JOACHIM RAFF (1822-1882)
PIANO WORKS
TRA NGUYEN
Joachim Raff (1822-1882) was regarded by his contemporaries as one of the foremost symphonists of his age, but in his extensive oeuvre of 329 compositions over half of them are for the piano. This selection of 21 works offers a cross section of the best of this large catalogue for the instrument, chosen by acclaimed Raff interpreter Tra Nguyen to showcase the varied aspects of his art. Raff’s melodic generosity, his piquant harmonic sensibility and ravishing textures are all on display in these pieces which span the whole of his career, from the exuberant Douze Romances to the majestic Grande Sonate.
(1822-1882)
About this Recording
Bavarian-born JOACHIM RAFF was one of a galaxy of star pianist-composers of a similar age that included Chopin, Schumann, Liszt and Thalberg. A student of Hummel, Henselt developed a breathtaking, idiosyncratic virtuoso technique but stage fright drew him away from performance and more towards composition and then teaching. Moving to St Petersburg in 1838, he established, with Anton Rubinstein, a truly Russian school of pianism. His piano works embrace ferocious technical studies as well as romantic salon pieces that led Schumann to dub Henselt ‘the Chopin of the North’.
TRA NGUYEN
British-Vietnamese Tra Nguyen’s imaginative programming balances core repertoire and lesser-known music, winning critical praise. Her discography introduces many world première recordings of neglected music. Her recordings of Joachim Raff’s piano music have earned wide critical acclaim, including Album of the Week awards by The Independent. Tra Nguyen studied with Lev Naumov at the Moscow Conservatory and with Christopher Elton at the Royal Academy of Music where she received the Academy’s highest award for her final recital. She was awarded the ARAM (Associate of the Royal Academy of Music) for her “significant contribution to the music profession” in 2013.
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GP602The three piano works recorded here date from Raff's early years in Weimar. They illustrate how quickly he moved from writing which was heavily indebted to Chopin and Liszt to the maturity of the Drei Klavier-soli, in which these influences were absorbed and added to the earlier ones of Mendelssohn and Schumann to support Raff's eclectic, but wholly individual style.
“The playing is of a beguiling loveliness…”
– American Record Guide
GP612The three piano works here come from the very pinnacle of his career. The 1871 Fantasie Sonata is a fascinating and richly imaginative hybrid, whilst the Variations on an Original Theme is marked by fertility of invention. The Piano Album exemplifies Raff's gift for lyricism and characterisation.
“Tra Nguyen makes the best possible case for all these works…”
– Gramophone
GP634Joachim Raff was one of Germany’s leading composers, and in addition to his symphonic works, was prolific in other forms as well, especially in numerous and varied compositions for the piano. The pieces featured on this album highlight Raff’s skill and versatility in composing piano music.
“Tra Nguyen brings a beautiful sonority and a firm technicity…”
– Diapason ★★★★ -
GP653Volume four traces Raff from youth to maturity. Douze Romances en forme d’études, Op. 8 was written when he was just 21 and unsure whether to commit himself to full–time composition. The much later 1871 La Cicerenella – Nouveau Carnaval, Op. 165 is a set of virtuoso variations, whilst the Two Pieces, Op. 166 offer both charm and melodic distinction.
“Ms. Nguyen has an attractive, pellucid tone quality that brings out Raff’s virtues…”
– American Record Guide
GP654Raff’s piano compositions earned him considerable acclaim in his lifetime. The four volumes of Blätter und Blüten (Leaves and Blossoms) consist of twelve deliciously melodic and colourful depictions of the then popular vogue for ‘The Language of Flowers’. By contrast, the Grande Sonate is a late work conceived on a quasi-symphonic scale, and represents the culmination of his writing for the piano.
““…[excellent] playing with intelligence and devotion.”
– BBC Music Magazine ★★★★
GP655Each piece on the sixth and final volume of this series demonstrates different aspects of Raff’s genius as a composer for the piano. The melodic richness of the early Six Poèmes, contrasts with the deftly evocative scene-setting of Erinnerung an Venedig. The intensely lyrical Fantaisie is complemented by the languid charm of the Barcarolle, and the recording closes with a virtuosic Valse brillante.
“…pianist Tra Nguyen plays [the music] with admirable loveliness.”
– The Buffalo News
