Friedrich Wilhelm Riedt (5 January 1710 – 5 January 1783) was a German

flautist The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

and

music theorist Music theory is the study of the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory". The first is the "rudiments", that are needed to understand music notation (ke ...

of the

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

period.

Life

Riedt was born in Berlin to English-born parents. His birth date is sometimes given as 24 January 1712. His father served as a "silberdiener" at the court of

Frederick William I of Prussia Frederick William I (german: Friedrich Wilhelm I.; 14 August 1688 – 31 May 1740), known as the "Soldier King" (german: Soldatenkönig), was King in Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg from 1713 until his death in 1740, as well as Prince of Neuch ...

, a position which he took over after his father's death. His flute teacher is unknown, however, it is known that he later studied composition with

Christoph Schaffrath Christoph Schaffrath (1709 in Hohnstein 7 February 1763 in Berlin) was a German musician and composer of the late Baroque to Classical transition era. Career Schaffrath was born in Hohnstein. He applied to be organist at the Sophienkirche in D ...

and

Johann Gottlieb Graun Johann Gottlieb Graun (1702/1703 – 28 October 1771) was a German Baroque/Classical era composer and violinist, born in Wahrenbrück. His brother Carl Heinrich was a singer and also a composer, and is the better known of the two. Johann Gottlieb ...

. From 1741 he was a member of the Royal

Hofkapelle A court chapel (German: Hofkapelle) is a chapel (building) and/or a chapel as a musical ensemble associated with a royal or noble court. Most of these are royal (court) chapels, but when the ruler of the court is not a king, the more generic "co ...

Frederick the Great Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Sil ...

, on a salary of 300 thalers. In 1749 he was a founding member of the "Musikübenden Gesellschaft" in Berlin and was its director until 1770. Riedt composed almost exclusively for the flute. His works include numerous sonatas and concertos for flute, trio sonatas, and one concerto for horn. Six of his trio sonatas were published in Paris in 1754 under the name 'Rieds', and were dedicated to the Prussian Princess Anna Amalia.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Riedt, Friedrich Wilhelm 1710 births 1783 deaths 18th-century classical composers 18th-century German composers 18th-century German male musicians German Baroque composers German classical flautists German male classical composers Musicians from Berlin