Despite being known primarily as a symphonist and having a large output for piano, Raff's earliest known composition was for violin and piano, and he wrote more works for this combination than any other chamber music genre.
Composer Biography
Raff's reputation grew significantly after 1863, when his First Symphony and a cantata won major prizes, leading him to be considered Germany's leading symphonist for a time.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Raff's musical style developed an individual voice, balancing the conservatism of Mendelssohn and Schumann with the 'New German' camp of Liszt and Wagner.
Composer Biography
Raff worked as an amanuensis for Franz Liszt, a renowned virtuoso, in Weimar starting in 1850.
Composer Biography
Joseph Joachim Raff, the composer, was largely self-taught and abandoned a career as a schoolteacher to pursue composition after receiving a positive endorsement from Mendelssohn.
Critical Reception
Although Raff was often criticized for lacking self-criticism, his five violin sonatas were consistently highly regarded by violinists and audiences.
Composer Biography
In 1877, Joseph Joachim Raff became the founding director of the prestigious Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt.
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Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 9 in A major, Op. 47, 'Kreutzer' - C. Franck: Violin Sonata in A Major, FWV 8
Furtwangler: Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2 - Beethoven: Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 8
