Anton Raaff (or Raff or Raaf) (1714-1797)
German Tenor

By Emmanuelle Sayag-Boyer

                  Originally educated for the priesthood, Raaff was a student in the Seminary of the Jesuits in Cologne. While still a child, his voice is remarked upon during a musical play [Plays and music theatre were part of the current education at Jesuit establishments]; in 1736 the Elector of Bavaria took him into his service and sent the young Raaff to finish his musical studies with Giovanni Ferrandini (1710-1791) in Munich. The pupil took part in the first performance of his master’s opera Adriano in Siria during the 1737 Carnival there.

The next year, Raaff was sent to Bologna and studied with the great castrato Antonio Maria Bernacchi (1685-1756); Bernacchi was also Carlo Broschi’s teacher. In Bologna, the young tenor met and became good friends with the musicologist Padre Martini, who became his lifelong friend. It would seem that Raaff began to perform in private Académies (concerts) as his name is mentioned in 1738 on the printed libretto of a Serenata by Angelo Caroli (1701-1778) (libretto by Giuseppe Manfredi) performed on 17 August 1738; he sang the role of Sebeto along with Bernacchi (Imeneo), Maria Giustina Turcotti (Partenope) and Antonia Cerminati (Amore).

He made his stage debut in Venice for the opera Season of 1739-1740.  He was heard in the Teatro S Giovanni Crisostomo in Rinaldo di Capua’s Farnace in the role of Pompeo (along with Giuseppe Santarelli, Aquilio; Rosa Sovuter, Elinda; Giustina Gallo, Tamiri; Anna Bagnolesi, Berenice; Giovanni Tedeschi, Farnace) in the autumn of 1739.

He also performed in 1740 (probably in the same operatic Season) in a “work of circumstance”, Il decreto del fato, a serenata composed by D. Paradies on a libretto written by Domenico Lalli; it was performed for the marriage of Prince Philippe of Bourbon Farnese. (The cast was: Geremia Del Sette, Il Sole; Caterina Fumagalli, L’Aurora; Maria Venturini, Stella; A. Raaf, Il Fato). For the 1740 Carnival, in Teatro Grimani di S. Giovanni Grisostomo, he sang the role of Berengario in Giuseppe Alessandri’s Ottone (with Rosa Sovuter, Clodomiro; Giuseppe Santarelli, Idelberto; Giustina Gallo, Adelaide; Anna Pinaci, Matilde; Giovanni Tedeschi, Ottone); and the role of Osroa in Giay’s Adriano in Siria (with Rosa Sovuter, Aquilio; Giovanni Tedeschi, Farnaspe; Giustina Gallo, Emirena; Anna Bagnolesi, Sabina and Giuseppe Santarelli, Adriano). The news of Raaff’s success reached Germany, and the Elector of Bonn asked for him to return, which he reluctantly did in 1741. He stayed in the Elector’s service till 1749, but this didn’t prevent him from performing for the Imperial coronation ceremonies in Frankfurt, then for the marriage ceremonies of the Elector Palatine Karl Theodor in Munich.

 In 1749, Raaff went to Vienna and appeared in several of Jommelli’s operas. He sang the title role at the premiere of Catone in Utica (on 16 April 1749) and performed in Merope, Achille in Sciro, and Didone Abbandonata. Court Poet Metastasio heard him and appreciated his vocal skills, though he found him wanting as an actor. The poet wrote to Carlo Broschi (also known as Farinelli), his caro gemello [“dear twin”], (in a letter dated 28 May 1749) that Raaff sang “like a seraph”. On 22 January 1761, in a letter to Princess Belmonte, he would call him “our incomparable signor Raaff”.

 He returned to Italy sometime in late 1749/early 1750, as his presence is documented in the Teatro Regio in Turin for the celebrations of Victor Amadé of Savoy and the Spanish princess Maria Antonia Ferdinanda in 1750. Raaff appeared in a festa teatrale by Galuppi called La vittoria d'Imeneo (the text was Giuseppe Bartoli’s) with the castrato Gaetano Majorano (also known as Cafarelli) as Imeneo), Giovanna Astrua (Urania) et Teresa Mazzola (Venere); he sang the role of Marte in this work.

 The next sources we have on Raaff’s career are for the 1751-1752 theatrical season. We find him appearing again in June 1751 in Padua for the opening performance in the new opera house, he performed Galuppi’s Artaserse with Giuseppe Poma, Artaserse; Regina Valentini Mingotti, Mandane; Gioacchino Conti, Arbate; Teresa Mazzoli, Semira; Marianna Maggini, Megabise; Raaff sang Artabano.

 His growing reputation earned him an engagement in Lisbon where he created the title role in David Perez’s Demofoonte in 1752; the castrato Gizziello was among the cast. It would appear that Raaff stayed in Lisbon until 1755. I have not found more information about these years. Raaff’s next contract was prestigious, as he was requested to come to Spain by Farinelli (who was then manager of the royal opera house in Madrid) and who was recruiting the best singers in Europe for his company. In Madrid, Raaff participated in the premiere of Nicola Conforto’s La Nitteti, (23 September 1756) in the Coliseo del Buen Retiro; he created the role of Amasi.  If he cannot boast of having performed with Farinelli, as the latter only performed privately for the royal family, he did associated his professional career with him, and went back to Naples in 1759 at the same time the former favorite did.

 During the next decade, Raaff distinguished himself on the Neapolitan and Florentine stages as principle (probable lead) tenor; he mainly performed in works by Hasse, Majo, J.C. Bach, Sacchini, Piccinni and Myslivecek. He made his Neapolitan debut in a festa musicale, given for the accession to the crown of Ferdinand IV, King of Naples and Sicily, in May 1760. Raaff was heard again on 29 June (according to the score) in L’Astrea Placata (based on a Metastasio libretto) by Francesco di Majo. The cast was impressive for this work: Raaff sang Giove; Clementina Spagnoli, Astrea; Teresa Scotti, La Clemenza; Giovanni Amadori, Il Rigore; Giovanni Manzuoli, Apollo. A prologue seems to have been added to this work for another performance given the following 10 July, in honor of Queen Maria Amelia of Spain. Raaff must have sung impressively among such a distinguished cast, because the King asked him personally in 1761 to sing the title role of Jommelli’s Attilio Regolo, which was also given in the San Carlo opera house. The sources of the time speak of the “fanaticism” of Raaff’s admirers.

At this point, King Ferdinand intervened and secured the service of this exceptional tenor for the opera theater in Naples. During the opera season of 1761-1762, Raaff sang the title role of Jean-Chrétien Bach’s Catone in Utica (4 November 1761). He also performed Danao in Pasquale Cafaro’s Ipermestra (this opera was premiered in Naples in 1751 and performed again on 26 December 1761), with Clementina Spagnoli in the title role, Tommaso Guarducci as Linceo, Catarina Flavis as Elpinice, Salvatore Conforti as Plistene et Luigi Costa as Adrasto. Raaff ended the season singing the title role in Bach’s Alessandro nell’ Indie (20 January 1762), along with Clementina Spagnoli, Cleofide; Tommaso Guarducci, Poro; Catarina Flavis, Erissena; Salvatore Conforti, Gandarte and Luigi Costa, Timagene.

The same day, a cantata composed by Bach was added to the performance, Gia degli ancor non tocchi; it was sung by Clementina Spagnoli (Temide), Caffarelli (Mercurio) and Raaf (Marte).
On 12 January 1762, Raaff had also sung the role of Ercole in another cantata by Gregorio Sciroli, Sempre caro il ciel conservi, with Tommaso Guarducci (Espero) and Clementina Spagnoli (Venere).  In 1763, Raaff’s name is the printed libretto of a “cantata for 3 voices”, Padre, del gran arcano by Nicola Sala, given for the Birthday celebration of the King (certainly on 20 January), with Marianna Moser (Pallade) and Caffarelli (Apollo); Raaff sang Giove. And in another, No, quest’ alma capace by Cafaro, with the same colleagues Marianna Moser (Calipso) et Caffarelli (Ausone) ; Raaff sang Proteo. In the same season, that is 1763-1764, he appeared in the premiere of Sacchini’s Lucio Vero (4 November 1764), in the title role of J-Chrétien Bach’s Catone in Utica (26 December 1764) with Anna Brogli, Emilia; Antonio Muzi, Arbace; Nicolo (?) Coppola, Fulvio; Andrea Graffi, Cesare and the great Caterina Gabrielli as Marzia. (This opera was first performed in 1761 in the same opera house). He also sang with C. Gabrielli in Piccinni’s Caio Mario.

 On 12 January 1765, Raaff performed a cantata by Gregorio Sciroli, Sempre amico il cielo conservi, with Caterina Gabrielli (Venere) and Ferdinando Mazzanti (Ercole); Raaff sang Espero.

Raaff was in Naples for the next Royal Birthday celebration, during which he performed Mercurio in a cantara by Piccini, La pace fra Giunone ed Alcide, with Caterina Gabrielli (Giunone) and Cafarelli (Alcide). There is a question as to whether Raaff was away from Naples during the 1765-1766 season. It would appear that he went in Venice, as his name appears on one libretto of Catone in Utica printed in this city in 1765. According to this, he would have sung his “signature role” with a cast comprising Anna Brogli ; Antonio Muzzio (is he the same Arbace that sang in Naples?), Luigi Mattei, Caterina Gabrielli and Andrea Grassi. Another libretto for the same opera, printed in Parma and without a date, gives the following cast: Raaff is singing along Clementina Baglioni (Marzia), Emanuel Cornaggia (Cesare), Costanza Romani (Emilia), Antonio Muzzio (Arbace) and Assunta Bergman (Fulvio). If these performances were given during the same time period, might we deduce that he made an Italian tour with one of his more famous roles?

 The 1766-1767 theater season was a busy one, since Raaff sang with the two Gabrielli sisters in Giuseppe Scolari’s Antigono (30 May 1766); on the 4 November he sang in Piccini’s Gran Cid, with Caterina Gabrielli and Ferdinando Mazzanti (Rodrigo); his aria “Deh ricevi o prence amato” seems to have been very successful with the audience. Raaff may also have taken part in Sacchini’s Il Vologeso (in December). Lucio Vero was revived on 27 December 1766, with Raaff in the title role, Angelo Monanni (also know as Manzuolino), Aniceto; Giuseppe Coppola, Flavio; Caterina Gabrielli, Bernice; Ferdinando Mazzanti, Vologeso and Francesca Gabrielli (Caterina’s sister, a mezzo soprano), Lucilla.

 In December, Myslivecek receives a commission to set to music a libretto by D. Bonechi. He wrote Bellerofonte in a month and this opera premiered on 20 January 1767 for the King’s birthday, with Raaff, Ariobate; Caterina Gabrielli, Argene; Ferdinando Mazzanti, Bellerofonte; Francesca Gabrielli, Briseide; Angelo Monanni, Diomede; Giuseppe Coppola, Atamante and Giuseppe Benigni, Minerva (according to the printed libretto!). The composer was having an affair with Catarina Gabrielli, so perhaps this was the means of securing the commission?

 Myslivecek could not avoid composing the obligatory tribute to the King for his birthday, so his Udiste, il suon festivo allowed Raaff (singing once more the role of Giove), Ferdinando Mazzanti (Mercurio) and Caterina Gabrielli (L’Iberia) to perform. The period was prone to celebrations, and Raaff participated in most of them as one of the leading singers of the court opera house. He also sang in a Cantata a tre voci by Piccini, Ecco alfin di mie cure… with Caterina Gabrielli, Pallade; Ferdinando Mazzanti, Teseo; Raaff sang Alcide (on 12 and/or le 20 janvier 1767).  In autumn 1767, Raaff was in Florence, in the Teatro alla Pergola and appeared in Traetta’s L’Olimpiade. He performed Clistene along with Anna Lucia De Amicis (Aristea), Luigia Fabbris (Argene), Angelo Monanni (also known as Manzuolino) (Licida), Giovanni Manzuoli (Megacle) and Vincenzo Massetani (Aminta).

 There is nothing more about Raaff until his return to Naples on 25 May 1768 for Paisiello’s Le Nozze di Peleo e Tetide, where he sang Giove, with Lucrezia Ajugari (Tetide), Giovanni Toschi (Giasone), Manzuolino (Apollo), Giuseppe Benigni (Imeneo and Luca Fabris (Peleo). This “circumstance work” was included in the celebrations for the wedding of King Ferdinand and Archduchess Maria-Carolina of Austria; it was performed either in the royal palace or in the San Carlo opera house. It is possible that the serenata Il giudizio d'Apollo, by Nicola Sala based on a text by Giovanni Fenizia, was also composed for the same occasion. Raaff sang the role of d’Apollo; Angelo Monanni (Manzoletto), the role of Venere; Luca Fabris, the role of Pallade and Antonia Maria Girelli Aguillar the role of Giunone. Raaff’s last appearance in Naples may have been with Elisabeth Teyber on 13 August 1768, in a cantata by Francesco di Majo given for the Queen’s birthday; Teyber sang Partenope, Luca Fabris, Mercurio, and Raaff, Dusare. This was the end of a period for Raaff.

Prince Elector Karl Theodor, for whose marriage celebrations he had sung, requested him to come to his court to create another musical setting of Metastasio’s Catone in Utica, this time composed by Piccinni. This opera premiered in the court theatre in Mannheim on 4 November 1770. (Raaff sang as usual the title role; in the cast were the Wendling sisters.) It would seem that Piccini didn’t go to Germany, and composed his opera instead while in Naples and for the San Carlo opera house, where the work may have been premiered on the same year. Some indications on the score seem to go along as the dry recitatives are written for a bass voice then corrected in the tenor tessitura. The airs and ensembles appear to have been written with Raaff in mind, modeling themselves on his unique abilities, while taking care not to overtax his stamina.
This is the debut of his Mannheim career, where he stayed until he left definitively in 1778 for Munich along with the Mannheim court and orchestra.

 Raaff doesn’t seem to have excited gossipy talk with personal whims or his private life. People overall called him an honest man, even if this is tinged with irony such as the Florentine letter written by Sarah Goudar to Lord Pembroke in 1771:

“Raaf who still performs although he is more than 60 years of age [he wasn’t at the times of this writing] is admirable in his performance. The violins are hard kept to follow him. He knows his art intimately, but if he is a good musician, he is a better Christian! He says the Rosary backstage and gives to the destitute the money he makes on the stage. Some says that in his youth, he had been a Franciscan brother and that, not having enough occasions to resist to the temptations of sex, he began a theatrical career to gain this virtue. He could not choose a better field [where to resist temptation]. When an actor shows chastity of deportment in the middle of such corruption, he may boldly ask for beatification.”

[The original letter may have been written in French so I leave my original source here:

Raaff qui maintenant remplit encore la scène bien qu’il ait plus de soixante ans [il ne les avait pas encore] est admirable dans l’exécution. Les violons ont peine à le suivre. Il possède son art parfaitement, mais s’il est bon musicien, il est encore meilleur chrétien ! Il dit le rosaire derrière les coulisses et distribue aux pauvres l’argent qu’il gagne au théâtre. On dit que dans sa jeunesse, il avait été capucin et que n’ayant pas asses d’occasion de résister à la tentation du sexe, il était monté sur le théâtre pour acquérir cette vertu. Il ne pouvait choisir un plus beau champ. Lorsqu’un acteur fait ses preuves de chasteté au milieu de tant de corruption, il peut demander hardiment ses lettres de béatification. Quoted by Roger Blanchard and Roland de Candé.]

 Raaff used his influence at Court and managed to get a commission for Jean-Chrétien (Johann Christian) Bach: his Temistocle was first performed on 4 Novembre 1772 (according to the program book, but perhaps given a day latter according to an eyewitness). Metastasio originally wrote the text, but it was revised by Mattia Verazi (who was “secretario intimo e poeta aulico di SASE”), who only kept 10 arias out of the 26 written by Metastasio. The cast was: Anton Raaff (Temistocle), Giovanni Battista Zonca (Serse), Silvio Giorgetti (Lisimaco), Dorothea Wendling (Aspasia), Francesco Roncaglia (Neocle), Elisabeth Wendling (Rossane) and Vincenzo Mucciolo (Sebaste).

All the singers, except Raaff were members of the Elector Palatine’s musical establishment. Raaff, although he was 58, must have been in stupendous vocal health, if one listens to the music composed especially for him. This work was so successful that it was revived a year later for the Elector’s Birthday. In these years, Raaff also went in Stuttgart, where he took part in performances of Jommelli’s Fetonte (based on Lully and Quinault’s Phaéton).

 In 1774, Bach got another commission for a new opera. It was Giovanni da Gamerra’s libretto of Lucio Silla, also set to music by Mozart (1772 as K.135), Anfossi (1774) and Mortellari (1779). The text was adapted by Verazi, who tightened the plot in the second act and transformed the role of Silla in the lead role. In the only recording of this version of the opera, Silla has 4 arias, when in the libretto used by Mozart he has only two … (Contrary to common belief, the title role isn’t always the lead role in an opera seria.) The first performance perhaps took place on 4 November 1774 with the cast being: A. Raaf (Lucio Silla), Dorothea Wendling (Giunia), Francesco Boncaglia (Cecilio), Giovanni Battista Zonca (Cinna), Elisabeth Wendling (Celia) and Paolo Carnoli (Aufidio).

 Perhaps because the opera was less floridly ornamented (Italianate?) than his Temistocle, or perhaps because the comparison between the Elector and Silla displeased the audience (this seems a strange reason, as the choice of the libretto was done according the wishes of the Prince), or perhaps because the fashion for Italian opera was losing out to emerging German opera, the work received mixed reviews and Bach didn’t receive any other commissions from the court. Anyway, this was the penultimate Italian opera given in Mannheim until the departure of the court for Munich.

 Here is the echo of the anti-Bach feeling, as written by Mozart in a letter dated 13 November 1777. “He” means Abbé Vogler.

“[…] He despises the greatest masters. To myself he spoke with contempt of Bach, who wrote two operas here, the first of which pleased more than the second, Lucio Silla. As I had composed the same opera in Milan, I was anxious to see it, and hearing from Holzbauer that Vogler had it, I asked him to lend it to me. "With all my heart," said he; "I will send it to you to-morrow without fail, but you won't find much talent in it”. Some days after, when he saw me, he said with a sneer, "Well, did you discover anything very fine— did you learn anything from it? - One air is rather good. - What are the words? He asked of some person standing near. -What air do you mean? - Why, that odious air of Bach's, that vile—oh! yes, Pupille amate. [aria n° 23, Cecilio] He must have written it after a carouse of punch. I really thought I must have laid hold of his pigtail; I affected, however, not to hear him, said nothing, and went away. [….]”

Mozart had met J.C. Bach in London in 1764 and held him in high regard and admiration the rest of his life. 

 Mozart, when he first arrived in Mannheim, had planned to meet Raaff, following his father’s advice to seek out people of station and influence. Leopold says that “Raaff was a god fearing and honest man” in his letters dated 18 October and 6 November 1777. Mozart was to gain an introduction through Christian Franz Danner, a violinist and old friend of the Mozarts. Of course, they also had ample opportunity to hear the renowned Raaff during their stay in Mannheim.

 While the Mozarts were staying in Mannheim, Raaff took part in a noteworthy early performance of a work that will have an important history at the end of the 18th century.  Mozart later on in Vienna re-orchestrated it, due to a commission from Baron Van Swieten, that great amateur collector of Ancient Music. This is of course Handel’s Messiah; the Abbé Vogler was the originator of this project in Mannheim. On 1 November 1777, a shortened version of this oratorio was performed, it perhaps being sung in Italian. Mattia Verazi, the court poet, may have penned the translation. This performance was not a critical success, but it may well be the very first contact Mozart had with the work if he attended the performance.  He may have heard a part of the work, even though he only mentions in his correspondence of the time with Leopold some church music and an All-Saints' day great mass.

 The selection was as follows

First Part
Overture
Arioso und Recitative for Tenor: "Confortati" ("Comfort ye")
Tenor Aria: "Ogni valle" ("Every valley")
Chorus: "E' la gloria allor del ciel" ("And the glory of the Lord")
Bass Arioso: "Coprira il mondo" ("For behold, darkness shall cover the earth")
Bass Aria: "Qual ehi fra l'ombre" ("The people that walked in darkness")
Chorus: "Ecco gia nato un pergoletto" ("For unto us a Child is born")
Pifa
Soprano Recitative: "Stavan sul campo" ("There were shepherds abiding in the fields")
Soprano Recitative: "L' angiolo dice lor" ("And the angel said unto them")
Accompanied Recitative: ""E in quel momento" ("And suddendly there was with the angel")
Chorus: "Gloria ed onor" ("Glory to God in the highest")
Soprano Recitative: "Saran gl' occhi del cieco" (“Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened")
Soprano Aria: "Sua greggia condurra" ("He shall feed His flock")
Chorus: "Alleluia" (“Hallelujah!")

 Second Part
Chorus: "Gia vien l' agnel di Dio" ("Behold the Lamb of God")
Alto Aria: "Tormento atroce" ("He was despised")
Accompanied Recitative for Tenor: "Ogn' un, che il vide" ("All they that see Him, laugh Him")
Chorus: "In Dio confida ed a lui fida" ("He trusted in God that he would deliver Him")
Accompanied Recit. for Tenor : "L' acerba tua censure" ("Thy rebuke hath broken His heart")
Tenor Arioso: "Deh, dimmi o passagiero" ("Behold, and see")
Chorus: "Nubi rompeste" ("Lift up your heads")
Bass Aria: "Perche con fremito" ("Why do the nations so furiously rage together")
Tenor Recitative: "Quei che nel cielo" ("He that dwelleth in heaven")
Tenor Aria: "Del tuo flagello" ("Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron")
Bass Recitative: "Eccomi a decifrarvi" ("Behold, I tell you a mystery")
Chorus: "Degna e la vittima" (Worthy is the Lamb")

 The names of the soloists are known from the score:
Soprano: Sigr. Silvio Giorgetti
Alto: Sigr. Caraucci
Ténor: Sigr. Anton Raaff
Basse: Sigr. Zonca

 [NB : THANKS, Dennis ;-) !]

 Anna Maria and Wolfgang were in the audience for a performance of Holzbauer’s Günter von Schwarzburg in Mannheim.  Among the cast were Elisabeth Wendling and Barbara Strasser. (Perhaps Ludwig Fisher in the role of Rudolf II? The work was first performed in 1776). The plot is about the conflict between, Karl IV of Luxenburg and Baron Gunther von Schwarzburg (Thuringe) who are rivals to succeed Emperor Ludwig of Bavaria. Gunther is supported by the powerful Elector Rudolf, but Karl’s mother intrigues for her son and she manipulates Rudolf’s daughter, Anna. At the end, Gunther dies and Karl wins the crown and the girl. It would seem that a very complicated plot and very long recitatives do not help this music.

 According to an abstract for an article written by Karl Traugott Goldbach, Patriotism in South German Opera Gunther von Schwarzburg by Anton von Klein and Ignaz Holzbauer, :

 “For the seventeen seventies the term nationalism can hardly be applied to the German speaking territories. Those years, however, boast the first signs of a national opera. While in North Germany these only denoted operas performed in German, some South German operas availed themselves of expressly national subjects. Perhaps the most important of such South German operas is Günther von Schwarzburg by Anton von Klein and Ignaz Holzbauer. As far as contents go, ex-Jesuit Klein was able to take up the tradition of his order. Above all in South Germany subjects from regional history had found their place beside biblical representations and lives of the saints. Thus it does not come as a surprise that Günther von Schwarzburg, anti?king to Karl IV, is counted among the ancestors of Prince Theodore, of Electoral Palatine who commissioned the opera. So far researchers into this opera has been puzzled by the question why from among the Prince's ancestors luckless Günther of all people was selected as the protagonist in this very opera. The reason for this is less to seek in Günther himself than in his opponent Karl of Hapsburg. At that time it was an open secret that Elector Maximilian of Bavaria was to die without legitimate issue, Carl Theodore was entitled to the inheritance. Beside him, however, also the Habsburgs of the Court of Vienna staked their claim to the succession. This accounts for the fact that this conflict later was to cause the Bavarian War of Succession. The opera took up the rivalry between Günther and Karl in their struggle for the German (in the opera itself the imperial) throne. Thus alleged German nationalism turns out to be Bavarian patriotism.”

 Here is what the Mozarts though of Raaff :

 Anna Maria (in a letter dated 14 November 1777) : “[…] I can tell you that [Raaf] is an honest man, but he can do nothing [That is obtain a commission or a post for Mozart.] he sang in the opera. One feels he has been a good singer, but now he is worn out, like Monsieur Meissner, that I prefer to hear rather than Monsieur Raaff. Apart from that, he is the most honest man in the world, I spoke with him during the Académie (concert). He congratulated me on my son’s abilities, and was very surprised by his science. […]” [my translation into English of the French translation done by Mrs Geffray]

 P.S. from Wolfgang: “[…] Herr Raaff, in four arias of somewhere about 450 bars, sang in a manner which gave rise to the remark that his want of voice was the principal cause of his singing so badly. When he begins an air, unless at the same moment it recurs to your mind that this is Raaff, the old but once so renowned tenor, I defy any one not to burst out laughing. It is a fact, that in my own case I thought, if I did not know that this is the celebrated Raaff, I should be bent double from laughing, but as it is—I only take out my handkerchief to hide a smile. They tell me here that he never was a good actor; that people went to hear, but not to see him. He has by no means a pleasing exterior. In this opera he was to die, singing in a long, long, slow air; and he died laughing! And towards the end of the aria his voice failed him so entirely that it was impossible to stand it! I was in the orchestra next Wendling the flute-player, and as he had previously criticized the song, saying it was unnatural to sing so long before dying, adding, I do think he will never die! I said in return, "Have a little patience; it will soon be all over with him, for I can hear he is at the last gasp! And I too, said he, laughing. […]”

 Leopold used all his connections and as well Padre Martini wrote from Bologna to Raaff to recommend his former pupil, in the hope that the tenor would use his influence on Mozart’s behalf.  The name of the singer is once more mentioned in the Mozart correspondence in February 1778, when Leopold tried to stop Wolfgang’s unrealistic professional projects; he imagined to seek fame in Italy with Aloysia Weber, whom he wanted to take under his protection. Leopold suggested to have the young singer undergo an audition before the experienced professional Raaff, who would recommend her if she really has talent, to his contacts in Italy, impresarios who would be more impressed by his word than by an inexperienced young composer.

 According to Mozart, “Raaff (who is no flatterer), when asked to give his sincere opinion, said, "She does not sing like a scholar, but like a professora”

 In fact, despite their age difference and different background, both men appreciated and esteemed each other. On 27 February, Mozart visited Raaff and gave him a concert aria. Was it a sincere tribute or a calculated gesture? Here is a telling of the meeting, according to Mozart (letter dated 28 February 1778):

 “[…] I was yesterday at Raafl's to take him an aria that I lately wrote for him [Kochel, No. 295]. The words are—"Se al labbro mio non credi, nemica mia." I don't think they are by Metastasio, The aria pleased him beyond all measure. It is necessary to be very particular with a man of this kind. I chose these words expressly, because he had already composed an aria for them, so of course he can sing it with greater facility, and more agreeably to himself. I told him to say honestly if it did not suit his voice or please him, for I would alter it if he wished, or write another. "Heaven forbid!" said he; "it must remain just as it is, for nothing can be more beautiful. I only wish you to curtail it a little, for I am no longer able to sustain my voice through so long a piece." "Most gladly," I answered, "as much as ever you please; I made it purposely rather long, for it is always easy to shorten, but not so easy to lengthen." After he had sung the second part, he took off his spectacles, and, looking at me deliberately, said, "Beautiful! Beautiful! This seconda parte is quite charming;" and he sang it three times. When I went away he cordially thanked me, while I assured him that I would so arrange the aria that he would certainly like to sing it. I think an aria should fit a singer as accurately as a well-made coat. […]”

 This concert aria K.295 is taken from the second setting in music of Metastasio’s Artaserse composed by Hasse, but it is in fact a text written for another opera written by Hasse, Arminio. The text this opera was written by Antonio Salvi.

 Mozart and Raaff met again in Paris in April 1778 ("M Raaff is here and has lodgings at Monsieur Legros, we are thrown together almost every day” (letter dated 5 April 1778). The singer must have made his debut at the Concert spirituel concerts on 13 April; he sang a scene composed by Jean Chrétien Bach, Non so donde viene, taken from L’Olimpiade. (Mozart set the same text in music for his concert arias K.512 and K.294.) Mozart had changed his prejudices about Raaff’s vocal art as the letter dated 12 June 1778 shows:

“[…] I must now write something that concerns our Raaff. You no doubt remember that I did not write much in his favour from Mannheim, and was by no means satisfied with his singing—in short, that he did not please me at all. The cause, however, was that I can scarcely say I really heard him at Mannheim. The first time was at the rehearsal of Holzbauer's Gunther, when he was in his every-day clothes, his hat on his head, and a stick in his hand. When he was not singing, he stood looking like a sulky child. When he began to sing the first recitative, it went tolerably well, but every now and then he gave a kind of shriek, which I could not bear. He sang the arias in a most indolent way, and yet some of the notes with too much emphasis, which is not what I like. This has been an invariable habit of his, which the Bernacchi school probably entails; for he is a pupil of Bernacchi's. At court, too, he used to sing all kinds of airs which, in my opinion, by no means suited his voice; so he did not at all please me. When at length he made his debut here in the Concert Spirituell(sic), he sang Bach's scena, "Non so d' onde viene" which is, besides, my great favourite, and then for the first time I really heard him sing, and he pleased me—that is, in this class of music; but the style itself, the Bernacchi school, is not to my taste. He is too apt to fall into the cantabile. I admit that, when he was younger and in his prime, this must have made a great impression and taken people by surprise; I could like it also, but there is too much of it, and it often seems to me positively ludicrous. What does please me in him is when he sings short pieces—for instance, andantinos; and he has likewise certain arias which he gives in a manner peculiar to himself. Let each occupy his proper place. I fancy that bravura singing was once his forte, which is even still perceptible in him, and so far as age admits of it he has a good chest and a long breath; and then his andantino! His voice is fine and very pleasing; if I shut my eyes and listen to him, I think his singing very like Meissner's, only Raaff’s voice seems to me more agreeable. I speak of the present time, for I never heard either in his best days. I can therefore only refer to their style or method of singing, for this a singer always retains. Meissner, as you know, had the bad habit of purposely making his voice tremble at times, —entire quavers and even crotchets, when marked sostenuto, —and this I never could endure in him. Nothing can be more truly odious; besides, it is a style of singing quite contrary to nature. The human voice is naturally tremulous, but only so far as to be beautiful; such is the nature of the voice, and it is imitated not only on wind instruments, but also on stringed instruments, and even on the pianoforte. But the moment the proper boundary is passed it is no longer beautiful, because it becomes unnatural. It seems to me then just like an organ when the bellows are panting. Now Raaff never does this, —in fact, he cannot bear it. Still, so far as a genuine cantabile goes, Meissner pleases me (though not altogether, for he also exaggerates) better than Raaff. In bravura passages and roulades, Raaff is indeed a perfect master, and he has such a good and distinct articulation, which is a great charm; and, as I already said, his andantinos and canzonetti are delightful. He composed four German songs, which are lovely. He likes me much, and we are very intimate; he comes to us almost every day. […]”

 The Parisian audience was conquered. The Journal de Paris reviews that:

  “Enthusiasm was general, and the first piece was encored. He [Raaff] gathers all the qualities that would exclude one another; nobility, loyalty and expressivity.” [L’ivresse devint générale, et on fit recommencer le premier morceau. Il [Raaff] réunit les qualités qui semblent s’exclure, la noblesse, la loyauté et l’expression.] (15 April 1778).

 The French newspaper goes on to relate a curious anecdote dating from the Neapolitan years of the performer: he is supposed to have cured Princess Belmonte-Pignatelli from her deadly melancholy after her husband’s demise. She was supposed to have reacted to his singing Rolli’s aria Solitario bosco ombroso. She heard him sing, she broke down, cried and was saved. This story is strangely reminiscent of the private concerts Farinelli gave King Philippe V of Spain and it must be taken with some suspicion.

 Raaff also sang in Holzbauer’s Miserere, arranged by Mozart for the Concert Spirituel. But the 4 choirs were reduced to 2, because they were too long for the Parisian audience. In a letter dated 5 April 1778, Mozart wrote:

  “I MUST now explain more, clearly what mamma alludes to, as she has written rather obscurely. Kapellmeister Holzbauer has sent a Miserere here, but as the choruses at Mannheim are weak and poor, whereas here they are strong and good, his choruses would make no effect. M. Le Gros (Director of the Concert Spirituel) requested me therefore to compose others; Holzbauer's introductory chorus being retained. "Quoniam iniquitatem meam," an allegro, is the first air by me. The second an adagio, "Ecce enim in iniquitatibus." Then an allegro, "Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti" to the "ossa humiliata." Then an andante for soprano, tenor, and bass Soli; "Cor mundum," and "Redde mihi," allegro to "ad se convertentur." I also composed a recitative for a bass air, "Libera me de sanguinibus," because a bass air of Holzbauer's follows. The "sacrificium Deo spiritus" being an aria andante for Raaff, with a hautboy and a bassoon solo obbligato. I have added a short recitative with hautboy and bassoon, for here recitative is much liked. "Benigne fac" to "muri Jerusalem" andante moderate. Chorus. Then "Tunc acceptabis" to "super altare," allegro and tenor solo (Le Gros) and chorus. Finis.”

 Raaff hadn’t forgotten his young friend, and in the middle of his appointments, he arranged a meeting between the ambassador for the Palatinate, Joseph von Sickingen and Mozart. Both men made recommendations that got Mozart the commission of a Sinfonia concertante.

Raaff‘s efforts and Padre Martini’s word were also sufficient for an opera commission later on; it was Idomeneo, Re di Creta K.366 whose premiere was on 29 January 1781 in Munich (As Karl Theodor became the sovereign of Bavaria, the court and orchestra had relocated there.) The conditions of the crafting of this opera are well known thanks to the extensive correspondence between Wolfgang and Leopold, and it is not the object of this article to comment on that opera.

 Raaff seems to have performed publicly until 1787, even if we don’t have sources documenting such performances after the first years of the 80’s. He took pupils; among them were Ludwig Fischer (the first Osmin, perhaps the greatest German bass singer of the century) and Franz Christian Hartig.

 In February 1787, the opera singer Ann Selina Storace, her brother Stephen, their mother, Michael Kelly and Ann Storace’s lover, Lord Barnard, stopped in Munich to visit the old tenor. Here is what Kelly wrote of their meeting:

"The Storaces and myself, by appointment, went to pay our respects to Raff, the justly celebrated tenor, esteemed by far the finest singer of his day, and for many years the delight of Naples and Palermo. He was by birth a Bavarian, and had retired to Munich with an ample fortune; he was past seventy and did us a favour to sing to us his famous song, composed by Bach ‘Non son donde viene’; though his voice was impaired, he still retained his fine voce di petto and sostenuto notes, and pure style of singing.”

 Raaff died in Munich on the night of 27 to 28 May 1797.

 According to Daniel Heartz, “He was one of the last and greatest representative of the legato technique and portamento, brought to perfection by Bernacchi and his school.” An unnamed biographer in the Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung in 1810 claimed that Raaff’s voice “ has never had its equal for compass and beauty.“ According to the same, Raaff had such a technique that his diction was of such clarity in German and Italian that “not a syllable was lost even when he was accompanied by the most sizzling instrumentation, in the very largest theatre.”

DISCOGRAPHY OF RAAFF’S REPERTOIRE

¤ BACH, Johann Christian: Temistocle
Serse/Renato Cesari – Temistocle/Herbert Handt – Aspasia/ Kate Gamberucci – Neocle/Dora Carral – Rossane/Cecilia Fusco – Sebaste/Andrea Snarski – 3 children: Gabriella Fabiano Marina Mauro and Fabrizio Rondoni
RAI ‘A Scarlatti’ Orchestra of Naples
Coro da Camera RAI
Vladimir DELMAN
No date
LP VOCE n° 35
(Revised and re-orchestrated version by Edward Downes and HC Robbins Landon ; several arias come from the scores of Amadis, Adriano in Siria, Catone in Utica and Artaserse and were substituted to the original arias !!)

¤ BACH, Johann Christian: Lucio Silla
Silla /Carlo Gaifa – Giunia/Julia Varady – Ceclilio/Sylvia Geszty – Cinna/Roland Hermann – Celia/Gerti Zeumer
Capella Coloniensis and Chorus of West German Radio
Günther KEHR, direction
Concert ( ?) du 23th of May1974, Schwetzingen Festival
LP VOCE n° 77

¤ HOLZBAUER - Gunther von Schwarzburg
with Claron McFadden, Clarry Bartha, Christoph Pregardien, Robert Woerle , Michael Schopper…
La Stagione (period instruments)
Michael Schneider
CD CPO
(Some extracts on the Tower Records site

¤ MOZART : Idomeneo
Many recordings exist but I would recommand the Harnoncourt and Gardiner recordings

There are two incredible recordings of Fuor del mar :
¤ Hermann Jadlowker : Noch tönt mir ein Meer im Busen (sang in German : 1917; Gramophone (1151m) 042527 (several CD but it can also be heard online on http://members.fortunecity.com/greatvoices/#Hermann%20Jadlowker

¤ Rockwell Blake. The Mozart Tenor. CD Arkadia, 1989.

¤ MOZART : Concert Aria K 295
Several recordings, but the most interesting are IMHO : Josef Reti (with modern orchestra, LP Hungaroton) and Christoph Prégardien (with period instruments, CD CPO)

SOURCES
Anderssen, Harald. Liner notes for Bach's ‘Lucio Silla’. LP Voce n°77.

Blanchard, Roger et Candé, Roland de. Dieux et divas de l'opéra. Tome 1. Paris; Plon, 1986-1987.

Clive, Peter. Mozart and his circle. A biographical dictionary. Yale University Press, 1993.

Abstract of Goldbach, Karl Traugott, „Patriotism in South German Opera Gunther von Schwarzburg by Anton von Klein and Ignaz Holzbauer“ on http://www.hallco.freeserve.co.uk/abstracts.html

Heartz, Daniel et Corneilson, Paul. Entry “Raaf, Anton” in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

Kelly, Michael. Reminiscences.... New York, 1826.

Mozart, Family. Correspondence 1777-1778. French edition and translation by Geneviève Geffray. Paris ; Flammarion (Harmoniques), 1987.
[The English translation I used i : The Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Vol.1.. Edited by Ludwig Nohl. Munich 1864 ? It can be found online: http://www.blackmask.com/books86c/lwamonedex.htm

Pajot, Dennis : Posting “Messiah Performances In Germany In Mozart's Lifetime” (posted on 05 December 2002 on the openmozart.net discussion board : http://www.openmozart.net/message.do?action=view&boardName=boardArchive&wbs=000c32

Rosenthal, Harold et Warrack, John (French edition by Mancini, Roland et Rouveroux, JJ) : Guide de l’opéra. Fayard, les indispensables de la musique, 1995. Entry “Raaf, Anton”

Warburton, Ernest. Temistocle: Opera Seria in Three Acts, Libretto by Metastasio With Alterations and Additions by Mattia Verazi. Garland Pub; 1988 (Introduction pp. VII-X )

Several online Italian libraries catalogues for the casts on the printed libretti.

Compiled and written by Emmanuelle Pesqué © January-February 2004

Any comments; corrections and addition gratefully accepted.
Thanks in advance,

Emmanuelle

[Editing by Gary Smith]

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