Presents
Joachim Raff
Phantasie for Piano Quintet, Op.207
From 1860 to 1900, the name of Joachim Raff (1822-1882) was regularly mentioned in the same breath as Wagner, Liszt, and Brahms as one of Germany's leading composers. All of the critical commentaries which appeared during those years spoke of him as an equal to such masters as Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky. Incredibly, by the 1920's his music had all but disappeared from the concert stage. The reason was that Raff, for many years, was forced to crank out compositions for the commercial market (works that would sell but were of little intrinsic or artistic merit), one after another as fast as he could to feed his family. Sadly, this was later to tarnish his legacy and he came to be unjustly regarded merely as a composer of parlor pieces, despite the magnificent symphonic and chamber works he left behind.
His Phantasy for Piano Quintet was composed in 1877 and started out life as a work for 2 pianos. However, Raff quickly realized it was more suited as a work for piano and strings and set about rewriting it. It was published in this version the following year and became incrediably popular. It was dedicated to the prominent conductor Max von Erdmannsdorfer and his wife Pauline, a concert pianist. It is in one movement consisting of three substantial sections—Allegro agitato, Larghetto and Allegro. Filled with fetching melodies and first rate part-writing, this work makes an excellent choice for concert.
This is a real show piece which is sure to be an audience pleaser whenever it is brought into the concert hall
Parts: $39.95
