Ernst Dohnányi is one of those composers whose music was praised during his lifetime, but then fell by the wayside after his death.
Dohnányi began his career as a concert pianist, and his piano music reflects his thorough understanding of the instrument. This second volume of his piano works performed by
Ilona Prunyi wonderfully brings some of that music to life. The music is all firmly rooted in the Romantic era and draws on the compositional methods of that era's great pianist/composers, but
Dohnányi's inventive use of those methods make these pieces his own. The disc opens with a suite of Humoresques that contains a precision march; a vigorous toccata; a folk-song-like pavan, a pastorale, and a fugue. That suite and the early work, Hedwigiana, are greatly influenced by music of Schumann and Brahms. The Variations on a Hungarian Folk Song picks up more of the virtuosity and lyrical colors of
Ravel and
Rachmaninov, and also imitates folk instruments. Although they were not intended as concert works, the relatively late set of Twelve Short Studies comes off like those of
Chopin and Liszt in its bravura, but each is still obviously meant to exercise a particular technique.
Prunyi really enjoys playing this music and it shows. She plays with an infectious energy and vibrant colorings, switching easily between powerful, giant chords and soft, flowing melodies. She really puts herself into the music and does a great service toward its revival.