A contemporary and briefly an assistant of Liszt, Joachim Raff wrote music which, like that of Liszt in his symphonic poems, frequently has an overtly programmatic element, although Raff’s compositions take as their starting point the style of Mendelssohn. Raff is today best remembered for his symphonies, many of which have specific programmes. Symphony No. 10 “In Autumn” is one of four Raff symphonies depicting the seasons. Symphony No. 3 “In the Forest” is widely regarded as Raff’s masterpiece. Both symphonies are notable for their subtle and atmospheric orchestration as well as their strong and well-contrasted melodies, qualities that were later to influence Richard Strauss.