Raff Piano Suite CDs

[Mark Thomas]

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. 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. 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.

[Hector]

Or place them on the downloads board?

[Alan Howe]

We don't upload commercial recordings here.

[Hector]

That'll be a no then.

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

[Alan Howe]

'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

[Mark Thomas]

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.

[Alan Howe]

It's always helpful if contributors actually read our rules:
https://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,3679.0.html

[CelesteCadenza]

That'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

[Hector]

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")

[Mark Thomas]

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.

[Alan Howe]

I very much doubt whether RI (advertising in 2013!) have any copies. I'm unsure about the Draeseke Society, but you could try them.

[Mark Thomas]

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.