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Scan 31
Grove's Dictionary of music and musians, 1910
19 lines. Read by computer on 10 September 2026. Printed page 11. See the scan on archive.org.
1RAAFF, ANTON, one of the most distinguished tenors of his day; born 1714 in the village of Holzem, near Bonn, and educated for the priesthood at the Jesuit College at Cologne. His fine voice so struck the Elector, Clement Augustus, that he took him to Munich, where Ferrandini brought him forward in an opera. After studying for a short time with Bernacchi at Bologna, Raaff became one of the first tenors of his time. In 1738 he sang at Florence on the betrothal of Maria Theresa, and followed up this successful début at many of the Italian theatres. In 1742 he returned to Bonn, and sang at Vienna in Jommelli's 'Didone' (1749), to Metastasio's great satisfaction. In 1752 he passed through Italy to Lisbon; in 1755 he accepted a summons to Madrid, where he remained under Farinelli's direction, enjoying every favour from the court and public. In 1759 he accompanied Farinelli to Naples. In 1770 he entered the service of the Elector, Karl Theodor, at Mannheim. In 1778 he was in Paris with Mozart, and in 1779 he followed the court to Munich, where Mozart composed the part of Idomeneo for him. He died in Munich, May 27, 1797. Mozart in his letters speaks of him as his 'best and dearest friend,' especially in one from Paris, dated June 12, 1778. He composed for him in Mannheim the air, 'Se al labbro mio non credi' (Köchel, 295).
2C. F. P.
4RABAN, EDWARD, was an Englishman, and after having fought in the wars of the Netherlands, from the year 1600, settled at Edinburgh, at the Cowgate Port, as a printer, in 1620. One work with the Edinburgh imprint alone remains, and in the same year he removed to St. Andrews, and finally to Aberdeen in 1622. In this place he was under the patronage of the town dignitaries, and had the friendship of Bishop Forbes. It was, no doubt, these circumstances that enabled him to carry on his craft unmolested, unlike John Forbes of the same city who, at a later date, suffered fine and imprisonment for infringing the monopoly held by the King's printer in Scotland. Raban at once commenced the printing of liturgical works, including a prayer-book, dated 1625, which is stated to have the music to the Psalms. In 1629 he printed two editions of CL. Psalms of the princelie prophet David, a quarto for binding with Bibles and a 16mo edition. Also, in 1633, two editions of The Psames of David in prose and metre according to the Church of Scotland…. In Aberdene, imprinted by Edward Raban for David Melvill, 1633, 8o. These have the music to the Psalms printed from movable type. Though probably not so well executed as the music of Andro Hart of Edinburgh, these are of great interest in the history of Scottish music-printing. Raban gave up business in 1649, dying in 1658. F. K.
6RACCOLTA GENERALE DELLE OPERE CLASSICHE MUSICALI. A collection of pieces of which the full title is as follows: 'Collection générale des ouvrages classiques de musique, ou Choix de chefs d'œuvres, en tout genre, des plus grands compositeurs de toutes les Écoles, recueillis, mis en ordre et enrichis de Notices historiques, par Alex. E. Choron, pour servir de suite aux Principes de Composition des écoles d'Italie.' A notice on the wrapper further says that the price of the work to subscribers is calculated at the rate of 5 sous per page, The numbers were not to be issued periodically, but the annual cost to subscribers was fixed at from 36 to 40 francs. The work was in folio, engraved by Gillé fils, and published by Leduc & Co., Paris, Rue de Richelieu, 78, with agents at Bordeaux, Marseilles, Leipzig, Munich, Vienna, Lyon, Turin, Milan, Rome, and Naples. It was got up with great care and taste, but seems to have ceased after about six numbers.
8For ALFIERI's 'Raccolta di musica sacra' see vol. i. p. 66.
10G.
12RACHMANINOV, SERGEI VASSILIEVICH, a pianist of repute, and one of the most talented of the younger Moscow school of composers; born in the Government of Novgorod, April 1 (March 20, O.S.), 1873. At nine years of age he entered the St. Petersburg Conservatoire, where he remained three years, making the pianoforte his chief study. Three years later, in 1885, he was transferred to the Conservatoire at Moscow. Here he studied the pianoforte, first with Tchaikovsky's friend, Zvierev, and afterwards with Siloti. His masters for theory and composition were Taneiev and Arensky. The musical influences of Moscow are clearly evident in the works of Rachmaninov. In 1892 he won the gold medal for composition, and on quitting the Conservatoire, in the same year, he started on a long concert-tour through the chief towns of Russia. In 1899 Rachmaninov appeared in London at one of the concerts of the Philharmonic Society, and made a good impression in the threefold capacity of composer, conductor, and pianist. In 1893 he was appointed professor of pianoforte to the Maryinsky Institute for girls, in Moscow, a post which he still holds. Several of Rachmaninov's songs and pianoforte pieces, especially the famous prelude in C# minor, have attained immense popularity. His compositions are as follows:—
14A. ORCHESTRAL
15'The Rock,' fantasia, op. 7; Gipsy Capriccio, op. 12; Symphony, op. 13 (1895).
17B. PIANOFORTE
18Two Concertos, opp. 1 and 18; two Suites, opp. 5 and 17; six pieces for four hands, op. 11; five pieces for two hands, op. 3
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