Dohnányi: Veil of Pierrette/Suite/Variations on a Nursery Theme
Ernst von Dohnányi (1877-1960) produced only a small catalogue of works during his lifetime and for much of that time, as a concert pianist, he was largely regarded as the successor to Franz Liszt--he was that good. These works are in the tradition of late-19th-century European romanticism, but they have their own rich character. Dohnányi's compositional forte is the theme and variations. The three works on this disc are exemplary in this regard, especially the exuberant Suite in F Sharp Minor. His exposure to Liszt also had the benefit of appreciating the piano's playful side, as in the Variations on a Nursery Theme--the nursery theme here being "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star". Matthias Bamert and the BBC Philharmonic are in superb form here (with Howard Shelley on piano). A typical--and topically very good--Chandos release.--Paul Cook