Theodor Ritter
Theodor Ritter (1883-1950) was born in Dortmund and started studying the violin at an early age. He soon became interested in the mandolin and became a virtuoso, earning the reputation as the best mandolin player in Germany.
He studied composition, and wrote extensively for plucked string ensembles. He also conducted a Zupforchester (plucked string orchestra) in Dortmund. Ritter was a highly respected teacher and taught many famous musicians including Willi Althoff and Fred Witt.
Compositions by Theodor Ritter appear on
Forgotten Dreams
In 1999 Concordia director Basil Hawkins first heard Hadjidakis’s The Waltz of Forgotten Dreams. Struck by its atmospheric, evocative character, he shaped a programme of kindred nostalgia, including Eileen Pakenham’s Reverie and Fred Witt’s Memories of Bendigo.
Composer