Joachim Raff: Lieder

EDITORIAL REVIEWS

One aspect of Joachim Raff's output which has been unjustly neglected is his song writing… This impressive mid-priced two-disc set is a welcome addition to the catalogues, then, especially as it offers the listener twenty-nine songs which have never been recorded before…
 
Many of the songs included here are superb. Three other Sternau songs are well worth mentioning, but the two Emanuel Geibel songs are the standout tracks on CD 1; Abendfeier in Venedig and Gondoliera really give Raff the chance to show his credentials as a songsmith, as he produces complex but perfectly formed writing for the pianist to tackle, which Hedayet Jonas Djeddikar does well.

…The last songs of this set come from the cycle Blondel de Nesle by Helge Heldt, who was in fact Raff's fifteen-year-old daughter Helen... Don't be put off by the tender age of his daughter, as some of her texts are excellent; Raff revels in them, writing and produces some of his most persuasive songs. …Bass Johannes Wedeking gives a wonderfully diverse reading as he explores the differing emotions found in this song… The blending of the three voices in the trios is particularly good and nicely balanced… There is some complicated sounding piano writing here, but Hedayet Jonas Djeddikar takes it in his stride, proving himself to be an excellent accompanist.

The recorded sound is first-rate and the two booklets which accompany the set, one giving the background to, and detailed information, on the songs, and the other providing the texts in the original German and an English translation, are all that you could hope for. All in all, this is a highly enjoyable recording which is a must for all fans of Joachim Raff's music and leaves you wanting more.

Music Web International – Classical Review