Joachim Raff: Complete Music for Cello and Piano
This is the first time that the complete music for cello and piano of the Swiss-born Romantic Joachim Raff (1822–82) has been recorded in its entirety. All the pieces here – including one of his major chamber works, the Sonata for Cello and Piano of 1873 – underline the importance of melody in Raff’s music: this anthology is a treasure trove of lovely tunes, which Raff can spin with Schumannesque urgency and Schubertian charm.
Joseph Mendoes, cello
Taeyeon Lim, piano
Listen To This Recording:
-
Two Romances, Op. 182 (1873)*
- No. 1 Andante
- No. 2 Andante
- No. 1 Begegnung: Andante
- No. 2 Erinnerung: Andante, quasi Larghetto *
- Duo, Op. 59
- I Allegro
- II Vivace
- III Andante
- III Allegro
Two Fantasy Pieces, Op. 86 (1854)
Duo, Op. 59 (1848, rev. 1867)
Sonata for Cello and Piano in D major, Op. 183 (1873) *
*First Recordings
Fanfare Magazine :
‘…his music was popular and influential during his own lifetime; he counted Mendelssohn, Liszt, the Schumanns, and Hans von Bülow among his supporters. …Raff’s formidable talents as a melodist are on full display in the Two Romances, op. 182… Both Mendoes and Lim let the music speak for itself, eschewing histrionics in favor of a spare, dignified approach; …[The Duo for Piano and Cello, op. 59:] The slow section is full of lush, sinewy lines for the cello, which Mendoes spins out with a sweet, focused sound and sensitive phrasing. Lim provides a fitting complement, supporting the cello line one minute, and surging into the foreground in all the right places. … The Cello Sonata is the most substantial work on the program… Again, Mendoes and Lim have arrived at a welcome symbiosis, and the result is a true dialogue that is a pleasure to experience. … The Andante is a welcome change of pace. Mendoes and Lim approach the movement like a Lied, intimately and delicately. It is one of the interpretive highlights of the entire disc, slow enough to savor but never wallowing.’
—James V. Maiello,Fanfare Magazine, May/June 2017
MusicWeb International :
‘I completely fail to understand why any of the music on this disc is not more widely played. Any of these pieces would make interesting additions to any recital programme. This is utterly wonderful music with perfectly judged performances throughout and neither instrumentalist stumbles. Cover notes are excellent and informative and written by the founder of the Raff website, Mark Thomas who has worked tirelessly to promote this composer. These notes also make mention of some pieces by Raff for this combination of instruments which are missing and probably lost.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable disc with excellent sound quality, running for nearly 70 minutes. I shall be returning to this one often as there is much here to be enjoyed and both instrumentalists do a splendid job. Full marks to all concerned.’
— Jonathan Welsh, MusicWeb International
Fanfare :
‘I cannot imagine why Raff’s sonata is not regularly programmed in cello recitals and why cellists are not lining up to record it. […]
Again, I repeat that I’ve not heard Joseph Mendoes in these Raff works on the Toccata disc that Maiello reviewed, but it’s hard for me to imagine that they could be played any more gorgeously than they are here by Croisé. His technique is formidable, his tone as golden-hued and richly nuanced as any cello tone could be, and his emotional engagement with the music deeply sympathetic. […]
All I can say of her playing on the present Raff release is that it’s stunning, and that she and Croisé play together as a single mind and heart in what can only be described as a symbiotic relationship.
At the moment, this is a strong candidate for my 2022 Want List. But don’t wait until then. Get this now. Urgently recommended.’
—Jerry Dubins. Fanfare