Gottfried Rieger

Rieger was born on 1 May 1764 in Tropplowitz in Austrian Silesia in the Kingdom of Bohemia, Habsburg monarchy (now Opavice, part of Město Albrechtice in the Czech Republic).

On the recommendation of Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf, he studied music theory with Father Damasus Brosmann, rector of the Piarist monastery at Bílá Voda.

[1][2][3] He moved to Brno in 1787, where from 1790 he directed the orchestra of the civic theatre, and was a music teacher.

Count Haugwitz offered him in 1805 the post of Kapellmeister at his castle at Náměšť nad Oslavou, and he was resident there until 1808; he then returned to Brno, resuming as music teacher and for two more years director of the theatre orchestra.

[1] Compositions include an opera, Das wütende Heer (1787); a Schauspiel mit Gesang, Die Totenglocke um Mitternacht oder Wendelin von Höllenstein (1788); several cantatas, two requiems, piano concertos, songs and chamber music.