Though subtitled “In the Alps”, Joachim Raff’s 1875 Symphony No. 7 is not an explicitly programmatic work in the manner of Richard Strauss’ Alpine Symphony of 40 years later. On the contrary, Raff constructs his broadly conceived but blandly executed symphony on primarily musical terms–despite the descriptive titles for each of the movements. The opening “Hike in the high mountains” presents two themes of genuine interest, but they ultimately become diluted by the uninspired and overlong developmental material. Just when you think the movement is over, Raff disappointingly inserts a drab fugal passage.
The second movement, “In the Lodging”, is a slowish scherzo pleasing in its brevity, but the following “At the Lake”, a lazy larghetto, seems endless. The Schwingfest finale begins with a sprightly and ear-catching woodwind passage, but on the whole the movement’s thematic material is of such mediocrity that it becomes annoying half-way through its 13 minutes.
Initially the Jubilee Overture is interesting for Raff’s use of “God Save the King” as its thematic basis. But the composer subjects the popular melody to some rather unimpressive development and drab orchestration, making for a decidedly un-jubilant piece. Werner Andreas Albert and the Philharmonia Hungarica do their best to make a strong case for the composer, but they are hampered by a murky, reverberant recording that further detracts from the music’s impact. Unless you’re a Raff fan or a committed collector of 19th century late-romantic music (no matter by whom), you can safely skip this one.
