Unsung Composers

The Music => Recordings & Broadcasts => Topic started by: Mark Thomas on Tuesday 14 June 2022, 11:42

Title: Raff Piano Suite CDs
Post by: Mark Thomas on Tuesday 14 June 2022, 11:42
I have a few four-CD sets of the AK Coburg recordings by Alexander Zolotarev of all seven of Raff's piano suites and Raff's arrangement for piano of J.S. Bach's Suites for solo cello. Full details of these now commercially unavailable recordings are here (https://www.raff.org/recordings/discography_piano.html#suites). The piano suites are important works in Raff's catalogue and the four later ones in particular are large scale works each lasting well over 30 minutes. For an assessment of the Bach arrangements see John Boyer's recent post (https://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,8763.0.html). I'm very happy to send anyone a set just for the cost of shipping from the UK and if you're interested then PM me for more details.
Title: Re: Raff Piano Suite CDs
Post by: Hector on Tuesday 14 June 2022, 11:54
Or place them on the downloads board?
Title: Re: Raff Piano Suite CDs
Post by: Alan Howe on Tuesday 14 June 2022, 11:57
We don't upload commercial recordings here.
Title: Re: Raff Piano Suite CDs
Post by: Hector on Tuesday 14 June 2022, 13:50
That'll be a no then.

It was the phrase 'commercially unavailable' that caught my eye.
Title: Re: Raff Piano Suite CDs
Post by: Alan Howe on Tuesday 14 June 2022, 14:00
'Commercially unavailable', as I'm sure you're aware, just means that the CDs are now out of print. However, it's still a commercial recording - and we don't upload those. So that's a definite 'no'.

In fact jpc still lists them, but whether they can actually get hold of them is another matter:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Joachim-Raff-1822-1882-Klavierwerke-Vol-IV/hnum/7655827

Amazon here in the UK also has some copies:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/S%C3%A4mtliche-Klaviersuiten-Johann-Sebastian-Joachim/dp/B000GTJTRU/ref=sr_1_4?crid=XJ1BJTZ33KQK&keywords=raff+zolotarev&qid=1655211568&sprefix=raff+zolotarev%2Caps%2C410&sr=8-4
Title: Re: Raff Piano Suite CDs
Post by: Mark Thomas on Tuesday 14 June 2022, 14:05
In this case the label which produced the CDs, AK Coburg, ceased trading when it's owner, the pioneering Raff and Draeseke authority Alan Krueck, passed away. His estate kindly gave me some copies of the Raff Suites CDs, so they became my property, which is why I'm happy to give them away to people who are interested in Raff. The copyright of those CDs automatically passed to the beneficiaries of Alan's estate and so copying them and distributing the copies as downloads would infringe that copyright to the beneficiaries' detriment so, as Alan says, we're not doing it.
Title: Re: Raff Piano Suite CDs
Post by: Alan Howe on Tuesday 14 June 2022, 14:19
It's always helpful if contributors actually read our rules:
https://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,3679.0.html
Title: Re: Raff Piano Suite CDs
Post by: CelesteCadenza on Tuesday 14 June 2022, 14:48
Quote from: Hector on Tuesday 14 June 2022, 13:50That'll be a no then.

It was the phrase 'commercially unavailable' that caught my eye.

Actually they are still 'commercially' available, both from Records International
http://www.recordsinternational.com/catalogue.php?search=Zolotarev
and AK/Coburg via the Draeseke Societies:
https://www.draeseke.org/akcoburg/catalog.htm
Title: Re: Raff Piano Suite CDs
Post by: Hector on Tuesday 14 June 2022, 16:13
As I said, that'll be a 'no' then.

PS Alan - your surety was misplaced - I had no idea exactly what commercially unavailable meant ("as I'm sure you're aware")

Title: Re: Raff Piano Suite CDs
Post by: Mark Thomas on Tuesday 14 June 2022, 16:51
OK, so having given that a thorough investigation, let's move on. PM me if you're interested in getting your hands on the four-CD set.
Title: Re: Raff Piano Suite CDs
Post by: Alan Howe on Tuesday 14 June 2022, 17:15
I very much doubt whether RI (advertising in 2013!) have any copies. I'm unsure about the Draeseke Society, but you could try them.
Title: Re: Raff Piano Suite CDs
Post by: Mark Thomas on Monday 20 June 2022, 22:57
I now have just one full set of the four CDs left, together with a partial set of volumes 2, 3 & 4. Anyone is welcome to them for just the cost of shipping (around £8 within the UK and $24.50 to the US, for example). Once again, PM me if you're interested. First come, first served.