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Ernst von DOHNÁNYI (1877-1960)
Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-minor, Op. 5 (1897-98) [47:51]
Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-minor, Op. 42 (1947) [31:57]
Sofja Gülbadamova (piano)
Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz/Ariane Matiakh
Recorded at the Philharmonie, Ludwigshafen, 27-31 May 2019.
CAPRICCIO C5387 [79:54]

In looking at Dohnányi’s two piano concertos one is struck by a resemblance to the two piano concertos of Wilhelm Stenhammar. A massive, Brahmsian first concerto is followed by a shorter, more organically concise, second. There the similarities end as Stenhammar’s second concerto was written hardly more than ten years after the first, while Dohnányi’s second was written almost fifty years after his first.

Dohnányi had recently finished his piano studies with Eugen D’Albert and was already known as a phenomenal performer when the first concerto was premiered by the composer and Hans Richter in 1899. In spite of its length and indebtedness to Brahms, the work is frequently genial and even cheery. This is especially true of the second theme of the opening movement, which Dohnányi ably contrasts with an urgent and agitated first theme. Material from the first movement serves as the subject for variations in the second movement, which has a chamber music texture and some more “modern” touches. The third movement is the gentlest of the three but still ends with a full-fledged virtuoso finale.

In the ensuing fifty years Dohnányi was forced to contend with a variety of form of totalitarianism and had ended up in a small Austrian village, preparatory to emigrating he knew not where. Nevertheless, Dohnányi began composition of a second piano concerto, with an extremely difficult solo part, for himself to play as concert dates opened up. As one might expect, the first movement of the concerto is a masterful combination of unease and almost heroic resolution. Although the resolute elements seem to eventually predominate the sense of anxiety and unrest is never far away, while the coda is merely quiet, eschewing extremes. By contrast, the slow movement is totally serene, and to my thinking possesses the most emotional depth of any of the movements in either concerto. In the last movement Dohnányi again demonstrates his great ability to manipulate basic material in new ways, and the concerto looks to end heroically but the music just cuts off abruptly.

Sofja Gülbadamova’s performance of the solo part in both concertos is just what one could ask for. Not only is she up to the technical demands of these two big works but she never loses sight of Dohnányi’s overall conception and seems to have a great understanding of both the composer’s music and personality. Ariane Matiakh’s direction of the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz is a little rough in the first concerto but in the second she is an able partner to Gülbadamova. Recording quality is acceptable if not brilliant. There are competing recordings of the concertos by Howard Shelley and Laszlo Baranyay as well as an earlier recording of the second concerto by Gülbadamova on the Cybele label. In addition, Gülbadamova has recorded a two-disc set of Dohnányi’s piano music. Pride of place for the concertos would probably go the Hyperion disc by Martin Roscoe, who in addition has recorded all of Dohnányi’s solo piano music and just about every one of his chamber pieces involving the piano. But to my thinking Gülbadamova demonstrates an equal affection for and understanding of Dohnányi’s concertos and we are fortunate to have two such discs available.

William Kreindler