Ernst von Dohnányi: A Song of Life

Two: 1897-1905

Dohnányi launched his career with recitals in Berlin on 1 and 7 October 1897. He premiered his Variationen und Fuge über einThema von E.G. on the first concert and the third of his Vier Klavierstücke (Four Piano Pieces), op. 2, on the second concert. Although both performances were well received by the small audiences as well as by the press, they were not financially successful for the artist because the concert agent insisted that Dohnányi pay all of the expenses. Dohnányi’s performance of Beethoven’s G Major Piano Concerto with the Budapest Philharmonic on 17 November , however, did prove to be profitable. The conductor of the Budapest Philharmonic, Hans Richter, scheduled only two rehearsals for the 17 November 1897 concert. At the first, which took place one day before the performance, Richter asked Dohnányi what cadenzas he was going to play. When the young artist answered that they would be his own, Richter looked surprised and asked to hear the cadenza for the first movement. Dohnányi obeyed, and Richter was thrilled by the composer’s talent. When they came to the third movement, Richter wanted to hear its cadenza, but Dohnányi told him that he had not yet completed it. “Well, it is high time you got it ready,” Richter grumbled. That evening Dohnányi went to see Richter in the Pilseni Sörcsarnok (Pilsen Beer Hall), where the conductor was drinking beer with some members of his orchestra. Dohnányi showed him the manuscript of his cadenza for the third movement. Richter took it eagerly, but then burst out into laughter. There was only a scribbled draft on the paper. “Nobody could make sense out of this,” he called out, still chuckling. Dohnányi could; in the performance the cadenza turned out to be perfect, and few knew that it was almost completely improvised. The audience responded to the concert with great enthusiasm, and Richter engaged Dohnányi for a performance of the Concerto with the Vienna Opera Orchestra in January. Three days later Dohnányi played Liszt’s Réminiscences de Don Juan in Budapest. He followed this with a recital in Pozsony, for which he appeared on the same stage where as a child he had often listened to famous artists. TWO 1897–1905  Dohnányi’s audience consisted of friends from his childhood as well as the Archduchess Isabella and her court.1 Dohnányi was so overcome by memories that, for the first time, he felt embarrassed and experienced stage fright. Nevertheless, he was rewarded with the thunderous ovations to which he was becoming accustomed. Dohnányi spent Christmas at home with his family. Although his parents had preserved the cozy, intimate home life of his childhood, one thing had changed. His kindly old grandmother, who had made the delicious fánk, had passed away. Dohnányi could not stay in his parent’s house for long, however; he had to follow the demands of his career. On 7 January 1898 Dohnányi played a solo recital in Budapest that was a musical as well as financial success. He then traveled to Vienna to play the Beethoven G Major Concerto with Richter and the Vienna Opera Orchestra. This concert, which took place on 9 January, was Dohnányi’s greatest success yet. That evening Richter invited Dohnányi to dinner at his home in the Viennese Villa Quarter. After dinner Richter, Dohnányi, and a local music critic sipped wine and chatted about their musical memories and experiences . They hardly noticed that hour after hour was passing. When night came, they were still together, immersed in conversation. Richter, smoking his Turkish pipe, began to talk about his favorite topic: Bach. He became carried away with emotion and rose from his seat, urging Dohnányi to play one of the organ fantasies. Dohnányi willingly sat at the piano and played Liszt’s transcription of the G Minor Fantasia and Fugue. Richter listened as in a trance; then his eyes slowly filled with tears. “That was well played!” he called out in ecstasy. Richter also talked about Otto von Bismarck and Helmuth von Moltke, whose volume of correspondence he enjoyed reading. Richter, who had been a close friend of the Wagner family, enjoyed relating several anecdotes about Richard Wagner. Before the evening was over, Richter inquired about Dohnányi’s future plans and engaged him to play Beethoven’s G Major Concerto the next autumn during one...