Ritter, Christian

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Ritter, Christian

Ritter, Christian , German organist and composer; b. c. 1647; d. after 1717. He was a chamber organist in Halle by 1666. By 1672 he was a court musician there, and subsequently served as court organist as well. By 1681 he was court organist in Stockholm, and soon thereafter was given the additional position of vice-Kapellmeister. After serving as court organist and vice-Kapellmeister in Dresden (1683–88), he returned to Stockholm as a court musician, remaining there until at least 1699. Ritter distinguished himself as a composer of Protestant church music, and numbering among his extant works are 22 motets, a keyboard suite, and an organ sonatina.

—Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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