An essentially self-taught musician Raff was lauded in his homeland as a master of contemporary musical techniques. He was a prolific composer who wrote in almost every musical genre including symphonies, operas, choral works with orchestration, concertos, suites, overtures, quintets, quartets, piano solos and editions of other composers works. He met Liszt in 1845 and worked for him in Weimar between 1850 and 1855. When he joined the New German School he met Bulow with whom he became a lifelong friend. Stylistically he attempted to combine music of the past with music of his present. This often led to confusing directions in his music and a penchant towards eclecticism that warranted his critics displeasure. Nevertheless Raff was able to orchestrate some splendid music leaving a progressive legacy. Raff was last appointed as the administrator of the Hoch Conservatory from 1877 until his death. ~ Keith Johnson, Rovi
