Dohnanyi, Erno (1867-1960)

Capriccio in B minor, Op. 2, No. 4
Winterreigen (Ten Bagatelles), Op. 13
Six Piano Pieces, Op. 41
Three Singular Pieces, Op. 44

Lawrence Schubert, piano
Naxos 8.554800

After a wait of almost four years, here is the second volume of the
Naxos recordings of the piano music of Erno Dohnanyi (1877-1960). The
first volume, a real winner, featured pianist Markus Pawlik. This issue,
recorded in 1996, features New York pianist Lawrence Schubert and from
the enclosed booklet it appears this may be his last recording before
he retired from playing because of physical problems.

The music included encompasses almost sixty years of Dohnanyi's composing
life, and the pieces are recorded in chronological order, giving us a
chance to see how his musical language evolved over the years. The first
piece, the Capriccio in B minor, Op. 2, No. 4, is the only one with which
I was familiar. It is a student work and at first blush sounds like it
could have come from the late piano works of Brahms, with a good dollop
of Schumannesque Legendton thrown in.

Next are the six Winterreigen (Winter Dances), Op. 13, from six years
later. One hears more chromaticism than in the earlier work and indeed
some influence, however slight, from the emerging French impressionist
movement.  For me, the most immediately attractive is the 'Valse aimable'
which has a lovely impressionistic delicacy. Also striking is 'Morgengrauen'
with its softly tolling octaves, anticipating Ravel's later 'Le gibet'
from 'Gaspard de la nuit.'

Six Piano Pieces, Op. 41, takes us suddenly to the mid-1940s and there
is a striking change in Dohnanyi's style here. Indeed, if his highly
chromatic and irregular 'Laendler' (No. 5), with its amusing side-slipping
harmonies, wasn't influenced by Prokofiev's piano writing, I'd be very
surprised. The first piece, 'Impromptu,' is chromatic in a Wagnerian
sense and there is an harmonic homage to (or perhaps a poke at) Tristan.

The final set, Three Singular Pieces, Op. 44, is from 1951 and here we
find Dohnanyi in high spirits. The 'Burletta' is even more Prokofievan
then 'Laendler', with its trade-marked sforzandi and time signature
changes. It seems to end in the wrong key and then after a 'confused
pause' [according to the funny and informative notes by pianist Schubert]
it scurries to a conventional finish in the 'right' key, almost as if
Teacher had just come back in the room. One wouldn't think the second
piece 'Nocturne' would be high-spirited, and indeed it isn't in its first
quiet, pensive section, but then, true to its subtitle 'Cats of the
Roof,' we hear gentle meows that eventuate in a chase. The final piece,
'Perpetuum mobile,' is a devilish toccata that ends the set, and the
disc, in a flurry of excitement.

Adding to the enjoyment of this disc are the informative and often wry
booklet notes by our pianist, Lawrence Schubert. One nice twist is that
he writes from the point of view of the performer with such comments as
'a hilarious bout of musical insanity designed to send pianists to the
emergency room.' Unfortunately, I have to add that the performances
themselves are a bit careful and the pianist has an unfortunate tendency
to slap you in the face with his sforzandi. He is not helped by the
piano's somewhat clanging tone in places; this might be the fault of
the otherwise fine recorded sound.

Scott Morrison