Raff, Joachim 1822 - 1882

Author: Kurawaki, Masako
Last updated:August 10, 2020
Author: Kurawaki, Masako
Author : Higuchi, Ai
Last Updated: October 1, 2007
[Open]
Author : Higuchi, Ai
Born in Lachen, near Zurich. Pianist, composer, and teacher. He received his education at the Jesuit Gymnasium in Schwyz. In 1844, his piano pieces Op. 2-6 were published with the recommendation of Mendelssohn. In 1845, influenced by Franz Liszt's performances, he followed him to Germany. In 1846, he met Hans von Bülow forming a lifelong friendship. In 1850, he served as an assistant to Liszt, who had been appointed Kapellmeister in Weimar, helping with music publication, copying parts, organizing manuscripts, and assisting with arrangements. In 1856, he resigned from his position in Weimar and dedicated himself to composition in Wiesbaden, leaving behind numerous works. In 1857, his Ode au Printemps Op. 76 for piano and orchestra was premiered by Bülow and achieved success. In 1877, he was appointed director of the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt and taught composition. His students included Edward MacDowell, Johannes Messchaert, and Alexander Ritter. His early style was influenced by Mendelssohn, and he wrote exclusively piano pieces from Op. 1 to Op. 46. Later, he attempted to fuse contrapuntal techniques and structural strength in sonata movements with the program music of the 'New German School' (such as Liszt), resulting in numerous programmatic symphonies and symphonies incorporating themes used by Romantic composers. In addition to piano pieces and symphonies, he left behind many works including concertos, chamber music, and operas.
Works(138)
Concerto (2)
concerto (1)
Works with orchestral accompaniment (2)
Piano Solo (27)
sonata (2)
scherzo (3)
rhapsody (2)
pieces (31)
suite (8)
etude (4)
fantasy (4)
variation (2)
waltz (4)
nocturne (2)
caprice (10)
barcarolle (2)
character pieces (16)
Reduction/Arrangement (14)
Trovatore et Traviata, 2 salon paraphrases after Verdi Op.70
Composed in: 1857 Playing time: 9 min 40 sec
transcription (3)
Various works (2)
Piano Ensemble (6)
Chamber Music (2)
Various works (4)
Chamber music (3)