Joseph Joachim Raff

Dance of the Dryads from Symphony No. 3, 'Im Walde'

Swiss composer Joachim Raff was born in Lachen in 1822, and during the course of his life he composed more than 200 works, including 11 symphonies. A romantic composer, he was strongly influenced by nature, thus leading to the title for his Symphony No. 3, 'Im Walde' (In the forest). The third movement of this symphony, the Dance of the Dryads, is a quick scherzo, almost reminiscent of the Scherzo of Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream. Consisting of three main sections, following the introduction, the main theme is a quick passage of scales and arpeggios in D minor, perfect for practicing double tonguing! The middle section, modulating to A major, is a slightly slower and more lyrical. After a quick recap of the first D minor section, another lyrical passage in D major makes a quick appearance, before once again returning to the opening material and coming to a quiet ending.