Important Raff autograph in Wetzikon
The collector and entrepreneur Paul Ruppert owns the working manuscript of the first version of the 10th Symphony, the only currently known autograph of a Raff symphony. The digital copy can be viewed in the Lachner Raff Archive. The original is to be donated to the archive in 2022.
Through a relationship with a cultural figure from Germany, the Joachim Raff Archive learned that the important Swiss entrepreneur and autograph collector Paul Ruppert owns a music autograph by Joachim Raff (1822-1882) - virtually on Lachen's doorstep, in Wetzikon! Immediate contact revealed that it was indeed an autograph of Joachim Raff's Symphony No. 10 op. 213 "Zur Herbstzeit". Paul Ruppert made this unique, original manuscript available to the archive managers for the production of a digital copy, which can be used in the archive for research and publication purposes. After extensive study of the collector's items already in Lachen, Ruppert was full of praise for the careful, systematic and passionate work in the Joachim Raff Archive.
After a period of reflection, Mr. and Mrs. Ruppert decided to donate this scientifically very important manuscript to the Joachim Raff Archive in the anniversary year - 2022 will mark the 200th birthday of Joachim Raff. This extremely generous intention cannot be appreciated enough. Lachen thus comes into possession of a unique Raff autograph that Ruppert bought at auction at Sotheby's in London some 20 years ago.
Working manuscript of Raff's Symphony No. 10
This is a working manuscript of the first version of Symphony No. 10, which Raff composed in the summer and fall of 1879. It contains numerous corrections and entries by Raff and a third hand (probably that of the conductor Louis Lüstner, who conducted the premiere at the Kurhaus Wiesbaden in 1880). For the second version, Raff replaced the third movement, which his wife found too pathetic, with a new composition. Raff also revised the end of the finale again. The original version was previously unknown - this manuscript closes this gap.
In Raff's case, the fair copies of printed works usually remained in the possession of the publisher. Unfortunately, many publishers' archives fell victim to the turbulence of the 20th century, and with them probably a large proportion of Raff's fair copies. On the other hand, Raff will have given away or even destroyed most of the working manuscripts of other works. As a result, Paul Ruppert's manuscript is currently the only known manuscript of a Raff symphony. Scans can now be viewed in the Joachim Raff Archive in Lachen - always on Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. or on request.
