RAFF, JOACHIM

born May 27, 1822, Lachen, near Zrich, Switz. died June 24/25, 1882, Frankfurt am Main, Ger. in full Joseph Joachim Raff German composer and teacher, greatly celebrated in his lifetime but nearly forgotten in the late 20th century. Raff became a schoolteacher in 1840 and taught himself the piano, violin, and composition. After early compositional efforts influenced by Felix Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann, he joined ranks with the new German school of Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner, and from 1850 to 1856 he was Liszt's assistant in Weimar. Raff was a piano teacher in Wiesbaden from 1856 to 1877. Composing in almost every genre, Raff was extremely prolific and was commonly regarded by his contemporaries as the peer of Johannes Brahms and Wagner. From 1877 until his death he was the highly esteemed director of the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt. Raff produced 11 symphonies, concerti for various instruments, operas, choral and chamber music, and piano works.