Joachim Raff (1822–1882) The Times of Day Op. 209
Cantata in 4 Sets [pno,mix ch,orch] Duration: 35' Text: Helge Heldt
solo: pno – choir: SATB – 3(picc).2.2.2 – 4.2.3.0 – timp – str
The cantata Die Tageszeiten [Times of the Day] op. 209 was composed by Joachim Raff in 1877, at the transition of his time in Wiesbaden to the years in Frankfurt as director of the local conservatory (Hoch’sches Konservatorium). The years in Wiesbaden are seen as the most productive phase in his compositional work; already from 1870 onwards, the success had allowed him to work as a freelance composer. The present work is actually a hybrid between a cantata and a piano concerto, also called a “Konzertante” [concert cantata] in terms of genre. The text is from Raff’s daughter Helene, who wrote under the pseudonym “Helge Heldt” and later became a respected novelist. The texts for the cantatas Die Sterne [The Stars] and the lieder cycle Bolndel de Nesle are from her, too.
| 1. The world shines with intense brightness |
| 2. The sun sinks. The evening rises |
| 3. It is quiet now |
| 4. With darkness and shadow the long night has vanished |
