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Raff

Joachim Raff (1822 – 1882) was a Swiss composer who was largely self-taught in music. He sent some of his piano compositions to Felix Mendelssohn, who recommended them for publication. Raff worked as Franz Liszt's assistant at Weimar from 1850 to 1853 and helped Liszt in the orchestration of several of his works. Raff was very prolific and drew influence from a variety of sources. He composed eleven symphonies, most of which carry descriptive titles, including In the Forest (No. 3), Lenore (No. 5), and To the Fatherland (No. 1). Raff also composed in most other genres, including concertos, opera, chamber music, and works for solo piano. Despite his popularity in the 19th century, his work is largely forgotten today, with only one piece, a cavatina for violin and piano, performed with any regularity today.

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