IDAGIO | Raff: Symphony No. 2 - 4 Shakespeare Preludes 5059864511738

Featuring

Neeme Järvi
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Joseph Joachim Raff

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Historical Context

The choice of Shakespearean subjects for Raff's Preludes was common due to the widespread popularity of the 1833 Schlegel-Tieck translation of Shakespeare in German-speaking lands.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Although often incorrectly called a composer of 'programme symphonies', Raff's use of descriptive titles generally offered generic suggestions rather than explicit narratives.

Composer Biography

Joachim Raff (1822-1882), the composer, was largely self-taught but became one of the most widely performed and influential musicians of his era.

Compositional Technique

Raff was a highly imaginative and skillful orchestrator, creating enormous color and variety from standard orchestral forces through complex dialectical exchanges between sections.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Raff composed nearly 300 works across virtually all musical forms, and many of his eleven symphonies have titles or subtitles.

Compositional Technique

Raff's compositional methods evolved towards extreme structural compression and an 'emotional ambience best described as 'stream of consciousness', foreshadowing early 20th-century developments and film music.

Performer Biography

Neeme Järvi, the conductor, is the head of a musical dynasty and one of today's most respected maestros, with an impressive discography of over 450 recordings.