Raff Piano Quartets from Divox

[Mark Thomas]

Yes, it's a fact Peter. Although he played a couple of piano recitals when he was in his early 20s in Switzerland, Raff was an indifferent pianist. He was a better violinist, taking after his father in that respect. His brother Kaspar, who styled himself Professor Joseph Raff once he'd emigrated to the US, was just the same. As for Raff's facility as a composer for the piano, it's all the more remarkable when you consider that, according to his daughter, he never composed at the piano: music went direct from his head to the page (on which he wrote with a quill pen!), although he did occasionally check a chord or a short passage on the piano, just to check its suitability.

[chill319]

When you count von Bülow and Liszt amongst your friends, you can be a pretty darn good pianist and still not be considered a virtuoso -- the touring type.

[eschiss1]

hrm- don't recall if Tausig was among their number when Raff was there, but if so, don't forget him either

[Mark Thomas]

a pretty darn good pianist

I can't lay my hand on the source now, but IIRC Raff did some damage to a hand whist practising and so I really do doubt that he was any better than an adequate pianist. He wasn't a modest man and I'm sure that he wouldn't have hid that light under a bushel.

[Mark Thomas]

A short but perceptive review of this CD is now at Records International.

[mbhaub]

I got my copy from RI a few days ago. I've played the disk a half dozen times. I simply love this music! Raff's real strength wasn't symphonies at all: it was the chamber music. Every time I get to hear more of Raff's I appreciate him more and more. It may not be "deep" and profound, but who cares? The music is just wonderful. Raff's mastery of counterpoint is astonishing, really. Thanks Mark for your participation and helping to bring yet another superb discovery to our ears!

Off subject: I hope all of you who live in London or anywhere else being assaulted by hooligans are safe and sound. Just terrible what's happening. I watch Sky News and am so saddened about it.

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks for your kind words about the Piano Quartets, Martin. They are amongst Raff's best chamber music I think and are superbly played in these recordings. Yes, you are right, IMHO Raff is at his consistent best in chamber music.

As for the "riots" in London and elsewhere, thanks again for your good wishes. Personally, I'm safely in the country. I don't know how the world media is reporting these events, but they're certainly not riots: the bottom line is that this is sheer criminality. There's no cause being fought for, no wrong which is being brought to our attention, no sense of injustice which arises from discrimination. These are mostly teenagers (some even younger) who have gone out on a series of copycat sprees of destruction  and theft for the fun/thrill of it. I'm ashamed that it's happened here in a  normally tolerant and liberal society but maybe that's why it's happened here. Anyway, I hope that the worst is over and we'll surely have learned some lessons about policing and about how the combination of the current economic conditions, youth unemployment, absentee fathers in the Afro-Caribbean community, inadequate parenting, poor social housing, a hot spell of weather, a routine incident involving a youthful black suspect and the use of social networking media and smart phones produced this toxic mix.

For now, communities have pulled together to resist this menace and are clearing it all up. There have been hundreds of arrests etc. etc.

But back to Raff....

[Alan Howe]

Mark is right, I am sure, about Raff. His consistently best work is to be found in his chamber music.

As for the riots, my daughter lives in north-west London. Just 5 minutes walk from her flat, a small Tesco supermarket was trashed the other night and police were knocking on doors along her road telling residents to lock their doors and stay inside. Good job she's pretty smart about personal safety (you have to be as a woman working in a big city)...

[Mark Thomas]

Yes, my son lives in Finchley Park and said that the local shopkeepers there had formed a vigilante group, armed with baseball bats, to deter any looters. It was an effective but nonetheless worrying development.

[Alan Howe]

I'm concerned to hear about your son, Mark. I trust he is doing everything he can to stay safe...

[eschiss1]

All best wishes, erf...!

[Alan Howe]

Very kind, Eric. Thank you.

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks, Alan (and Eric). My son is fine and a big strapping 26 year old who can take care of himself. His concern is that a group of vigilantes doesn't do much more for a community than a group of looters...

[Alan Howe]

Yes, Mark. There are some very nasty individuals parading themselves as defenders of their communities. That job belongs to the police.

[JimL]

Meanwhile, back at the Raff...