More Raff piano music - from Ruiz!

[Alan Howe]

Records International have this exciting new CD in their April listing:
http://www.recordsinternational.com/cd.php?cd=04N045
Looks as though the Raff revival (at least on CD) is gathering momentum again...

[Mark Thomas]

The Suite is a reissue of Ruiz' old 1970s recording -  a wonderful barnstorming performance which has always been my favourite interpretation of this grand work. The Piano Sonata is a new recording by Ruiz, though. I've had a sneak preview and I must say that he breathes unexpected life into the piece. Although now in his 70s, Ruiz continues to take risks and this truly exciting performance had me on the edge of my seat - something I'd never have thought possible in what I have hitherto regarded as one of Raff's drier and more earthbound compositions. Well worth a punt...

As for the Raff revival, well it does continue at least in the recording studio. In the next few months the long promised CD of orchestral and a capella devotional choral works will be finished and another CD of previously unrecorded orchestral works will be laid down in June, all being well.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Can't wait to hear it. Have ordered my copy today.

[Alan Howe]

Well, my copy arrived today and I have to agree with Mark - the playing is edge-of-your-seat stuff which draws you right into Raff's world. And there is simply nothing like this in the piano sonata literature of the time: another perfect illustration of the fact that Raff belonged neither to the conservatives nor the radicals, but drew from both to create his unique sound-world.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Well, I have to disagree, I'm afraid. I was bitterly disappointed. First the acoustic is dry and the sound not nearly as plush or attractive as on the recording of the Suite, Secondly, Ruiz, technically brilliant as he undoubtedly is, shows no appreciation of the architecture of this work. Some of his tempi are absurdly fast, so that important detail is lost (the final bars are a dull helter-skelter of notes, with no attempt to shape a proper coda). There's no line and no dramatic narrative. In places the work might as well have been played by a machine; the lack of musicality is alarming. But compare this performance of the sonata with the earlier one of the Suite and you hear that Ruiz could play beautifully and with real understanding and illumination at one time. This sonata is a tough work. It is extremely difficult pianistically - but mere virtuosity is not enough; it is intellectually difficult too and demands a high degree of intelligence and sensitivity to present the work convincingly, qualities which I felt were sadly lacking in this performance.

[Mark Thomas]

To some degree, Gareth, I agree with you - it is a very brittle performance. My first impressions when I heard Ruiz' interpretation of the Piano Sonata were, like yours, unfavourable but I have found that his hell for leather way with the work, for all its drawbacks, has grown on me. IMHO the Piano Sonata, a very late work, is not the lovable mellifluous Raff, a sort of supercharged cross between Schumann and Liszt. Playing it in the way which works with so much of his piano music just doesn't seem to bring it to life - despite its difficulties, the piece always comes across as dry and four square. Arguably Ruiz goes too far the other way, and I don't disagree with some of your criticisms, but, whatever else one may say about his performance it does breath a vitality into the music which to varying degrees has been lacking from the three other interpretations which I have heard. It is, as I wrote earlier, undeniably edge-of-seat stuff and it's not a very comfortable listen but, as Alan hasimplied, it also at the very least hints at the impact which Raff's music can have when played for all its worth.

[Mark Thomas]

I've listened several times more to this recording and my review of this CD is now online here.