JOACHIM RAFF (1821-1882): Suite for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 200, Overtures to Die Eifersüchtigen, WoO 55 and König Alfred, WoO 14, Prelude to Act III of Samson, WoO 20, Prelude and Die Dornhecke from Dornröschen, WoO 19.

Description: You will all know your Raff well enough by now to not hesitate at this 77-minute batch of what are probably first recordings, so it should be sufficient to note that the Suite of 1875 is a big, five-movement piece of almost 39 minutes, comprising an "Introduction and Fugue", "Menuett", "Gavotte and Musette", "Cavatina" and "Finale" and is of a generally light and sunny disposition, with the usual surfeit of catchy melodies and much sparkling keyboard work. The 15-minute König Alfred overture is, from 1848-50, one of Raff's earliest works and more than a bit Lisztian (you'll remember his connections with Liszt as both student and sometime orchestrator), while the other, shorter, operatic orchestral excerpts come from the 1850s (Dornröschen and Samson) and 1882 (Die Eifersüchtigen). Tra Nguyen (piano), Symphony Orchestra of Norrlands Opera; Roland Kluttig.