Album insights
Martin Roscoe's third part of Ernő Dohnányi's solo piano works focuses on a period in the composer's life when his reputation solidified among the finest musicians of his generation. After graduating from the Royal Hungarian Music Academy in Budapest in 1897, Dohnányi embarked on a successful career as a versatile musician, touring extensively across Europe and the United States as a soloist, chamber musician, and conductor. Teaching at prestigious European conservatories, his prominence surged. Dohnányi's patriotic compositions post his return to Hungary in 1915 exemplify his nationalistic fervor, notably seen in works like "Ruralia hungarica." Another significant work, the Variations on a Hungarian Folk Song, op. 29, showcases Dohnányi's innovative fusion of traditional melodies with the theme and variations form he cherished. Compositions such as the Three Pieces, op. 23, hold a unique place in his oeuvre, often mistakenly linked to his patriotic phase due to their resemblance to Hungarian folk music. Demonstrating his diverse stylistic capabilities, the Gavotte and Musette piece from 1898 portrays Dohnányi's interest in pre-classical dance forms. His prowess extends to adeptly crafted piano transcriptions of waltzes, including adaptations from Johann Strauss II and Léo Delibes, displaying his virtuosity and compositional prowess in full.