Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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14 RAFF EAFF
gelitten, gestritten, gestorben, umworben ') in
1876, and the 7th (' Alpensinfonie ') in 1877,
the 8th (' Friihlingsklange ') in 1878, and the
9th (' Im Sommerzeit ') in 1880. A 10th (' Zur
Herbstzeit ') was played at Wiesbaden ; and the
11th, left unfinished at his death, was revised
by Erdmannsdbrfer. In 1870 his comic opera
'
Dame Kobold ' was produced at Weimar. Other
operas for which he himself wrote the libretti
have not been performed in public. Two cantatas,
'Wachet auf,' and another written for
the Festival in commemoration of the battle of
5=^^g
Viola pp
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Violoncello
a canon in augmentation and double augmentation.
Such instances as this are numerous, and
the art with which these contrapuntal devices
are made to appear spontaneous is remarkable.
In the Pianoforte Concerto in minor (op. 185),
in each movement all the subjects are in double
counterpoint with one another, yet this is one
of Eafl"s freshest and most melodious works;
To return to the Symphonies: the Scherzos are,
as a rule, weak, and the Finales without exception
boisterous and indeed vulgar. Writing
here, as ever, for an uneducated public. Raff
has forgotten that for a symphony to descend
from a high tone is for it to be unworthy of the
name.
A remarkable set of thirty Songs (Sanges-
Friihling, op. 98) deserves notice for its wealth
of fine melodies, some of which have become
national property (' Kein Sorg um den Weg'
'
Sohon' Else,' etc.) ; and among his pianoforte
music is a set of twenty Variations on an original
Leipzig, were his first works for men's voices,
and are popular with, choral societies. His arrangement
of Bach's six violin sonatas for PF.
is a work of great merit.
Detailed analyses of the first six of these
Symphonies will be found in the Monthly Musical
Secord for 1875, and from these a very good theme (op. 179) which displays an astonishing
idea of the composer's style may be gathered. fertility of resource, the theme— of five and
Remembering his struggles and hard life it is seven quavers in the bar—being built up into
only a matter for wonder that he should have canons and scherzos of great variety and elegance.
striven so earnestly and so long in a path that Raff's Pianoforte Concerto was very popular,
was not his natural walk. A glancei at the and his Suite for Violin and Orchestra (op. 180)
nearly complete list of his works at the foot of only little less so. His versatility need not be
this notice will explain our meaning. The enlarged upon. In all the forms of musical composition
enormous mass of drawing-room ' music ' tells
he showed the same brilliant qualities
its own tale. Eaff had to live, and having by and the same regrettable shortcomings. His
nature a remarkable gift of melody and perhaps gift of melody, his technical skill, his inexhaustible
fertility, and above all his power of
not much artistic refinement, he wrote what
would pay. But on looking at his works in never repeating himself—all these are beyond
the higher branch of music—his symphonies, praise. But his very fertility was a misfortune,
concertos, and chamber music—one cannot but since it rendered him careless in the choice of
be struck by the conscientious striving towards his subjects ; writing ' pot-boilers ' injured the
a high ideal. In the whole of his published development of a delicate feeling for what is
Symphonies the slow movements, without a lofty and refined ; in short, the conscientious
single exception, are of extreme melodic beauty,
although weak from a symphonic point of view
critic hesitates to allow him a place in the front
rank of composers.
the first movements are invariably worked out Even those who have least sympathy with
with surprising technical skill, the subjects Raff"s views on art- must admire the energy and
appearing frequently in double counterpoint spirit with which he worked his way upwards
and in every kind of canon. And however in spite of every obstacle poverty could throw in
modern and common his themes may appear, his way. He was a member of several societies,
they have often been built up with the greatest and received various orders. In 1877 he
care, note by note, to this end ; showing that was appointed with much &lat director of
he does not, as is often said, put down the first the Hooh oonservatorinm at Frankfort, a post
thing that comes into his mind. Observe the he held until his death, in the night of Jiine
following treatment of the first subject in his 24-25, 1882. [Since his death liis music has
1st Symphony 'An das Vaterland' :
passed, alike in Germany and England, into an
oblivion which cannot excite surprise in those
who realise the inherent weaknesses of the composer
; and the sudden change on the part of
the public, from a widespread admiration to
almost complete neglect, is of itself a severe
criticism on his work.]
The first of his large works performed in
this country was probably the Lenore Symphony
at the Crystal Palace, Nov. 14, 1874. [The
Musical World oi kagast 1890, p. 629, contains
a translation of Raffs letters explaining the
meaning of the work.] This was followed by
the 'Im Walde,' and the PF. Concerto in C
minor (Jaell), at the Philharmonic ; the Sym-