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Here is Bernard Hermann's, with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, 1970 ...
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Here is Bernard Hermann's, with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, 1970 legendary recording of possibly the greatest symphony of the Romantic era. This recording jump started the revival of Raff's works.
I. "Love's Bliss" - Allegro - 00:00
II. "Love's Bliss" - Andante Quasi Larghetto - 15:04
III. "Separation" - Marsch Tempo - Agitato - 29:07
IV. "Reunited in Death" - Allegro - 41:43
Raff's Symphony No.5 in E Lenore op.177 is generally regarded as being amongst the best of the eleven surviving symphonies and is probably also the best known today. Described by Donald Ellman as "a most important pivotal work between early and late-romantic styles", Lenore represents the high point of Raff's attempt to combine traditional symphonic structures with romantic pictorialism. Despite following a programme not wholly of Raff's own devising, it is probably the most satisfying musically of his "programme" symphonies.
He began mulling over ideas for the work in 1870 and finished it during the summer of 1872. Since the huge success of the 3rd. Symphony, a new Raff symphony did not have long to wait for its premiere, which took place at a private performance in Sonderhausen in December 1872. Raff recorded that the audience (of 20!) "appeared beset with some fright". At the first public performance in Berlin the following year the work was very well received. Bechstein declared "It was an unbelievable success for Berlin". More performances quickly followed throughout Germany - followed by England and then America. Ebenezer Prout reported on Lenore's first English hearing "those who were present will remember the sensation created by its performance".
As he did with his third symphony, Raff grouped the work's four movements into three parts. The first part "Love's happiness" comprises the first two movements, the second - "Parting" - is the third movement whilst the fourth movement "Reunited in death" - is the last part.
Raff described the first movement as "longing for and striving after love's happiness". It has no direct relation to the Lenore ballad except to illustrate the happiness of the lovers. The movement, which is in sonata form, opens confidently with a surging "yearning" motif which sets the tenor of the piece - throughout the music is passionate and the thematic material is generally joyful, though in a several places the trombones briefly intone a sombre chorale as a foretaste of the tragedy in the last movement.
The second movement is in A flat major and has an ABA structure. It depicts, in Raff's words, "the enjoyment of love's happiness" and is a "love scene". Raff wrote that the movement begins with the onset of night and is followed by the two lovers talking, the "exchange of kisses" and then a more vigorous section which, though Raff did not go into detail, is perhaps a depiction of "enjoyment" on a more physical level! The earlier love theme returns and the movement ends with a repetition of the night music. This movement is intensely lyrical throughout; brimful of melody.
The third movement was Raff's most popular compositions and is a straightforward pictorial representation of, as Raff wrote: "the approach of an army corps to the abode of the lovers...the lovers bid farewell, and the division marches away". It is again an arching ABA structure, in C, with the central anguished "Parting" episode flanked by two march sections each constructed from the same two, deliberately brash, themes. The opening march is an extended crescendo and, after the trio, the second a matching long diminuendo - depicting in turn the approach and departure of the army. The varied and vibrant orchestration of these outer sections prevents boredom and the central trio, with its agonised dialogue between violins and cellos graphically portrays the lovers' agony.
The fourth movement, entitled "Reunited in death, Introduction and ballad (after G Bürger's Lenore)" is a literal portrayal of the events of the ballad and as such is more akin to a Lisztian symphonic poem, its free form being in e minor except for the E major close. The extended introduction reprises themes from the first three movements and these also recur later in the movement - often satirically transformed for dramatic effect. The nightmare horseride is graphically depicted by Raff using a perpetuum mobile theme which gathers in speed and rhythmic intensity as the movement progresses, underlying all the passing eerie episodes in the ballad - at some of which the trombone theme first heard in the opening movement makes its full appearance. Finally, the ride ceases at the graveside in a massive climax and then silence. Raff concludes the movement with a redeeming apotheosis in the form of a solemn and gentle E major chorale which begins softly, grows to a radiant climax and then ebbs away, higher and higher.
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