HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Joseph Joachim Raff Tolerates a Pushy Joseph Joachim

Joseph Joachim Raff 1878

Tolerant Joseph Joachim Raff 1878

Born on 27 May 1822 in Lachen, Switzerland, Joseph Joachim Raff — not to be confused with his slightly younger contemporary, the violinist and composer, Joseph Joachim — was a school teacher both self-taught in music and a prolific composer of concertos, chamber works, symphonies and several suites. His Opuses number to 216 along with another 56 catalogued as WoO. Joseph Joachim was nigh ten years younger than Raff, born in Köpcsény, Kingdom of Hungary, on 28 June 1831. Neither has aught to do with the other here, though they likely knew one another through their common associate, Franz Liszt. Joachim's presence herein is to ensure that he not be mistaken for Raff, as cautioned above. Because he has forcibly inserted himself into this discussion of Raff with an unrelenting insistence we must further distinguish him from Raff just so:

Joseph Joachim 1880

Pushy Joseph Joachim 1880

Source: Wikipedia

Raff's Op 1 was 'Serenade for Piano' in 1842. Other works that year included a fantasie and a couple of scherzos. He sent some piano compositions to Felix Mendelssohn in 1844 who had them published that year, prompting him to give up teaching and move to Zurich to compose full time. In the meantime Joachim, who had begun his career in Leipzig playing for the Gewandhaus Orchestra, gave his debut virtuosic performance in London in 1844, playing Beethoven's 'Violin Concerto' Op 61 with Mendelssohn conducting.

Raff first met Liszt at a performance by the latter in Basel in 1845. Joseph Joachim's WoO 'Haidenröslein Lied' arrived in 1846. His Op 1 of 14 was 'Andatino' published in 1849. He then became concertmaster for Liszt in Weimar from 1849 until January 1853 when he left for Hanover. As for Raff, he became assistant (secretary, amanuensis, scribe) to Liszt in Weimar from 1850 to 1853. It was during that time that with Liszt's assistance he staged his first opera, 'König Alfred' WoO 14 in Weimar in 1851. Written in 1848-49, that was a so-so success performed only three times at the Hoftheater. Raff left Liszt for Wiesbaden in 1853 where he kept for another twenty years. Both Joachim and Raff who very likely knew one another in Weimar had thought that Liszt was taking music the wrong direction.

'Andantino' Op 1 A minor Joseph Joachim

Published in Leipzig 1849

Violin: Kayla Fadenrecht Piano: Michelle Huttema

Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho 24 April 2012

IMSLP

Overture to 'König Alfred' WoO 14 First opera by Joachim Raff

Premiere 9 March 1851 in Weimar

The Symphony Orchestra of Norrlands Opera / Roland Kluttig

Hyperion

'Romanze' Piece 1 of 3 from 'Drei Stücke für Violine' Op 2 B-flat major Joseph Joachim

Published in Leipzig 1852

Violin: Claudia Schaer Piano: Eduard Laurel

The Bloomingdale School of Music in NYC 13 Nov 2015

IMSLP

Raff applied himself to his first symphony in 1854, his 'Grand Symphony' in E minor WoO 18. Though three of five movements are lost Raff applied the fourth and fifth to his 1863 'Orchestral Suite No.1' in C major Op 101 performed on 26 February 1864 at the Karlsruhe Museum Concert Hall conducted by Wilhelm Kalliwoda. Raff otherwise composed eleven symphonies, one unfinished, the first of which was 'Symphony No. 1' in D major Op 96 titled 'An das Vaterland ('To the Fatherland'), that premiering in February 1863 at the Musikverein in Vienna. Joachim had meanwhile completed his 'Violin Concerto' No.2 in D minor Op 11 in 1860. This has been described as the Holy Grail of Romantic violin concertos, long at about 45 minutes and very difficult to play.

'Violin Concerto No.2' Op 11 D minor Joseph Joachim

Premiere 24 March 1850 in Hanover Dedicated to Johannes Brahms

Violin: Rachel Barton Pine

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Carlos Kalmar

Robert Eshbach IMSLP MPH Wikipedia

'Symphony No.1' 'An Das Vaterland' Op 96 D major Joachim Raff

'To the Fatherland'

Premiere 22 Feb 1862 in Vienna

Rhenish Philharmonic Orchestra Samuel Friedmann

IMSLP Wikipedia

Raff had married his wife, Doris Genast, with whom he had four daughters, in a Catholic ceremony on 15 February 1859. Joachim left Hanover for Berlin in 1865. His completed Op 14 in 1869, his 'Scene der Marfa' from Schiller's 'Demetrius', a work for soprano and orchestra. That is his final Opus, though not his last work. Raff premiered his highly acclaimed 'Symphony No.3' Op 153 the next year in Weimar.

'Symphony No.3' 'Im Walde' Op 153 F major Joachim Raff

'In the Forest'

Premiere 17 April 1870 in Weimar

Rhenish Philharmonic Orchestra Samuel Friedmann

IMSLP Wikipedia

'Piano Concerto' Op 185 C minor Joachim Raff

Premiere 30 July 1873 in Wiesbaden w Hans von Bülow at piano

Dedicated to Hans von Bülow

Piano: Michael Ponti

Hamburg Symphony Orchestra Richard Kapp

IMSLP

'Cello Concerto No.1' Op 193 D minor Joachim Raff

Published 1875 in Leipzig Dedicated to Friedrich Grützmacher

Piano: Daniel Müller-Schott

Bamberger Symphoniker Hans Stadlmaier

IMSLP

'Cello Concerto No.2' WoO 44 G major Joachim Raff

Published 1875 in Leipzig Dedicated to Friedrich Grützmacher

Piano: Daniel Müller-Schott

Bamberger Symphoniker Hans Stadlmaier

Raff became the first director of the Hoch Conservatory founded in 1878 during the period that he composed his last four symphonies from 1876 to 1879. Of those addressing the four seasons of the year, 'The Winter' of 1876 was left unfinished. That was completed by Max Erdmannsdörfer toward its first performance in February of 1883 after Raff's death. In the meantime Joachim set Tennyson's 'Merlin's Song' to music in 1880.

'Symphony No.9' Op 208 E minor Joachim Raff

Premiere 10 Jan 1880

Bamberger Symphoniker Hans Stadlmaier 2005

IMSLP

Raff's last opera, 'Die Eifersüchtigen' ('The Jealous Ones') WoO 54, was a comedy with libretto by himself written in 1881-82. It wasn't performed during his lifetime and didn't see publication of only its overture until 2013.

Overture to 'Die Eifersüchtigen' WoO 54 Last opera by Joachim Raff

'The Jealous Ones'

Completed 1882

Orchestre de la Suisse Romande Neeme Järvi

IMSLP

Yet in great demand as a teacher, Raff died on either 24 or 25 June 1882 in Frankfurt. His wife, Doris, lived another 24 years, not to pass onward until 1912. Joachim meanwhile recorded five titles for Gramophone & Typewriter Ltd in 1903, including a couple Hungarian dances by Brahms, a single disc of which is worth above $400 these days. Joachim shoved on for four more years to die in Berlin on 15 August 1907.

'Overture in C major' 'Konzertouvertüre zum Geburtstag des Kaiser Joseph Joachim

'Concert Overture for the Emperor's Birthday' (Wilhelm II / 1859-1941)

Premiere 3 Feb 1896 at Berlin's Royal Academy of Arts

Maastricht Philharmonic Orchestra Roland Bader

'Hungarian Dance No.2' Johannes Brahms

Summer of 1903 Matrix 217 Y Gramophone Monarch 047905

Violin: Joseph Joachim

'Hungarian Dance No.1' Johannes Brahms

Summer of 1903 Matrix 219 Y Gramophone Monarch 047907

Violin: Joseph Joachim

'Romanze' Joseph Joachim

Probably summer of 1903 Matrix unknown

Published 1855 in Leipzig

Violin: Joseph Joachim

IMSLP

Sources & References for Joseph Joachim (1831-1907):

Robert W. Eshbach Joseph Stevenson (All Music)

Wikipedia English Wikipedia Spanish

Audio of Joachim:

Hungarian Dance No.1 (Brahms recorded by Joachim on Gramophone Monarch 047907 in 1903)

Collections: University of Edinburgh (correspondence et al)

Compositions: Old Dominion University

Correspondence / Letters:

Letters From And To Joseph Joachim / Nora Bickley / Macmillan / 1914: HTML Scan

Liszt to Joachim (April 1853 in which Liszt mentions Raff's plans to leave Weimar in June)

Recordings: Catalogs:

DAHR (shellac 1903-49)

Discogs

Discogs (Hungarian Dance No.2 / Brahms recorded by Joachim on Gramophone Monarch 047905 in 1903)

RYM

Recordings: Select:

Joseph Joachim | Pablo de Sarasate | Eugène Ysaÿ (containing 5 tracks recorded by Joachim in 1903 / Opal CD 9851 / 1992)

Recordings: Sessions: DAHR (Hungarian Dance No.2 / Brahms recorded in Berlin by Joachim on Gramophone Monarch 047905 on 27 August 1903)

Scores / Sheet Music: IMSLP ScorSer