Philipp Jakob Riotte

Philipp Jakob Riotte (16 August 1776 – 1856) was a German composer who lived primarily in Vienna. In the 1820s, his works were among the most-performed at the Theater an der Wien. He was a contemporary of Ludwig van Beethoven. Very few of his works remain in the active repertoire today. Life Philipp Jakob Riotte was born at St. Wendel (Saarland). He was probably descended from a French emigrant Huguenot family. The earliest records indicate he was expelled as choirboy in his hometown of Sankt Wendel. He studied violin, violoncello and later piano and organ. In 1793 he received his first employment as an organist at a seminar in Trier. In 1794 to 1805 he resided in Blieskastel, the residence of the Imperial counts of Leyen, as well as in Frankfurt am Main and Offenbach. In Offenbach, he continued his studies with the composer and music publisher Johann Anton André. From 1806 to 1808 Riotte was active as a Kapellmeister in Gdańsk and as a chief conductor in Magdeburg. In 1808, Riotte established himself in Vienna. At first he made a living by giving piano lessons and selling his own compositions. In addition, he was active as a musical correspondent. Between 1810 and 1815, he contrib