Raff Piano Works

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks, Eric.

[semloh]

How exciting this is. Before long, we will need to ask whether Raff is still an 'Unsung Composer'. 

Joking aside, to be able to eventually answer in the negative is precisely what we all want and this venture is another step in that direction. Thanks, Mark.

[Mark Thomas]

A short update on progress on volumes 4-6:

Tra has already recorded volumes 4 and 5 (in May and September respectively) and the final volume will be recorded at the beginning of November. In common with all future Naxos releases, I understand, these new CDs will be issued by Grand Piano in hybrid SACD format, but we are using the same excellent recording venue (Nimbus' Wyastone Concert Hall) and the recording itself is again in the hugely capable hands of Michael Ponder, so the sound quality should be tip top. Tra tells me that even Wyastone's new piano is an improvement on the one which she played for the first three discs. The only black mark is that the booklet notes have been written by the same dull hack who wrote the previous ones.

I have heard the first CD and I can say that both the music and Tra's interpretations maintain the very high standard set by the previous releases. The release date of volume 4 is April next year (11 months from recording, cpo take note).

You'll want to know the contents of the CDs and I'm afraid that I can't tell you. Not yet, anyway. What I will say is that only one of the works in the new series has been recorded previously and, as before, the CDs present a selection of substantial stand-alone works, individual "salon" pieces and sets containing between six and twelve numbers, spread across the whole of Raff's composing career, from 1843 to 1881.

[mbhaub]

What a great achievement and blessing this series has been. Thanks to all involved. But...I want a vol. 7; and it should be of the 2-piano reduction of the 5th symphony. I acquired a copy from Library of Congress many years ago, and every once in a while I can find someone willing to sit down and read it with me (it's very difficult). Look at all the piano versions of orchestral music out there: Mahler 1, 2, 6, 7. Dvorak 9, Scheherazade and a lot more. So why not Raff? If there's a transcription of the 3rd, that'd be nice, too.

[eschiss1]

judging from Raff's worklist, I'd think (I may be mistaken!) there's enough piano works for rather more than 6 volumes even without transcriptions- in principle. Not going to blame Naxos/Grand Piano or Ms. Nguyen for not doing a complete set (unless I'm mistaken and in fact that's exactly what it is, sticking to original works etc., again.) (Liszt is far more famous- and far more prolific, ok- and it was only recently we got a complete set of his piano works )

[petershott@btinternet.com]

I share those feelings (utterly): it would be wonderful to have recordings of Raff's entire works (and I especially like the suggestion of the works for two pianos / four hands).

However if you look through the entire work list, and make a few (hopefully intelligent) guesses, you come to the conclusion that we're not talking of an additional Vol 7 or 8....but probably up to 20 or so Volumes.

And that gives pause for thought. I'm pretty sure Tra wouldn't want to learn and prepare for studio performance every single scrap Raff wrote. Would it be commercially justifiable? Would she want to be typecast as someone who plays Raff to the exclusion of all else? Are we certain that all the Raff odds and ends are worth having on record when there are so many other works by other deserving composers that remain unknown or unrecorded?

I don't know the answers to such questions. But I would think the existence of such questions means we need to think more carefully before asking for a complete series. What a complete killjoy I am!

[Mark Thomas]

I'm afraid that there are no plans for any more volumes after the sixth one. It's not my place to speak for her, but Tra has surveyed many more scores than those which she has recorded, and I know that she feels (as I do) that what will be presented in this series overall is the very best of the bunch. That's a long way from saying that the remaining works are of inferior quality, but in choosing what to put on these three final volumes, we have been very conscious that there's a duty to present Raff in the very best light. Of course, the seven piano suites have deliberately been excluded as they have already been recorded elsewhere.

Mention was made of the size of a complete edition of Raff's piano music: my estimate is that it would be at least 45 CDs if it includes all the works known to be still extant, all the four hands transcriptions of his own orchestral and chamber compositions and his transcriptions, fantasies and arrangements of the works of other composers. That's a deliberately conservative estimate. From a purely selfish point of view I'd love it, but I honestly can't imagine any recording company or pianist who'd want to take on such a project. Mind you, it's a paltry figure when compared with the 99 needed to cover all of Liszt's piano compositions.

Martin: I'd love to hear more of Raff's four hand transcriptions of his orchestral and chamber works. I only have a recording of his transcription of the First Violin Sonata, which is devilishly difficult but makes a very convincing Four Hands Piano Sonata. Raff transcribed every symphony apart form his Eleventh for piano four hands, together with all four of the orchestral suites, most of the shorter orchestral works, all bar one of his eight string quartets and two of his violin sonatas. Brahms, who had a very condescending attitude towards Raff, made a disparaging remark (which I can't at present track down) sneering at the fact that he made all his own piano reductions. But then, Raff was a very much harder worker than Brahms.

[TerraEpon]

To be fair with Liszt, much of them were revisions of pieces and others just playing the same piece with small changes where there's an ossia...granted still far more than Raff wrote. Also it's all solo (except for, for some reason, one four handed piece plus Harold in italy which has a viola, and the other viola piece, plus the recitations) where as the amount you mention for Raff includes all four handed stuff....for Liszt that would probably tack on 30 or so CDs I'd bet, heh.

[Mark Thomas]

... and yet it was Liszt who, quite rightly, warned Raff in the mid 1840s of the dangers of over-production!

[Jonathan]

...four handed stuff....for Liszt that would probably tack on 30 or so CDs I'd bet, heh.

Hi TerraEpon,
Er, no actually Liszt's 2 piano / 4 hand works probably total about 12 - 13 CDs which further makes me wonder why there hasn't been a complete edition yet 

Liszt wrote 1,500 odd original works for solo piano, this number excludes the various versions and revisions!!

[DennisS]

Many thanks Mark for keeping us updated re-the Naxos Raff Piano Works series. I read with great interest and also pleasurable anticipation that Volume 4 should be released April 2014! Roll on next April! Even if there are only 6 volumes in total in this series, they will give many, many hours of pure listening pleasure!

Thanks again
Dennis

[eschiss1]

I still hope to hear a lot more of the Raff piano works - eventually (and while I haven't the means to purchase the Howard Liszt edition, that too, yes (and/or other hopefully excellent performances; on the radio or via library or otherwise...) Sorry, was just curious about how much was going to be in the Grand Piano series- which I hope soon to hear (maybe some of it before very long, actually... hrm- I may have somewhat left on that Amazon gift card, for one thing- hrm...!)- for which I am grateful, anycase.