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Jamie   01/6/2002	Subject: Raff's choice of keys Message: More often than not, I find that Raff key choices in his multimovement works can be quite unorthodox for the latter half of the 19th century. In the symphonies, starting with #2 (C-g-Eb-C), #3 or"Im Walde" (F-Ab-d-F): the tritonal juxtaposition between the slow movement and scherzo is very unusual), #4 (g-Eb-c-G): a slow movement set in a minor key is quite rare in a large scale work cast in a minor key, thought this arrangement is used by Raff again in #6, #5 or "Lenore" (E-Ab-C-e/E): the rising third relationship here is unusual, #6 or "Gelebt, gestrebt, gelitten, gestritten, gestorben, umworben" (d-Bb-d-D): casting a slow movement in the work's main tonality is very rare, the only other example I can think of is Brahms' 2nd piano concerto which was written 8 years after Raff's 6th, #7 or "In den Alpen" (Bb-g-C-Bb): a slow movement in the supertonic key is rather daring, #8 or "Frühlingklänge" (A-a-C-A) is more orthodox, #9 or "Im Sommer" (e-F-C-E): a semitonal juxtaposition here----note that preceding 3 slow movements have all been in the key of C major, #10 or "Zur Herbstzeit" (f-a-c#-F): another rising third relationship, even more unusual in its use of minor keys, and finally #11 or "Der Winter" (a-A-F-A) is again more conventional. I've also noticed Raff's predilection for the key of Ab major in many of his slow movements, all of these being especially beautiful (#3, #5, the Piano Concerto, Orchestral Suite #1, and the Suite for Piano and Orchestra). I myself have a strong preference for minor keys, especially in slow movements, my favorites composed by Raff being #6 (d minor), #10 (c sharp minor--my favorite key!), and perhaps the most beautiful of all, the slow movement of Piano Trio #4 (f sharp minor) which I singled out for particular praise in my review of the Trio Opus 8 recording at amazon.com.