orgelspiele (32 Chorale-preludes)
• Sinfonie concertante for 2 bassoons and orchestra
• Variations on "Heil dir im Siegerkranz" for organ
• Second Piano Sonata, op. 21

Publications

• Zur Geschichte des Orgelspieles, vornehmlich des deutschen, im 14. bis zum Anfang des 18. Jahrhunderts (The History of Organ Playing from 14th to the 18th Centuries, in 2 volumes) (1884)
• Kunst des Orgelspiels (The Art of Organ Playing), Op. 15

External links

• Biography (German)