Recording of Raff's Die Eifersüchtigen

Started by Mark Thomas, Thursday 08 February 2024, 12:10

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Mark Thomas

I understand that we can expect Raff's final opera Die Eifersüchtigen to be released on a major label later this year, probably sometime in the autumn. It's a live recording, taken from the 2022 Zurich performances, with some studio infill and I can vouch for its quality. More, as soon as I know it.

Alan Howe

I'm really looking forward to yet more operatic Raff. Great news!

Mark Thomas


Alan Howe


Alan Howe

Here's the overture to whet your appetite, conducted by Neeme Järvi:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzB9zc0uBHc


adriano

My personal opinion: This is a rather endlessly boring piece, where Raff definitely failed as a music dramatist - and librettist.
This time he had no sense at all for comedy in music.
In German we call this kind of music "betulich" - which can be mildly translated into "comfortable", but I felt rather unconfortable. Already the extremely long first act never seemed to come to an end and no surprises occurred later on.
But with a lot of patience one can still enjoy Raff's skills as a melodist and an orchestrator.
Again, I shake my head on that this ensemble proudly calls itself "Orchestra of Europe".
(I've already posted a similar criticism in this forum, at the occasion of the Zurich production, which I attended).

Alan Howe

One might also translate 'betulich' as 'sedate' or even 'bland', perhaps.

Thanks for your thoughts, Adriano. A mandatory purchase nevertheless - for me.

Mark Thomas

Quote from: adriano on Friday 14 June 2024, 18:16"with a lot of patience one can still enjoy Raff's skills as a melodist and an orchestrator."

I think this is the key to enjoying Die Eifersüchtigen. As a piece of drama, or comedy, even Raff's own wife (an actress) deemed it a failure but the music itself, if one can divorce it from the text, is lovely and very enjoyable on its own merits.

Gareth Vaughan

I think that is spot on, Mark. It seems to me to be the weakest of his operas which I have so far heard, but Raff's melodic skills are undeniable. Now I would really like to hear Dame Kobold.

John Boyer

Quote from: adriano on Friday 14 June 2024, 18:16This time he had no sense at all for comedy in music.

Well, as Freud said, a German joke is no laughing matter. 


Alan Howe

Was machen Ostfriesen, wenn sie einen Eimer heißes Wasser übrig haben?
Einfrieren, heißes Wasser kann man immer gebrauchen.

(German equivalent of an Irish joke)

Mark Thomas


Alan Howe


eschiss1

and the new releases for September 2024 at Naxos: here. (It takes a half-minute to load the track list. Has downloadable PDF libretto link, I see.)