Robin de Raaff

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Robin de Raaff
Robin de Raaff, 2006
Born
Hubertus Jacobus de Raaff

(1968-12-05) December 5, 1968 (age 55)
NationalityDutch Nationality
Alma materRoyal College of Music Sweelinck Conservatory of Amsterdam
Occupation(s)Composer and bassist

Robin de Raaff (Dutch pronunciation: ['robin də ‘raːf]; born in 1968) is a Dutch composer and bassist.[1] He has written five symphonies, eleven concertos,[2][3][4] an oratorio entitled Atlantis,[5] and two main stage operas. The last opera Waiting for Miss Monroe [6] is about the tragic death of Marilyn Monroe[7] whose role was sung by American soprano Laura Aikin.[8] His first opera entitled RAAFF [9][10] is an opera about the complex relationship between the older Anton Raaff and the young M. (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) in their struggle to create the world premiere of Idomeneo. Both operas were commissioned by Dutch National Opera[11] coproduced by the Holland Festival.[12]

Alongside of the creation of these large scale works De Raaff composed chamber music, vocal music, solo works for musical instruments, and music for film.[13]

De Raaff belongs to the generation of Dutch composers that emerged in the 1990s. In 2001 De Raaff became teacher of Musical Composition and Instrumentation at Codarts, University for the Arts.

Childhood and early career[edit]

Childhood[edit]

Robin de Raaff grew up in Breda in a musically active family. His father is a pianist and accordeonist with whom young Robin had private piano lessons from the age of seven while individually learning how to play the bass guitar. Through the growing influence of Classical music De Raaff started composing complete instrumental works alongside a switch to Jazz oriented playing as he discovered the bassist Jaco Pastorius, and switched to fretless bass guitar as well. When De Raaff was accepted as a composition student at the Sweelinck Conservatory (now Conservatory of Amsterdam) in 1992, Music of the 20th Century and Contemporary Classical Music became his world.

Early career[edit]

De Raaff moved to Amsterdam in 1992 to pursue his Academic career at the Sweelinck Conservatory. The first years his composition teacher was Geert van Keulen, composer and bass clarinet player in the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestral, in 1997 De Raaff finished the Studies of Composition Cum Laude with Theo Loevendie, composer and Jazz saxophonist.

In 1999, after finishing his studies at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, De Raaff become a private student of George Benjamin at the Royal College of Music in London. Alongside his lessons with Benjamin, De Raaff had private lessons with Julian Anderson as well.

Since 2001 Robin de Raaff has been teaching Composition and Instrumentation at Codarts, University for the Arts in Rotterdam,[14] education a wide array of composers.

Awards[edit]

Works[edit]

For an overview of a selection of De Raaff's Works[19] in Dutch see also: Oeuvre of Robin de Raaff

Discography[edit]

Albums[edit]

  • Jaap van Zweden conducts De Raaff [20]– Violin Concerto No. 1 "Angelic Echoes" and Symphony No.1 "Tanglewood Tales".[21] Tasmin Little violin solo and Radio Philharmonic Orchestra EtCetera KTC 1593
  • Waiting for Miss Monroe – 2CD;[22] Recording of the World Premiere in 2012, at the anniversary of Marilyn Monroe's death. Challenge Records CC 72685
  • Orphic Descent [23] – Piano Concerto No. 2 "Circulus", Orphic descent, and Violin Concerto No. 2 "North Atlantic Light".[24] CC 72942 Challenge Records
  • Atlantis [25]– Oratorio on Atlantis by Hart Crane, Plato, and texts by the composer. Challenge Records CC72808
  • Entangled Tales [26]– Cello Concerto, Entangled Tales, and Symphony No. 3 "Illumination...Eclipse". Challenge Records CC 72747
  • Melodies Unheard [27]– Symphony No. 2 "Two Worlds Colliding" for Saxophone Quartet and Orchestra, Symphony No. 1 "Tanglewood Tales", and Symphony No. 4 "Melodies Unheard". A Symphony of Songs on Poems by Emily Dickinson. Challenge Records CC 72762
  • Stolen Back from Time – 2CD;[28] Violin Concerto No. 1 "Angelic Echoes", Percussion Concerto, Double Concerto for clarinet, bass clarinet and orchestra, Unisono (Remastered) for Orchestra, Ennea's domein for septet, Clarinet Concerto, and In Memoriam Dmitri Shostakovich for 2 Trumpets, two Horns and Orchestra.[29] Attacca Records ATT 2017152
  • Doelen Ensemble performs De RaaffDer Einsame im Herbst, Flute Concerto, Megumi-Suite
  • RAAFF [30]– Recording of the World Premiere in 2004
  • Orchestral Works – Piano Concerto No. 1, Unisono, Concerto for Orchestra

Appearances[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Robin de Raaff in Library of IRCAM". brahms.ircam.fr. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
  2. ^ Woolfe, Zachary (2014-04-07). "A Maximalist Evening, Both Earthy and Elegiac". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
  3. ^ "Dutch Cornucopia / IFP / Pople, Cadogan Hall, London". The Independent. 2007-09-18. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
  4. ^ Griffiths, Paul (2001-08-16). "MUSIC REVIEW; Young Performers, New Works at Tanglewood". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
  5. ^ Music, Deuss. "Deuss Music -Works by RobindeRaaff - Atlantis, an oratorio for soprano, bariton, 2 harps, mixed choir and orchestra". Deuss Music. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  6. ^ "Waiting for Miss Monroe". Operabase. 9 June 2012. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
  7. ^ Clements, Andrew (2015-12-16). "De Raaff: Waiting for Miss Monroe CD review – songs haunted by the ghost of Norma Jean". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
  8. ^ Loomis, George (2012-06-12). "A Dutch Take on a Cultural Icon". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
  9. ^ Music, Deuss. "Deuss Music - Newly composed Art Music and Opera - Works - RobindeRaaff". Deuss Music. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
  10. ^ "Raaff by Robin de Raaff | Opera". Operabase. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
  11. ^ "ROBIN DE RAAFF: The Operas". www.robinderaaff.com. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
  12. ^ "Robin de Raaff – Holland Festival". www.hollandfestival.nl. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  13. ^ "MEGUMI – THE MUSIC | Mirjam van Veelen". Retrieved 2023-12-08.
  14. ^ "Academic career". robinderaaff.com. Retrieved 2023-04-30.
  15. ^ "Een goede traditie: de AG-kunstprijs". ag-eindhoven.nl. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  16. ^ "ROBIN DE RAAFF {} www.robinderaaff.com Prizes/Awards". robinderaaff.com. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  17. ^ Wennekes, Emile (21 September 1998). "ROBIN DE RAAFF OVER: De eenzame Schönberg". NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  18. ^ "Robin de Raaff wint Buma Toonzetters Prijs 2008". Conservatorium van Amsterdam (in Dutch). 30 September 2009. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  19. ^ "ROBIN DE RAAFF {} www.robinderaaff.com". robinderaaff.com. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
  20. ^ Robin de Raaff - Tasmin Little, Jaap van Zweden, Radio Filharmonisch Orkest - Violin Concerto, Symphony No.1 (in Japanese), 2017, retrieved 2023-12-06
  21. ^ "Editor's Corner". The WholeNote. 2018-01-30. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
  22. ^ Robin de Raaff - Dutch National Opera, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Steven Sloane - Waiting For Miss Monroe (in Japanese), 2015, retrieved 2023-12-06
  23. ^ "News - Release of Orphic descent by Robin de Raaff".
  24. ^ "Music UpClose - North Atlantic Light".
  25. ^ Robin de Raaff, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra | Netherlands Radio Choir | Martina Batič | Markus Stenz | Marisol Montalvo | Mark Stone - Atlantis, Oratorio For Soprano, Baritone, 2 Harps Solo, Mixed Choir And Orchestra (in Japanese), 2020-11-06, retrieved 2023-12-06
  26. ^ Robin De Raaff, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Residentie Orkest, The Hague, Het Gelders Orkest, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Neeme Järvi, Antonello Manacorda, Marien Van Staalen - Entangled Tales (in Japanese), 2017, retrieved 2023-12-06
  27. ^ Robin de Raaff - Radio Kamer Filharmonie, Orchestre De Picardie, Het Gelders Orkest, Doelen Ensemble, Rascher Saxophone Quartet, Emilio Pomárico, Arie van Beek, Antonello Manacorda, Sophia Burgos - Melodies Unheard (in Japanese), 2018, retrieved 2023-12-06
  28. ^ Robin de Raaff - Cikada / Christian Eggen, Het Brabants Orkest / Etienne Siebens, Nederlands Balletorkest / Stefan Asbury, Radio Chamber Orchestra / Peter Eötvös, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra / Ed Spanjaard, Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne / Lorraine Vaillancourt - Stolen Back From Time (The Large Orchestral And Ensemble Works) (in Japanese), 2017, retrieved 2023-12-06
  29. ^ Schulman, Michael (2018-01-30). "Robin de Raaff - Entangled Tales / Stolen back from Time". The WholeNote. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
  30. ^ Robin de Raaff - Danielle de Niese, Marcel Reijans, Nieuw Ensemble, Lawrence Renes - Raaff (in Japanese), 2009, retrieved 2023-12-06
  31. ^ "Ladder of Escape 11". Dutch Performers House (in Dutch). 2021-04-03. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  32. ^ gool, cinde van (2021-06-14). "Recensie DIVERSEN - Ladder of escape 11 (werken van Kagel, Stockhausen, Hirs, De Raaff en Chin) - Luister". Luister magazine (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  33. ^ "North Atlantic Light - Tosca Opdam". toscaopdam.com. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  34. ^ "Untangled Tales, Robin De Raaff". brahms.ircam.fr. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  35. ^ "Junge Deutsche Philharmonie - RECHERCHEN". www.jdph.de. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  36. ^ Willem Breuker, Otto Ketting, Robin de Raaff, Bart Visman - Mondriaan Quartet & Schönberg Quartet - The Eindhoven String Octets (in Japanese), 2004, retrieved 2023-12-05
  37. ^ Dutch new music - Muziekweb (in Dutch), retrieved 2023-12-06
  38. ^ Koolmees, De Raaff, Tsoupaki, De Kemp, Doelenensemble - Between Nightbar And Factory (in Japanese), 2003, retrieved 2023-12-06

External links[edit]