The second part of Martin Roscoe's complete recording of Ernő Dohnányi's piano works focuses on the years 1897 to 1907, an early creative period for the composer. These works reflect the influences of Schubert, Schumann, and Chopin, but especially the profound impact of Dohnányi's teacher, Johannes Brahms. During his studies at the Royal Hungarian Academy of Music in Budapest, he composed the Four Piano Pieces, Op. 2. The first piece is a Scherzo in triple meter with anapestic rhythms and a striking ending in C-sharp major. The two Intermezzi in A minor and F minor demonstrate Dohnányi's versatility and each concludes with tranquil passages. The collection concludes with the Capriccio in B minor, which breaks with conventional structures through its suspenseful opening and varied trio sections.
The Four Piano Pieces, Op. 2, were composed during Dohnányi's studies at the Royal Hungarian Academy of Music in Budapest. After completing his studies in 1897, Dohnányi began composing his Variations and Fugue on a Theme by E.G., Op. 4, at Lake Starnberg in Munich. This work, inspired by Emma Gruber, a former student and patron, was hailed as masterful by the Viennese press. The variations on a simple minuet theme demonstrate his masterful development of rhythm and harmony. Later compositions, such as the Humoresques, Op. 17, and the Suite "In the Old Style," Op. 24, confirm Dohnányi's skill and his predilection for the theme-and-variation form.
His career as an outstanding pianist began in Berlin in 1897 and continued with tours throughout Europe, Great Britain, and the USA. There, Dohnányi gained recognition and set new standards with works such as the Humoresques, Op. 17. The suite “In the Old Style”, Op. 24, references past musical eras and concludes with a virtuosic transcription of Schubert’s Valses nobles. This piece underscores Dohnányi’s talent for transforming existing themes into expansive and captivating compositions.