Joachim Raff - Sinfonietta Op.188 (1873)

Joachim Raff

• May 27, 1822 – June 24 or June 25, 1882) 
•  German-Swiss composer, teacher and pianist.

 

 Sinfonietta Op.188(1873)

Conducted by Andres Joho with the Basil Radio Symphony Orchestra.

I. Allegro - 00:00
II. Allegro Molto - 8:42
III. Larghetto - 13:53
IV. Vivace - 22:35

He wrote the piece in Wiesbaden in Spring 1873 during the period which was, as his daughter Helene wrote, "the cultural high point of his life". The Lenore Symphony had recently capped even the success of his "Forest" Symphony and everywhere he was fêted and honoured. However, the next work he completed

after the Sinfonietta - his 6th. Symphony - got a rather cooler reception and marked the start of what became a period of artistic crisis for the composer.

Isolated works are rare in Raff's canon. In contrast with his eleven Symphonies, six Operas, eight String Quartets, four Piano Trios and five Violin Sonatas there is only one Sinfonietta and only one other (earlier) piece for wind band. This is unlikely to signal any feeling by Raff that the work was a failure, however.

It was virtually unique in its time and was popular from the first. Raff understood the financial imperative

of getting his works performed. From a commercial point of view there may have been little point in writing another whilst the original one was doing so well in an uncontested field. From an artistic standpoint, it is difficult to see how he could have bettered his first attempt.

Written for pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons and French horns, it was clearly intended by Raff

to be regarded as something greater than the wind serenades which had been popular since Mozart's

time. Neither his motivation for writing the work, nor the occasion of its premiere is recorded, but it was

published in November 1874 by Siegel of Liepzig and Raff himself also arranged all four movements for

piano four hands.

The Sinfonietta's popularity endured and it was one of the works which continued to keep its composer's name before audiences, long after most of his music was forgotten. This is no doubt partly due to the comparative dearth of quality repertoire written for small wind bands, but it must also be because of the unfailing wit, vivacity and good humour of the music itself. It retains the traditional symphonic movement structure and is truly a "small symphony". Throughout, Raff employs his trademarks of counterpoint and classic musical forms but these never interfere with the work's pervading atmosphere of joi de vivre. - Raff.org