Customer Reviews

Joachim Raff: Chamber Music (Sextet Op. 178 / Piano Quintet Op. 107) - Ensemble Villa Musica

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Joachim Raff's chamber works are generally of a high quality and this disc represents him at his best. Both works are delightful to listen to and the recorded sound and performance are excellent. Raff's gift for melody and sense of fun percolate through these works, which also offer moments of quiet reflection. The Piano Quintet is a standout and just keeps getting better and better with each movement.

These works hold their own with others of the period, and reaffirm my contention that Raff (1822-1882) is the greatest composer that most people have never heard of. With more recordings like these, his day may yet arrive.

The Piano Quintet in A minor is "grand" in more ways than one. It lasts more than 37 minutes. Each movement possesses its own fascination. The first offers heaving, swelling romantic music and engages all the instruments in daunting fashion. The second is a haunting, relentless scherzo that starts off with a lighter sound to build suspense. The slow third, major key movement starts off in rather saccharine style but turns persuasive in its own way. The fourth offers an emphatic, memorable folk melody and works it for all it's worth. The piece prompts me to take stock of other notable A minor romantic works I know including Schubert's String Quartet No. 13, Beethoven's "Carol of the Bells" late string quartet, the piano concertos of Schumann and Grieg and Brahms' great Double Concerto, String Quartet No. 2 and late, sophisticated clarinet trio. Raff's work stands up well in this company. The piece dates 1862, two years before Brahms' rather hair-raising F minor Piano Quintet. The recording notes react with surprise to Hans von Bulow's 1869 estimate that Raff's quintet is the best piece of chamber music since Beethoven; but this judgment is not far off. These 37 minutes are packed with high quality music. I am partial to the piano quintet form anyway and thankful to any composer who undertakes it. The String Sextet also included in the CD is notable for the high tempos of all but one of its movements.

In the last few years, I've "discovered" Joachim Raff's music. Raff's music is so very appealing to me and this album contains some very appealing works- Piano Quintet in A minor opus 107 and the Sextet for strings in G minor opus 178. Both works reminded me, a great deal, of Felix Mendelssohn's compositions. They are filled with a great amount of energy especially in the fast scherzo like movements combined with many beautiful melodies and harmonies.

Having a propensity to love chamber music that includes the piano, I too adored the Piano Quintet in A minor. It contains 37 minutes of delightful music. The Villa Musica Ensemble plays it most wonderfully. .

If you love chamber music and Mendelssohn, as I do, you really can't go wrong with this disc. By the way, the recorded sound is great being so full and rich.