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John Boyer   16/3/2004	Subject: Autograph Manuscript of Raff's 1st Violin Concerto Found! Message: As you know, Tudor was unable to record the original version of Raff's 1st Violin Concerto because the only available scores were of the August Wilhelmj edition. This latter is substantially different from Raff's actual conception. Well, Mark just informed me of the following: "I just heard yesterday from Volker that the manuscript of the Violin Concerto No.1 held by the Eastman Library in Rochester NY is indeed Raff's original version. Not only that, it is an autograph - almost unique as Raff seldom retained his manuscripts and the publishers appear to have destroyed them once Raff had approved the plates. Volker will prepare a definitive edition but, absent any prospect of a performance, not straightaway." I'm sure Mark will fill us in with more details soon. ---- Stop here. Peevish grammar complaint follows: (And while I'm at it, may I ask that my fellow Rafficionados stop using "version" when then they mean "recording", "performance", or "rendition"? To speak of a different version is to say that the music itself is different, e.g., the Dresden version of Tannhauser versus the Paris version, or the 1891 version of the Rachmaninoff 1st Concerto as opposed to the 1917 version. Do not refer to Von Karajan's "version" of composition X versus Bernstein's "version" of the same piece when you really mean different performances or recordings of the same music.) End of peevish grammar complaint. Message terminates.
Mark   16/3/2004	RE: Autograph Manuscript of Raff's 1st Violin Concerto Found! IP: Logged Message: 1. No comment on the grammar - I was away when they covered that at school, as I am no dobt about to prove! 2. The Violin Concerto No.1. My note to John, which he quotes above, covers the essentials. To which I can usefully add: In this Forum a year ago we had been bewailing the apparent loss of the original orchestral score of the Violin Concerto No.1. Volker Tosta reminded us that there is extant a piano/violin reduction made by Raff and also that 13 of the 20 orchestral parts survived, too. From a reference in the Schäfer catalogue of Raff's works, it appeared that the full score was never published, only the parts. As Raff manuscripts are few and far between, we should look for the published parts. Mark Stackpole then wrote in the Forum that he recalled seeing a manuscript orchestral score of the Raff Violin Concerto No.1 in the library of the Eastman School of Music, Rochester NY. I wrote to the librarian, who confirmed that they did indeed have a manuscript full score, without parts, acquired by them in 1930 from the firm of Liepmannssohn (Berlin) for the price of 24 Reichmarks (minus a 10 per cent discount). He knew nothing more of its provenance, although it was promising that the orchestral forces corresponded with Raff's original. The only way of confirming our suspicions was for Volker to see the score and Eastman subsequently sent him a copy of the manuscript from which he has been able to confirm, from comparison with the piano score, that it is indeed a full orchestral score of the Violin Concerto No.1. Further, it is in Raff's own hand. Raff autograph manuscripts are rare. His daughter relates that once he had composed a work and passed it over to his publishers he had little interest in it. Presumably this indifference extended to the fate of the original. Volker had been hopeful of an early performance of this new "old" edition at the upcoming Bodensee Festival in May, where the 2nd. Concerto is being played, but there isn't enough time for parts to be prepared and rehearsed. He does intend, however, to publish a full Edition Nordstern definitive edition at some time in the future.
Mark   16/3/2004	RE: Autograph Manuscript of Raff's 1st Violin Concerto Found! IP: Logged Message: Grammar follow up: For "dobt" read "doubt" - I was away for spelling too!
peter conole   22/3/2004	RE: Autograph Manuscript of Raff's 1st Violin Concerto Found! IP: Logged Message: Until a few years ago a massive, folio form, black-bound multi-volumed work (30-40 volumes perhaps) was on the music shelves in our village library. I think it was called the 'Boston Public Library Music Catalogue', or something to that effect. A useful work for tracking down composition/publication dates and obscure composers, music etc. It disappeared into the stacks about two years back. Contained published scores, different editions, manuscripts also if memory serves. A lot of Raff. Has anyone seen or heard of anything like it? Probably someone has and it is not that likely anything startling would emerge. Will try and negotiate a glance at it and get accurate details of the work if anyone gets excited, though. It is obvious from the recent discovery that odd things can happen. Peter Conole
peter conole   05/4/2004	RE: Autograph Manuscript of Raff's 1st Violin Concerto Found! IP: Logged Message: Re my earlier posting. I am sure that researchers will have already ploughed through these works, but here they are: New York Public Library - Dictionary Catalogue of the music collection. 44 volumes, including supplements, published 1964. Raff has 7 pages in Vol.25. Boston Public Library - Dictionary Catalogue of the music collection. 24 volumes with supplements, published 1972. Raff covered over 7 pages in volume 15. regards Peter
Mark   05/4/2004	RE: Autograph Manuscript of Raff's 1st Violin Concerto Found! IP: Logged Message: Thanks, Peter. Both libraries now have online catalogues and the major collection of Raff scores in NYPL is already listed in the "Guide to original editions of scores" section of this site. I hadn't added the BPL holdings (which don't seem to be so extensive), but I will now make sure that they're added at the next update in three weeks or so.