Ernst Richter

Ernst Friedrich Eduard Richter (24 October 1808 – 9 April 1879), was a German musical theorist, born at Großschönau, Saxony.

He first studied music at Zittau, and afterwards at Leipzig, where he attained so high a reputation that in 1843 he was appointed professor of harmony and counterpoint at the conservatorium of music, then newly founded by Felix Mendelssohn. On the death of Moritz Hauptmann on 3 January 1868, he was elected cantor of Thomasschule zu Leipzig, conducting the Thomanerchor, an office he retained until his death.

He is best known by three theoretical works: Lehrbuch der Harmonie, Lehre vom Contra punct and Lehre von der Fuge, valuable textbooks known to English students through the excellent translation by Franklin Taylor.