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
It was in 1999 when Concordia director Basil Hawkins first came across The waltz of forgotten dreams by Hadjidakis. He was struck by its atmospheric and evocative nature and in keeping with this nostalgic ambience, the selection on this disc includes such pieces as Eileen Pakenham's Reverie and Fred Witt's Memories of Bendigo.
