These days Erno Dohnanyi (1877 - 1960) is most likely best remembered as a long ago famed pianist, and composer of Variations on a Nursery Song, Op. 25, its huge orchestral introduction leading to the simple statement of the nursery song by the piano. Intricate variations follow. There is more to Dohnanyi than this single piece, as Slovakian label Pavlik Records have discovered with their series of his solo piano works. Now they have alighted on his two piano concertos. The First, in E Minor, Op. 5, premiered in Vienna, played by the composer with the Vienna Philharmonic in 1899. It was a finalist in a competition run by the Bosendorfer piano company. The Second, in B Minor, Op. 42 is a far more compact piece. Dohnanyi gave it a premiere performance in Sheffield in 1947 with Sir Thomas Beecham conducting. Pavlik Records go to pianist, Ladislav Fanzowitz excels in these two little known works, receiving great support by the Slovak State Philharmonic Kosice conducted by Zbynek Muller.
