CHAN 10245 Front.qxd 6/2/07 1:53 pm Page 1 CHAN 10245 CHANDOS dohnányi piano concerto no. 2 • violin concerto no. 2 • harp concertino howard shelley piano james ehnes violin clifford lantaff harp bbc philharmonic matthias bamert PostScriptPicture Radio 3 Stack white.eps CHAN 10245 BOOK.qxd 6/2/07 1:41 pm Page 2 Ernst von Dohnányi (1877–1960) Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 43* 30:56 in C minor • in c-Moll • en ut mineur To Frances Magnes 1 I Allegro molto moderato 11:02 2 II Intermezzo. Allegro comodo e scherzando 3:52 3 III Adagio molto sostenuto – 9:36 4 IV Allegro risoluto e giocoso 6:27 Lebrecht Music &Lebrecht Arts Concertino, Op. 45† 15:41 For harp and chamber orchestra 5 Andante – Allegro ma non troppo – A tempo – Molto allegro – Tempo II – Tempo I – 7:07 6 Allegretto vivace – Più mosso – 3:49 7 Adagio non troppo 4:45 Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 42‡ 28:50 in B minor • in h-Moll • en si mineur 8 I Allegro – Legato – Animato – Meno mosso – A tempo – 13:07 9 II Adagio, poco rubato – 7:57 10 III Allegro vivace – Più mosso – A tempo 7:45 TT 75:47 James Ehnes violin* Ernst von Dohnányi Clifford Lantaff harp† Howard Shelley piano‡ BBC Philharmonic Matthias Bamert 3 CHAN 10245 BOOK.qxd 6/2/07 1:41 pm Page 4 developments) or the folk-imbued manner of undoubtedly intended it to help bolster his Dohnányi: Concertos /Concertino Kodály. Yet in its post-Brahmsian Romanticism reputation as a performer, and he eventually his music can stand alongside that of such committed it to disc himself, a mid-1950s similar refugees from modernity as Korngold, recording under Adrian Boult’s direction that The three works presented here were all year, he was branded a traitor to his roots and Rachmaninov or Strauss in its ability to has yet to be made available as a CD. written within a few years of each other the bad-mouthing continued with the fledgling continue to find new and fresh things to say in The gap between the two violin concertos between the late 1940s and early 1950s. Communist regime in Hungary, which accused a time-honoured language. is not quite so extreme (thirty-five years), but Ernst von (Erno˝) Dohnányi was in his seventies him of perpetuating a Germanic, specifically Fifty years separate Dohnányi’s First Piano again the language is remarkably consistent. by this stage, but his powers of musical Brahmsian tradition rather than creating a Concerto (available on CHAN 9649) from Violin Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 43 imagination as composer, conductor and Hungarian one. Piano Concerto No. 2 in B minor, Op. 42, was composed in Tallahassee in 1949–50. It pianist were unimpaired. However, his life over In the face of this antagonism, Dohnányi composed in 1946–47, though the difference is roughly contemporary, then, with the violin the previous decade had hardly been easy. By attempted to revive his concert career; he in style between them is more a case of concertos of Barber (1939) and Korngold the 1930s he had for many years been had been renowned as one of the greatest growth in sophistication – both in orchestration (1945) and stands comparison with those established at the head of Hungary’s musical living pianists since the beginning of the and piano-writing – than tonal advance. indulgently lush masterpieces rather well. It is pantheon, alongside Kodály and Bartók, and century. Ultimately, however, he had to seek The first movement begins as it means to unusual, though, in being written for an was fêted wherever he went throughout the refuge for his family from Europe’s growing go on, with a bold initial statement and a orchestra without violins; Dohnányi is said to musical world. He was head of the Budapest post-war political divide by emigrating first surging theme on the horns, accompanied by have enjoyed the idea of the only violinist on Academy of Music, chief conductor of the to Argentina, then to the USA. In 1949 he Rachmaninov-like arpeggios from the soloist. stage being the soloist. It was first performed Budapest Philharmonic as well as music found a post as resident pianist and The Adagio – a more gently scored interlude in April 1951 by violinist Frances Magnes with director of Hungarian Radio, giving some 120 composer at Florida State University in in G minor – follows without a break, as the Florida Symphony Orchestra under the performances a year while still finding the time Tallahassee, where he found renewed vigour eventually does the ebullient finale. This composer’s baton. to compose. But his standing in his own – and respect – as composer, pianist and Allegro vivace harks back to the wit of his The first movement has an unmistakable country was not to last. Although by all teacher. Active to the end, he gave his last Variations on a Nursery Theme (CHAN 9733), Hungarian flavour to its minor-key modality accounts politically naïve, if not apolitical, he public recital in 1959 and was in New York but also brings with it a surprising hint of and pairs yearning, lyrical melody with more spent the early war years vigorously fighting making recordings when he died at the age Shostakovich – and is that a sly reference, rhythmically rumbustious writing, in particular anti-Jewish legislation until the German of eighty-two in 1960. halfway through, to the finale of a quirky, fugal-style second main theme. The occupation of Hungary forced him to disband His longevity has counted against him in Rachmaninov’s Third Concerto? Whatever, it is short Intermezzo – effectively a scherzo – his orchestra. And in 1944 he lost two of his the sense that his musical style did not travel a thoroughly engaging work and notable for sounds at times as if it has escaped from sons (one of them conductor Christoph von as far as he did. All three concertos on this being perhaps the last substantial piano Brahms’s set of Hungarian Dances, though Dohnányi’s father), both executed for their recording bear the hallmarks of a musical concerto in the grand Romantic tradition. with Dohnányi’s characteristic constant part in the plot to assassinate Hitler. Yet when language untouched either by the modernism Given the time at which it was written – during changes of key. Similarly, the slow movement he decided to move to Austria in the same of Bartók (let alone more extreme post-war his extensive post-war British tour – Dohnányi begins with a broad Brahmsian theme, but has 4 5 CHAN 10245 BOOK.qxd 6/2/07 1:41 pm Page 6 enough harmonic twists and turns to mark it leading conductors. He graduated from The position of Principal Harpist with the South was conferred on him by HRH The Prince of out as pure Dohnányi. A linking passage Juilliard School in 1997, winning the Peter German Radio Symphony Orchestra, returning Wales. recalling earlier themes from the work leads Mennin Prize for Outstanding Achievement to England in 1984 to join the BBC straight into the frisky finale, a rondo with its and Leadership in Music. Following his Proms Philharmonic. Universally recognised as one of Britain’s finest main theme recognisably derived from the first debut in 2001 with the BBC Symphony orchestras, the BBC Philharmonic is based in movement’s fugato idea. A short cadenza with Orchestra and Sir Andrew Davis, he returned As a pianist, conductor and recording artist Manchester where it performs regularly in the an accompaniment of four unison horns and in 2002 to perform the Brahms Violin Howard Shelley has enjoyed a distinguished magnificent Bridgewater Hall as well as touring an energetic recall of earlier themes bring the Concerto with BBC National Orchestra of career since his highly acclaimed London all over the world and recording programmes for work to a close. Wales and Richard Hickox. Recent highlights debut in 1971, performing each season with BBC Radio 3. It has built an international The Concertino for harp and chamber include his debut with the New York renowned orchestras at major venues around reputation for outstanding quality and committed orchestra, Op. 45 is again a product of the Philharmonic, performances with the Budapest the world. Much of his current work is in the performances over an immensely wide-ranging Tallahassee years, composed in 1952, and was Festival Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, combined role of conductor and soloist. He repertoire. Gianandrea Noseda became Principal his penultimate orchestral work, with only the Philharmonia Orchestra and San Francisco has been closely associated with the music of Conductor in September 2002 when Yan Pascal American Rhapsody (CHAN 9647) to follow a Symphony. James Ehnes maintains a busy Rachmaninov and has performed and recorded Tortelier, who was Principal Conductor from year later. If that work celebrated the recital schedule across Europe and North complete cycles of his solo piano works, 1991, became Conductor Laureate. Vassily composer’s new-found home, the Concertino America, and as a chamber musician he has concertos and songs. His recent recordings of Sinaisky is the orchestra’s Principal Guest seems to hark back with a certain nostalgia to collaborated with such artists as Louis Lortie, Mozart and Hummel piano concertos have Conductor, and Sir Edward Downes (Principal the Hungary of his birth. It is cast in a single Yo-Yo Ma and Jan Vogler. James Ehnes plays also won exceptional praise, and over eighty Conductor 1980–91) is Conductor Emeritus. The span that encompasses three recognisable the ‘Ex Marsick’ Stradivarius of 1715 and other commercial recordings testify to his BBC Philharmonic has worked with many sub-movements: a languid opening Andante, a gratefully acknowledges its extended loan wide-ranging repertoire.