Music Scores


The International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP) is a digital library of music scores in the public domain. Scans of both original published and manuscript scores are freely downloadable in PDF format. IMSLP has over 180 scores of music in all genres by Raff. Most are available as full scores, but some chamber works are available in parts.

Edition Nordstern is a Stuttgart-based publisher of new critical editions of 19th century music. It's Joachim Raff Edition aims to be a complete survey of Raff's major works in all genres over 130 volumes, and already the scores of 44 works are available, both as full scores and as complete sets of parts for rental. All scores are newly edited in modern type-settings, have full editorial introductions and are in hardcover format.

In cooperation with the Joachim Raff Society, Breitkopf & Härtel has begun issuing a series of Raff scores in its newly edited and typeset Urtext edition. Currently six chamber and piano works are available as study scores and sets of parts, with more in preparation. The publisher also offers sets of performing materials in original editions of the major choral works Die Tageszeiten Op.209 and Welt-Ende - Gericht - Neue Welt Op.212.

Musikproduktion Hoeflich is a Munich-based publisher of reproduction study scores in its Repertoire Explorer series. This currently offers 27 volumes of Raff's orchestral music, which includes all the symphonies, together with shorter orchestral works, concertos and choral compositions. Each score is prefaced by an extensive essay about the work and the background to its composition.

Edition Silvertrust specialises in new editions of neglected chamber music and has in its catalogue editions of 27 major chamber music works by Raff, including all the piano quartets, piano trios and violin sonatas, and almost all the string quartets. All works are sold as sets of individual parts.


Individual scores, mostly of piano pieces or songs are also available from smaller online retailers. If a score is not available at IMSLP or from commercial sources then, except in a few minor cases, a search of library collections will locate a source and the library should be able to supply a digital or paper copy for a charge:

The worldwide library search engine WorldCat is a good place to begin searching for Raff scores in libraries, but it cannot be 100% comprehensive and it is often worthwhile to search the collections of other libraries which have large numbers of Raff scores. The Berlin State Library's Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz section has probably the largest collection, and the best way to search it is using its digitised card index. Another large collection is held by the Bavarian State Library, and both German libraries have digital collections which are constantly being added to and already feature several Raff scores. Both London's British Library and the New York Public Library also have large collections, but these should be searchable via WorldCat. It is also worth searching the online catalogues of music conservatories in Europe and the USA and Canada. The Philadelphia Free Library's Fleisher Collection has a sizable number of sets of orchestral material for Raff's orchestral scores available for loan. Raff Manuscripts are rare and often difficult to locate but most are now catalogued by the RISM search engine.

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