Joachim Raff - Works for Choir, Piano and Orchestra (Tra Nguyen; Andrea Quinn) mp3

Information

Composer: Joachim Raff

• (01-04) Die Tageszeiten, Konzertante in vier Satzen, Op. 209
• (05) Morgenlied, Op. 186a
• (06) Einer Entschlafenen, Op. 186b
• (07-11) Die Sterne, WoO 53

Tra Nguyen, piano (1-4)
Josefin Wolving, soprano; Lena Nordlund, soprano; Lena Palmquist, mezzo-soprano (6)
Sångkraft Chamber Choir
Norrlands Opera Symphony Orchestra
Andrea Quinn, conductor

Date: 2009
Label: Sterling
http://www.sterlingcd.com/catalogue/cds1089.html

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Review

From the time when Raff was known on record only for the Cavatina and the Fifth Symphony to now when pretty well all his orchestral works have been recorded has been about 35 years. Sterling's three CDs, of which this is the last, have moved to fill the lacunae with great style (see review; see review). Although German his sensibility is rather Gallic or perhaps Italian. His music can be decorative and surprisingly - at least to me - leans towards the glitter and filigree of Saint-Säens and Stojowski.

The forty minute Tageszeiten (Times of Day) was premiered in Wiesbaden in 1880. It is a poetic extravaganza for a florid and immanent solo piano, choir and orchestra. It draws deep on the German pastoral romantic vein and with delicate Chopin-like decoration constantly on flow. The superbly sung choral writing is in the winning innocent manner of Brahms’ Volkslieder. The effect is rather like a hybrid of Haydn's Jahreszeiten, Arensky’s Piano Concerto and Beethoven's Choral Fantasy also for solo piano, choir and orchestra. The finale reminded me briefly of Bruckner's Fourth The Romantic. It's all broadly the same stylistic territory. The sung words are poems by Raff's daughter Hélène. These are printed in full in the booklet with translation into English.

The recording is great. It captures detail with fidelity down to picking up the tick of a paper snag at 00.06 in the finale of Tageszeiten. At the same time Sterling’s team do bring out a satisfyingly sensitive atmospheric nimbus.

Two short pieces are placed between Tageszeiten and Die Sterne. The rapturous celebratory Morgenlied, to words by J G Jacobi, is both regal and ecstatic all in the space of just over six minutes. It’s something of an admixture of Schumann and Delius but it’s the dynamic Delius of the first section of A Mass of Life. The second brevity is Einer Entschlafenen. This is seraphic and honeyed with placid woodwind solos, part describing and part invoking the blessed rise of a departed woman's soul to divine heavenly heights.

Die Sterne is for choir and orchestra and is in five movements. It again sets words by Raff's daughter under the pseudonym of Helge Heldt. It too is a most melodious and mellifluous work in the most exalted German romantic tradition. It’s along the same axis as Brahms, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Kuhlau, Lange-Muller and Gade.

Choral societies in the know will make it their business to hear these radiant pieces and the general listener who enjoys the Brahms’ Volkslieder, Schumann's Rosepilgerfahrt or Kuhlau’s Elverhoj should lose no time in acquiring this outstanding disc.

There are a couple of typos (something of which I am also guilty): Leizig for Leipzig and the solecism, sadly not that uncommon these days, of comprised of - the 'of' is unnecessary; composed of, yes; comprised of, never. Apart from these trivia this and its two companion discs are the very model of artistic, technical and musical endeavour and generosity.

-- Rob Barnett, MusicWeb International

More reviews:
http://www.raff.org/records/reviews/vocal/02.htm
http://www.amazon.com/Works-Choir-Piano-Orhcestra-Raff/dp/B003VB5DRU

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Joachim Raff (May 27, 1822 – June 24 or June 25, 1882) was a German-Swiss composer, teacher and pianist. He worked as Liszt's assistant at Weimar from 1850 to 1853, helping in the orchestration of several of Liszt's works. From 1878 he was the first Director of, and a teacher at, the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt, where he employed Clara Schumann and a number of other eminent musicians as teachers. His pupils there included Edward MacDowell and Alexander Ritter. Raff was very prolific, and by the end of his life was one of the best known German composers, though his work is largely forgotten today.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joachim_Raff

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Tra Nguyen is a British-Vietnamese pianist. Tra made her first solo performance at the Hanoi Grand Opera House when she was ten and has continued to engage audiences in other prestigious venues worldwide. Tra Nguyen studied with Lev Naumov in Moscow Conservatory and with Christopher Elton at the Royal Academy of Music, London, where she received the academy’s highest award for her final recital. Her imaginative programming balances core repertoire and lesser-known music, winning critical praise. Her discography introduces many world première recordings of neglected music.
http://www.tranguyen.org/

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Andrea Quinn (born December 22, 1964) is a British conductor. She studied conducting at The Royal Academy of Music, with Colin Metters, George Hurst and John Carewe. Quinn has worked with several of Great Britain’s leading orchestras and numerous orchestras abroad. Quinn was Music Director of The Royal Ballet at Covent Garden, London (1998-2001), New York City Ballet, USA (2001-2006) and Norrlands Operan, Sweden (2005-2009). Her tenure at Norrlands Operan featured innovative programming with an emphasis on contemporary works.
http://www.andreaquinn.com/

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MP3, 320kbps

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