Forthcoming Raff CDs from Sterling

[Mark Thomas]

As you've probably already guessed from my recent posts, Raff's Suite for Piano & Orchestra, a five-movement concerto in effect, has just been recorded for Sterling with Tra Nguyen as soloist. The companion orchestral works are also recording premieres: the substantial Overtures to the operas König Alfred and Die Eifersüchtigen (whch had never been performed before), the short Prelude to the third act of the opera Samson and the two Preludes from the cantata Dornröschen (Sleeping Beauty). This means that all of Raff's free-standing orchestral and concerted output will have been available on CD over the years since Marco Polo began their pioneering symphony cycle, so it's fitting that for this landmark recording Tra and the Symphony Orchestra of Norrlands Opera under Roland Kluttig were in marvellous form. This CD should be a must buy.

Plans to record this October the "Concertante" Die Tageszeiten (The Times of Day) - a four movement 40 minute combined choral symphony and piano concerto - with the same forces are well advanced. This should be quite a revelation if it bears out the work's promise on paper. The couplings will be works for chorus and orchestra: a shorter cantata Die Sterne (The Stars) and the two songs in op.186 for chorus and orchestra: Morgenlied (Morning Song) and Einer Entschlaffenen (A Lullaby). I'll keep you posted on this one.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Mark, this absolutely fantastic news. At last, these important works will be available for all to hear and appreciate. Those of us who correrspond on these pages owe you and Sterling a great debt of thanks. And now I KNOW what I want for Christmas.

[Alan Howe]

May I echo Gareth's words? But, if the first of these is available for Christmas, I shall be buying it for myself!

[JimL]

I don't know about any of you, but all of a sudden I have developed a hankering for choral music!

[Mark Thomas]

I should also have mentioned that Il Trittico, whose performances of the two Raff Piano Quartets in Basel I raved about a little over a year ago, have now recorded the works. Their interpretations of the two Piano Quintets (for Divox - review) were superb and the earlier set of the four Piano Trios (Arte Nova) was also a must buy, but I think that they have excelled themselves in this new recording. The Piano Quartets are really great pieces, fully up to the standard of the Piano Trios and, having heard the first mix of the sessions, I honestly can't imagine them played better. Too many superlatives, I know, but they are deserved. I don't have any publication information at this stage but I don't think that we'll have too long to wait.

[Gareth Vaughan]

On the subject of Raff's choral music, was there not at one time a rumour of a recording of Raff's oratorio "World's End" - or is this just wishful thinking on my part?

[Mark Thomas]

A performance of Welt Ende in the Raff ancestral town of Empfingen was recorded and issued by the town council as a lavish three LP set in 1987. I assume that you don't mean that one? The only rumour of a subsequent recording which I've heard of followed a very much better live performance of the work in Wiesbaden in 2001. Those of us who were there could see that it was being recorded and the rumour was that it was for broadcast, but nothing was ever transmitted, so possibly it was a private recording. I don't know of any other suggestion that the work be commercially recorded. More's the pity.