Reicha, Anton

COMPOSER (FRANCE)
BORN 26 Feb 1770, Praha - DIED 28 May 1836, Paris
BIRTH NAME Rejcha, Antonín
GRAVE LOCATION Paris: Père Lachaise, Rue du Repos 16 (division 07, ligne 01)

Anton Reicha left his widowed mother when he was eleven years old to study with his uncle Josef, the director of the court orchestra in Bonn. He was taught piano, violin and flute. He became a member of the Hofkapelle in Bonn and against his uncle's wishes he studied composition secretly. In 1789 he met Ludwig van Beethoven, who was of the same age and had joined the Hofkapelle as well. They became friends for life.

When Bonn was attacked by the French in 1794 he fled to Hamburg. In Hamburg he worked as a composition and piano teacher from 1794 until 1797 and he studied mathematics and philosophy himself. After failing to make himself a name as an opera composer in Paris he went to Vienna in 1801. There, like Beethoven, he studied with Salieri and Albrechtsberger. He was in regular contact with Beethoven. He created his most experimental compositions during his time in Vienna.

In 1808 he moved to Paris, where he would stay until his death. In 1818 he became a professor at the Conservatoy and he wrote books on composition and harmony. Among his students were Berlioz, Franck, Gounod and Liszt.

Related persons
• was teacher of Adam, Adolphe-Charles
• was pupil of Albrechtsberger, Johann Georg
• was a friend of Beethoven, Ludwig van
• was teacher of Berlioz, Hector
• was teacher of Clapisson, Louis
• was teacher of Colet, Hippolyte
• was teacher of Franck, César
• was teacher of Girard, Narcisse
• was teacher of Gounod, Charles
• knew Haydn, Joseph
• was teacher of Liszt, Franz
• was pupil of Salieri, Antonio
• was teacher of Schuncke, Ludwig
• was teacher of Stamaty, Camille-Marie
• was teacher of Viardot-Garcia, Pauline

Images

The grave of Anton Reicha at Père Lachaise, Paris.
Picture by Androom (28 Aug 2001)

 

The grave of Anton Reicha at Père Lachaise, Paris.
Picture by Androom (01 Nov 2022)

 

Sources
Classical Net - Basic Repertoire List - Reicha
Anton Reicha - Wikipedia


Reich-Dörich, Fine

Published: 09 Apr 2007
Last update: 26 Jun 2024