# Ferdinand Ries



## Rondo

Another less-known composer, but worth talking about. The symphonies are the extent of my familiarity with his work. The likeness of Beethoven is uncanny at times, particularly in his fifth symphony (with a powerhouse like Beethoven's 5th, I guess he just couldn't resist  ).


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## Weston

Rondo said:


> Another less-known composer, but worth talking about. The symphonies are the extent of my familiarity with his work. The likeness of Beethoven is uncanny at times, particularly in his fifth symphony (with a powerhouse like Beethoven's 5th, I guess he just couldn't resist  ).


Judging by the Wikipedia article, he had somewhat a visual likeness to Beethoven as well, and was his pupil and copiest.

I've got to check him out. You can never have too many ersatz Beethovens if they are good ones.


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## Mayerl

Great to see another "forgotten" composer mentioned. I can highly recommend 2 Volumes of his works for piano & orchestra, released by Naxos fairly recently. As with the symphonies, more than a hint of Beethoven appears from time to time, but well worth listening to none the less.


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## violadude

Ferdinand Ries-

Pieces I have by Ries

-The 8 symphonies

This composer is a really good one! A student of Beethoven, I definitely recommend. You can tell he is the student of Beethoven too. He has his teachers fire, while having the refinement of someone like Mozart or Schubert, a perfect hybrid.  The Ries symphonies are really great. Number 1 opens up with a really strange and surprising chord. The 5th symphony has obvious homages to his teachers 5th symphony. The finale of the sixth is really fun! These symphonies are very dramatic (for their time) and also very structurally satisfying. I almost enjoy these symphonies more than Beethoven's even though they aren't as revolutionary. Perhaps I've been overexposed to Beethoven's symphonies. But I definitely love Ries' great explorations in the form.


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## Art Rock

I tihnk his chamber music and his piano concertos are better than his symphonies. Definitely a composer worth checking out.


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## presto

I’m intrigued.......I know of him but never heard his music, has anyone got a link to a recommended work?


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## jurianbai

of course

















coming exactly the era of Beethoven early and middle quartets. that should be enough curiosity.


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## Moscow-Mahler

I have the CPO disk volume 2 and I listen the late F minor quartet pretty regulary/


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## HarpsichordConcerto

I have those CPO discs pictured above plus other concertos and chamber music, which are very enjoyable. He belongs to the next tier of lesser known composers that I would group, along with say Louis Spohr. Definitely worth the time spent listening.


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## Johnnie Burgess

Rondo said:


> Another less-known composer, but worth talking about. The symphonies are the extent of my familiarity with his work. The likeness of Beethoven is uncanny at times, particularly in his fifth symphony (with a powerhouse like Beethoven's 5th, I guess he just couldn't resist  ).


His string quartets are also good.


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## Lenny

I like his chamber music, a lot. Somehow it feels like a missing link between Beethoven and Brahms. In my books, Beethoven is out of this world, unreachable, and somewhat cold because of my limited capacity. Brahms, otoh, I feel more accessible. That's why I think Ries is interesting to me personally.

His symphonies are too much Beethoven. Well, not exactly, his personal voice is clear and distinct, but there is too much of Ludvig Van in there. Brahms did that much better way.

I'm sorry about bringing Brahms also here, can't help it


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## Pugg

Lenny said:


> I like his chamber music, a lot. Somehow it feels like a missing link between Beethoven and Brahms. In my books, Beethoven is out of this world, unreachable, and somewhat cold because of my limited capacity. Brahms, otoh, I feel more accessible. That's why I think Ries is interesting to me personally.
> 
> His symphonies are too much Beethoven. Well, not exactly, his personal voice is clear and distinct, but there is too much of Ludvin Van in there. Brahms did that much better way.
> 
> I'm sorry about bringing Brahms also here, can't help it


I do agree with you by almost all means, except the Brahms part .


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## AlanB

Introduced to Ries by my friend Jerry (jandl100).
Only tried the symphonies so far and I am enthralled. The similarity to LVB is very obvious but not annoying in any way.
Must try the chamber stuff. What a find!


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## bharbeke

If you like piano concertos, he wrote some fine ones (3, 9, and 5 are all very good).


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## Jerry

AlanB said:


> Introduced to Ries by my friend Jerry (jandl100).
> Only tried the symphonies so far and I am enthralled. The similarity to LVB is very obvious but not annoying in any way.
> Must try the chamber stuff. What a find!


Actually, I am Jerry on here. 

Yes, Ries is a recent 'find' of mine - love his orchestral and chamber music. I first came across him with the violin sonatas, excellent!


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## arpeggio

I play with the McLean Symphony, a local volunteer community orchestra, We performed one of his piano concertos a few years ago. It was quite good. I can not remember which one.

I do remember that we had to rent a new edition of the work which was copyrighted. It was the only one we could find. We could not locate a public domain edition. The rental fee was $700.


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## vesteel

Before, I only known him as Beethoven's assistant or something.
Now I saw on another forum that Hyperion is releasing new recordings of his Piano Concertos 8 and 9 in April (and there are previews!) so I listened to them. I was hooked. Now I'm listening to some of his symphonies and concertos right now and i'm pretty amazed so far


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## kyjo

So far, I've heard Ries' first two symphonies, which are dramatic, energetic, and memorable works. I particularly like the "funeral march" slow movement of the 1st, which may be paying tribute to the respective movement of his teacher's 'Eroica'.


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## neoshredder

Was impressed with the first movement of Piano Concerto No. 3 in C-Sharp Minor. Definitely worth checking out more of.


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