JOACHIM RAFF: Suite for Piano and Orchestra Op. 200; Die Eifersüchtigen – Overture; König Alfred – Overture; Dornröschen – Vorspiel; Samson – Vorspiel 3 act /Tra Nguyen, piano / The Symphony Orchestra of Norrlands Opera /Roland Kluttig – Sterling CDS10852, 77:46 [Distr. by Qualiton] ****:
The German-Swiss Joachim Raff (1822-1882) left behind an enormous body of work which has come to the notice of many more interested parties in recent years. He was much respected during his lifetime, a friend of Hans von Bulow, assistant to Franz Liszt in Weimar in the early 1850s, director of the Frankfurt conservatory and composer of eleven symphonies and six operas among the more than 200 opus numbers. While working for Liszt he was involved with the orchestration of two his piano concertos and “Tasso”.
The Suite for Piano and Orchestra dates from 1875 and combines a romantic idiom with the baroque partita form – the result being a substantial work of enormous charm. The first and longest movement, Introduction and Fugue, is both serious and light-hearted, the middle movement a delightful cavatina, and the last of the five a high-spirited finale. Tra Nguyen has both excellent technique and the artistry to bring out the mid-romantic flavour of this piece, the delicate passage-work especially successful. The fine Norrlands Opera orchestra under Roland Kluttig accompany with tight ensemble and reflect and support the pianist’s fireworks in the last movement as one.
The overture to “Die Eifersüchtigen” (The Jealous Ones”) dates from 1880 and was Raff’s last opera while that to König Alfred dates from over thirty years earlier and was one of Raff’s first great successes. Liszt thought very highly of “Samson” whose third-act prelude is played here, and the programme is completed with the prelude to “Dornröschen” (Briar-Rose) and its intermezzo, “Dornhecke” (Thorn Hedge). This cross-section of orchestral music for Raff’s stage works is entertaining and colourful and Kluttig and his orchestra sound as though they enjoy every minute of playing. Recording quality is very fine, the sound clear and spacious.
Raff’s star may not shine as brightly as it did during his lifetime, and productions of this high quality do very well to introduce such well-crafted writing to the catalogue.
— Peter Joelson
